Environment (Waste Management)

HB 954 amends state laws to create specific definitions for renewable biomass and related terms, such as agricultural materials, forestry products, and waste byproducts. The bill directly affects industries involved in manufacturing, agriculture, and waste management by clarifying what materials qualify as renewable biomass for regulatory purposes. Key provisions include defining forest thinnings and sustainably managed forests while explicitly excluding certain hazardous or non-compliant materials from these categories. Additionally, the legislation updates the definition of solid waste disposal to clarify that storing renewable biomass feedstocks before conversion is not considered illegal dumping.

To amend sections 343.01, 343.011, 343.012, 343.022, 343.08, 3714.07, 3714.073, 3734.521, 3734.53, 3734.56, 3734.57, and 3734.574 and to enact section 3734.522 of the Revised Code to make changes to the laws governing the transfer and disposal of solid waste and construction and demolition debris and to provide for new procedures governing a county's withdrawal from a joint solid waste management district.

To amend sections 343.01, 343.011, 343.012, 343.022, 343.08, 3714.07, 3714.073, 3734.521, 3734.53, 3734.56, 3734.57, and 3734.574 and to enact section 3734.522 of the Revised Code to make changes to the laws governing the transfer and disposal of solid waste and construction and demolition debris and to provide for new procedures governing a county's withdrawal from a joint solid waste management district.