Bill > H676

This bill, concerning the regulation of solid waste incineration, proposes to prohibit the assignment of new sites or the expansion of existing sites for facilities that combust, incinerate, thermally convert, or gasify municipal solid waste or construction and demolition debris, if these facilities are rated to process more than one ton of refuse per hour. It also states that the Department of Environmental Protection (referred to as "the department") shall not grant or extend permits for such facilities, or for their expansion, if they exceed this one-ton-per-hour processing limit. Furthermore, the bill defines "incineration" broadly to include various processes that oxidize solid waste, and it explicitly prohibits the approval, issuance, or extension of any permits for the incineration of municipal solid waste or construction and demolition debris past April 22, 2024, and mandates the revocation of any existing permits that extend beyond that date. Importantly, the bill clarifies that these prohibitions do not apply to facilities that utilize "Anaerobic Digestion," a process where microorganisms break down biodegradable material without oxygen.