HOUSE BILL REPORT

HJM 4036

BYRepresentatives Valle, May, Rust, Brekke, Jacobsen, Pruitt, Anderson, Todd, Lux and Ferguson

Requesting a Western States Recycling Coalition.

House Committe on Environmental Affairs

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (13)

      Signed by Representatives Rust, Chair; Valle, Vice Chair; Brekke, Ferguson, Jesernig, Lux, May, Pruitt, Schoon, D. Sommers, Sprenkle, Unsoeld and Walker.

House Staff:Susan Gulick (786-7116)

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS

JANUARY 27, 1988

BACKGROUND:

Many products commonly used today pose serious disposal problems.  Plastics generally do not biodegrade and may emit toxic emissions when incinerated.  Batteries contain large amounts of lead, which is toxic at very small concentrations and cannot be safely landfilled or burned.  Even newsprint contains significant quantities of lead and cadmium which makes it unsuitable for landfills and incinerators.

State and local governments face drastically increasing disposal costs due, in part, to the widespread use of materials and products with no readily available and environmentally acceptable means of disposal.  Individual states have been largely unsuccessful in affecting manufacturers' use of materials which pose disposal problems.

Several of the New England states have formed a coalition to lobby Congress to pass legislation favorable to recycling and also to encourage manufacturers to use materials which can be disposed of safely and economically.  The Joint Select Committee for Preferred Solid Waste Management has recommended that Washington work with other western states to develop a similar recycling coalition.

SUMMARY:

SUBSTITUTE MEMORIAL:  The resolution requests the states of Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, and California to send delegates to a National Conference of State Legislators meeting for the purpose of drafting an interstate compact to form a western states recycling coalition.

SUBSTITUTE MEMORIAL COMPARED TO ORIGINAL:  The substitute memorial includes Idaho.

Fiscal Note:      Requested January 28, 1988.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    None Presented.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.