Develop A Statewide Organics Management Plan

Zero Waste and Recycling Interim Study Committee. The bill tasks the executive director of the department of public health and environment (executive director) or the executive director's designee and the commissioner of agriculture (commissioner) or the commissioner's designee with developing an organics management plan (plan) on or before September 1, 2022. The department of public health and environment may incorporate the plan into the department's existing work regarding organics management if its existing work meets the standards established for the organics management plan. In developing the plan, the executive director and the commissioner are required to study and make recommendations regarding organic waste management practices to encourage compost use on soil to promote carbon storage. The executive director and the commissioner must also complete 2 statewide surveys as part of the plan, with one survey examining end uses for the major categories of organic waste feedstock generated within the state and the other survey examining existing organic waste generation facilities and processing capacity. On or before February 1, 2023, the executive director, in collaboration with the commissioner, shall submit a report summarizing the plan to the legislative committees with jurisdiction over energy or agricultural matters. For the 2020-21 state fiscal year, the bill appropriates $150,000 from the solid waste management fund to the department of public health and environment for use by the solid waste control program to implement the plan. (Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.) (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)