New Hampshire SB 226: suspending applications for new landfills and establishing a committee to study the feasibility of incinerating solid waste.

Bill Text

SB 226-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2025 SESSION

 25-0978

 08/09

SENATE BILL 226-FN

AN ACT suspending applications for new landfills and establishing a committee to study the feasibility of incinerating solid waste.

SPONSORS: Sen. Rochefort, Dist 1; Sen. Fenton, Dist 10; Sen. Ricciardi, Dist 9; Rep. N. Germana, Ches. 15; Rep. Wheeler, Hills. 33

COMMITTEE: Energy and Natural Resources

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ANALYSIS

 This bill suspends applications for new landfills and establishes a committee to study the feasibility of incinerating solid waste.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

 Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

 25-0978

 08/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five

AN ACT suspending applications for new landfills and establishing a committee to study the feasibility of incinerating solid waste.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 1 Solid Waste Management; Department of Environmental Services; Applications for New Landfills Suspended. In order to ensure that any new landfills are sited properly, meet the need of public benefit, and are aligned with New Hampshire's solid waste goals, the statutory process for issuing permits for the construction of a new landfill under RSA 149-M:9 are hereby suspended until July 1, 2031. The department may accept applications during the period of the suspension, but shall not evaluate or process any applications, in order that any evaluation of need, benefit, harm, or appropriateness of the site proposed will await the development of new regulations, data, and policies.

 2 Application of Suspension; Expansion or Modification of Landfill facilities. Nothing in section 1 of this act shall be construed to prohibit the expansion or modification of any landfill facilities on any site on which, as of December 1, 2022, a RCRA Subtitle D landfill exists that has been fully permitted. For the purposes of this section, the term "site" shall mean a single parcel or adjacent parcels, owned in its entirety by a landfill operator or its affiliates as of December 1, 2022, including a site where one or more public utility easements traverse the site, perennial water bodies traversing a footprint shall still be monitored in accordance with or exceeding United States Environmental Protection Agency regulations and guidelines.

 3 Committee Established. There is established a committee to study the feasibility of incinerating solid waste.

 4 Membership and Compensation.

 I. The members of the committee shall be as follows:

 (a) One member of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.

 (b) Three members of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, including one member from the environment and agriculture committee.

 II. Members of the committee shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the committee.

 5 Duties. The committee shall review the permit process; current prohibitions; the environmental impact include effects on air, soil and water; and the impact incineration solid waste would have on landfill capacity.

 6 Chairperson; Quorum. The members of the study committee shall elect a chairperson from among the members. The first meeting of the committee shall be called by the senate member. The first meeting of the committee shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section. Three members of the committee shall constitute a quorum.

 7 Report. The committee shall report its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the senate clerk, the house clerk, the governor, and the state library on or before November 1, 2025.

 8 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.

 LBA

 25-0978

 Revised 2/11/25

SB 226-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

AN ACT suspending applications for new landfills and establishing a committee to study the feasibility of incinerating solid waste.

FISCAL IMPACT: 

 Estimated State Impact

FY 2025

FY 2026

FY 2027

FY 2028

 Revenue

$0

Indeterminable Decrease

Indeterminable Decrease

Indeterminable Decrease

 Revenue Fund(s)

General Fund

 Expenditures*

$0

$0

Indeterminable Increase $100k-$500k

Indeterminable Increase $100k-$500k

 Funding Source(s)

General Fund, Highway Fund, and Various Agency Funds

 Appropriations*

$0

$0

$0

$0

 Funding Source(s)

None

 *Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill

 Estimated Political Subdivision Impact

FY 2025

FY 2