Vermont H 303: An act relating to disclosure of hospital administrator salaries in hospital budget review

Bill Text

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VT LEG #380577 v.1
H.303 1
Introduced by Representatives Burtt of Cabot, Bos-Lun of Westminster, 2
Branagan of Georgia, Burditt of West Rutland, Charlton of 3
Chester, Cole of Hartford, Dolgin of St. Johnsbury, Harvey of 4
Castleton, Higley of Lowell, Lipsky of Stowe, McGill of 5
Bridport, Morgan, L. of Milton, Nelson of Derby, North of 6
Ferrisburgh, O'Brien of Tunbridge, Ode of Burlington, 7
Surprenant of Barnard, Tagliavia of Corinth, and Toof of St. 8
Albans Town 9
Referred to Committee on 10
Date: 11
Subject: Conservation and development; solid waste; septage; sludge; 12
biosolids; prohibition on land application 13
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to ban the land 14
application of septage, sludge, and biosolids. The bill also would prohibit the 15
sale of compost or other agricultural products containing or produced from 16
septage, sludge, or biosolids. 17
An act relating to the use of septage, sludge, and biosolids 18

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VT LEG #380577 v.1
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 1
Sec. 1. 10 V.S.A. § 6602 is amended to read: 2
§ 6602. DEFINITIONS 3
As used in this chapter: 4
(1) “Secretary” means the Secretary of Natural Resources or his or her 5
duly authorized representative. 6
* * * 7
(50) “Biosolids” means septage or sewage sludge derived, in whole or in 8
part, from domestic wastes that have been subjected to a treatment process for 9
the reduction of pathogens and have been demonstrated to meet the applicable 10
requirements in Agency rules for vector attraction reduction and pathogen 11
reduction. 12
(51) “Septage” means the liquid and solid materials pumped from a 13
septic tank, portable toilet, or cesspool during cleaning. 14
(52) “Sludge” means any solid, semisolid, or liquid generated from a 15
municipal, commercial, or industrial wastewater treatment facility or process, 16
water supply treatment plant, air pollution control facility, or any other such 17
waste having similar characteristics and effects. “Sludge” includes Class A 18
and Class B sewage sludge as those terms are defined under 40 C.F.R. Part 19
503. 20

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VT LEG #380577 v.1
(53) “Wastewater treatment facility” has the same meaning as in section 1
1295 of this title. 2
Sec. 2. 10 V.S.A. § 6604b is amended to read: 3
§ 6604b. TESTING OF SOLID WASTES PRIOR TO BENEFICIAL USE 4
ON LAND OR DISTRIBUTION AND MARKETING 5
PROHIBITION ON LAND APPLICATION OF SLUDGE, 6
SEPTAGE, AND BIOSOLIDS AND SALE OF COMPOST AND 7
OTHER AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS AND MATERIALS 8
CONTAINING SLUDGE, SEPTAGE, AND BIOSOLIDS 9
(a) The Secretary of Natural Resources, in consultation with the Secretary 10
of Agriculture, Food and Markets and with the Commissioner of Health, shall 11
adopt rules to establish a testing program for all sewage sludge, or similar 12
liquid wastes, prior to their beneficial use on land or prior to distribution and 13
marketing of those wastes in liquid or solid form. The testing program shall 14
establish a process for the determination of minimum testing frequencies and 15
specific parameters for which analysis must be completed and shall detail 16
procedures by which samples are collected, stored, and tested. 17
(b) In establishing the process for the determination of test parameters and 18
frequency, the rules shall take into account the size and complexity of the 19
facility, the nature of the service area or collection system, including industrial 20

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VT LEG #380577 v.1
contributions, the frequency of sewage sludge use on the land, and any existing 1
data that is pertinent to the facility. 2
(c) Rules regarding the application of waste to fields shall take into 3
consideration the characteristics of the specific waste involved and shall 4
calculate the heavy metal or micronutrient soil holding capacity based on a pH 5
of 5.5 for the soil type at the application site, as appropriate. 6
(d) A person subject to this section shall make all analytical results derived 7
from the testing program provided for in this section available to the public 8
upon request. 9
(a) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a person shall not 10
apply to or spread on any land in the State: 11
(1) septage, sludge, or biosolids; 12
(2) compost material that includes in its production the use of septage, 13
sludge, or biosolids; or 14
(3) any other product or material that is intended for use as a fertilizer, 15
soil amendment, topsoil replacement, or mulch or for other similar agricultural 16
purpose that is derived from or contains septage, sludge, or biosolids. 17
(b) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a person shall not 18
sell or distribute in the State: 19
(1) compost material that includes in its production the use of septage, 20
sludge, or biosolids; or 21

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