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MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT
MDE
1800WashingtonBoulevardr BaltimoreMD nnA e l -800-633-6 4 10-537-3000 l0 I
Manin O'Malley Governor AnthonyG. Brown LieutenantGovernor
ShariT. Wilson Secretary RobenM. Summers, Ph.D. DeputySecretary
March10.2010 The HonorableMaggie L. Mclntosh, Chairman EnvironmentalMattcrs Committee HouseOffice Building Room 251 6 BladenStect Annapolis, MD 21401-199l Re: HouseBill 9E2- Solid WasteManagement- Recycling- Requirements DearChairmanMclntoshl The Maryland Departnent of the Environment(MDE or "the Department")Land Management Administration hasrpviewedHouseBill 982, entitled Solid WasteManagement-RecyclingRequirements,and we would like to explEssour supportfor the overall objectiveofrecycling while opposingthe bill due to the resourceburdenit poseson MDE. The Departrnentis supportiveof manyconceptsthat would resultin reduceddisposaland increased recycling, Wastediversionandrecycling saveenergy,reducegreenhousegassesandother pollutants gencratedin the manufacturingprocessand at landfills, savenaturalresources,andrcducethe amountof wastedisposed.Even in times of loweredmarketretumson recyclables,thereare avoideddisposalcosts associatedwith rccycling. In addition, for a numberof yearsthc Departnenthassupportedthe conceptofa solid wast€management fee in Marylandthat would provide consistentfinancial supportfor the State'ssolid wasteand rccycling prograrn. It is estimatedthat this bill would providenearly$5.7 million per year in revenueto rhe State RecyclingTrust Fund,basedon currentsolid wastedisposaltonnagesin the Stare. The bill only allows the fee to be imposedon landfills, rubblelandfills, andpermittedrefusedisposalsystemsthat perform recycling services,and doesnot includeincineraton,waste-to-energy facilities, or transferstationsthat do not provide recycling services. The bill doesnot define"recycling services"nor provide the Department authority to clari$ termsand provisionsin regulation,which could makeimplementationproblematic. The Department'sfiscal note for this bill totaledmorethan $4.2 million in its first year (threequartersof a year's revenue,due to the effective&te of the bill) for costsassociatedwith hiring new saffm establish goalsfor solid wastereduction,ensurethat countieshavetechnicalinfonnation andmarketsfor their recyclables,rcview countyrecycling plansto ensurcinclusionof the new solid wastereductiongoals, developfie State'srecyclingplan, determinethe strategyfor distributingmoneyto the local govemments
ptogrunsfor wastercduction to establish through recycling andreuse, manage theannualreportsrequircd TTYUsersl -800-735-2258 ViaMaryland Service Relry"
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I lonorableMaggieL. Mclntosh PageTwo to be submittedby the counties,track feesfrom permittedfacilities, developthe bar and re*aurant beveragecontainerrccycling program,andmanagecorrcspondcncc, databascs. and sommunications relatcdto thesenewtasks.Thebill only allowsthe Departrnent l0 percentof thetotalrevenues. or approximately $570'000,to coverits directcostsandthecostsofestablishingandadministering a barand feslaulantbeveragecontainerrecyclingprogramstatewide.Approximatelyd,3l0 barsandrestaurantsand I 50 tlistributorswould benefitfrorn this legislation. Neitherthi bar andresraurant,nor the beverage distributorindustrieswouldprovidedirectfeesto supportthis newprogram.In fact,theseinduspies would savemoneyby avoidingdisposalcostsfrom thlir increased iec/cling activities. 'l'he bill alsorequiresthe Depanmentto establishcommodity-based solidwastereductionthrough recyclinggoals.by weight.for the^counties to implementbyJanuaryl, 2020,asfollows: 70 percentfor aluminum:50 percentfor glass;60 percentfor paper;and5b percentfor polyethylene (pET). terepthalate Althoughit is sensibleto reviewthe currentSt;te mandated ricycling ratls ior thecounties.it would be more appropriateto work with stakeholdersto developclearandreas-onable shortand long term goals basedon recyclinghistory.markets.andtrends. Thankyou for your consideration.we will continueto monitorHouseBill 982 duringthe Committee's deliberations, andI am availableto answeranyquestionsyou mayhave. pleasefeel i"" to .. ut 410-537-3304 or by e-mailat
[email protected] "orrtu.t if t.* te of assistance. Sincerell,'.
Horacio Tablada Director Land ManagementAdministration cc:
The l{onorahleDoyle L. Niemann Shari T. Wilson. Secretarl, HeatherBanhel, Directorof Legislationanclpolicy Li sa Nissley, Legislative Liai son/Environmental.llstice Coordinator
'l"l'Y
t ;sersl -800-7.15-3?.i8 Via h.lan'land Rela-'r Sen'ice
