Relates to establishing state and municipal composting programs; requires all state and municipal agencies to establish a composting program in buildings owned, occupied or operated by such agencies; allows such agencies to arrange for collection of compostable waste by a private carter, transport such waste itself or process such waste on-site; requires reports on the costs and effectiveness of such programs.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A6664
SPONSOR: Epstein TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in
relation to establishing state and municipal composting programs
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This legislation would require state and local municipal agencies to
create composting programs to separate organic waste from other types of
waste so that it can be processed appropriately.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends Article 27 of the environmental conservation law to add
a new title 30 that lays out the parameters of state and municipal
composting programs, including:
-defining "agency," "compostable," and "municipal"
-establishing that the programs must be in effect one year after the
effective date of the legislation
-requiring that workplace notices be posted informing employees that
they must place compostable waste in containers separate from other
types of waste requiring that agencies arrange for the waste to be proc-
essed on-site or transported to an appropriate waste processing facility
-requiring agencies to report data on collection and costs to the
department of environmental conservation
Section 2 provides the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Organic waste can be a valuable source of renewable energy, provided we
put in place systems to collect it and divert it from landfills
where it decays and produces the harmful greenhouse gas, methane.
Composting not only reduces the negative impact that decaying organics
have on our environment, it can also be a source of revenue if we choose
to harness it: New York City's Independent Budget Office estimates that
if the 1 million tons of organic waste in New York City's residential
waste stream was used to produce biogas to generate electricity, it
could produce an estimated $22.5 million per year in revenue based on a
wholesale electricity price of $.04 per kWh. New York State's 1.3
million state and local government employees produce approximately half
a pound of organic waste per workday. If these workers composted their
organic waste, our state could divert 1.69 million pounds of organic
waste from landfills and generate revenue by selling it to landscapers
and farmers, or by using it for biogas.
Our state and municipal agencies can lead the way on making our state
more sustainable and environmentally friendly if we begin to think of
organic waste a resource and establish a system of separating and
putting to use organic waste, rather than squandering it.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately after becoming law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6664
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 14, 2019
___________
Introduced by M. of A. EPSTEIN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Environmental Conservation
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
establishing state and municipal composting programs
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Article 27 of the environmental conservation law is amended
2 by adding a new title 30 to read as follows:
3 TITLE 30
4 STATE AND MUNICIPAL COMPOSTING PROGRAMS
5 Section 27-3001. State and municipal composting programs.
6 § 27-3001. State and municipal composting programs.
7 1. For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have
8 the following meanings:
9 (a) "agency" means any department, agency, board, public benefit
10 corporation, public authority, or commission;
11 (b) "compostable" means all the materials in the product will (i)
12 undergo degradation by biological processes during composting to yield
13 carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds, and biomass at a rate
14 consistent with other known compostable materials; and (ii) leave no
15 visible, distinguishable or toxic residue, including no adverse impact
16 on the ability of composts to support plant growth once the finished
17 compost is placed in soil; and
18 (c) "municipal" means a village, town, city, or county.
19 2. Beginning one year after the effective date of this section, all
20 state and municipal agencies shall establish a composting program in
21 buildings owned, occupied or operated by such agencies that shall, at a
22 minimum:
23 (a) require that all compostable waste including but not limited to
24 food scraps, plant trimmings, food-soiled paper and certified composta-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10515-01-9
A. 6664 2
1 ble products from garbage and other recyclables be separated and placed
2 in labeled containers;
3 (b) post and maintain signs with instructions on identifying and sepa-
4 rating compostable waste from garbage and recyclables;
5 (c) ensure agency employees place compostable waste in appropriately
6 labeled containers and do not mix such waste with garbage or recycla-
7 bles;
8 (d) ensure containers are latched at the time of storage or set-out;
9 and
10 (e) arrange for compostable waste to be transported and/or processed
11 separately from garbage and recycling.
12 3. Each state and municipal agency may arrange for collection of
13 compostable waste by a private carter, transport such waste itself or
14 process such waste on-site.
15 4. Beginning one year after the establishment of the program pursuant
16 to subdivision two of this section, and annually thereafter, each state
17 and municipal agency shall report to the department on such program,
18 including, but not limited to (i) the amount of compostable waste
19 collected; and (ii) the costs associated with such program.
20 5. By December first, two thousand twenty-two, and annually thereaft-
21 er, the department shall post a report on its website detailing agency
22 composting programs in the state. Such report shall include an evalu-
23 ation of the effectiveness of such composting programs, and information
24 on costs and collection rates.
25 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
