Solid Waste

Electronics Ban in Landfills (A.7191)

Legislative Description: Prohibits the disposal of electronic equipment in solid waste facilities; imposes civil penalties for violations of such provisions; provides that all fees and civil penalties collected pursuant to such act shall be deposited in the solid waste account of the environmental protection fund for use in electronic equipment recycling programs; requires wireless telephone service suppliers to recycle or reuse used wireless telephones. AddS27-0721, ren Art 27 Title 23 & SS27-2301, 27-2303 & 27-2305 to be Title 25 & SS27-2501, 27-2503 & 27-2505, amd SS27-2503, 54-0701 & 71-2703, En Con L; amd S92-s, St Fin L.

Sponsorship: COLTON Multi:MLTSPNSR

Cowboy Notes: Bans the disposal of electronics in landfills and incinerators -- instead seeking recycling alternatives -- as electronics contain all kinds of troublesome materials that easily can leachate out into the environment, particularly when your dumping thousands of pounds of electronics. No senate sponsor. 28

More Information: Bill Text - Sponsor's Memo

A.7191

4/4/07 - referred to environmental conservation

1/9/08 - referred to environmental conservation

No Same As Bill

Most pieces of legislation without same as bills do not have a realistic chance of passage.

This legislation may exist to solely educate the legislature on an issue, to appease a consituency, influential person, or lobbyist, or because a legislator believes deeply in a cause.

No Landfills on Aquifers (A.1152 / S.227)

Legislative Description: Provides for minimization and limitation of siting and expansion of solid waste landfills in proximity to aquifers and other public water supplies; requires the department of environmental conservation to accept and consider comments and objections from affected municipalities; requires consideration of possible over-concentration and local land use laws and plans. Amd SS27-0701, 27-0703 & 27-0707, En Con L.

Sponsorship: GUNTHER, WALKER. Multi:MLTSPNSR

Same As Sponsors: 1

Cowboy Notes: Assemblywomen Gunther of Sullivan County has several bills proposing to limit where landfills can be sited. She's afraid that her rural district in Monticello and beyond will become New York City's dumping ground. Right now, the DEC does not normally allow landfills on aquifers (places where water is found below ground), however they often give out variances to existing landfills to expand on aquifers. You typically don't want to have leachate leaking into these aquifers as that poisons people's wells. It's already fairly tough to site a municipal solid waste landfill in New York (only 2 new landfills created in New York since 1989 and 15 expanded) and many legislators think it's too tough. Likewise, the DEC already has a policy that prohibits this, however it's often ignored with variances. The problem is the DEC also wants you to sit landfills on clay, which tend to be wetlands and have aquifers under them. 28

More Information: Bill Text

A.1152

1/3/07 - referred to environmental conservation

1/9/08 - referred to environmental conservation

S.227

1/3/07 - REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

2/13/07 - 1ST REPORT CAL.141

2/14/07 - 2ND REPORT CAL.

2/26/07 - ADVANCED TO THIRD READING

6/21/07 - COMMITTED TO RULES

1/9/08 - REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

Plastic Bag Phaseout (A.8633 / S.4477)

Legislative Description: Requires retail businesses to restricting the use of non-compostable plastic bags by fifty percent of the current volume by 2010 and completely ban the use of such bags by 2012; defines terms; provides injunctive relief and enforcement by the attorney general. Add S399-e, Gen Bus L.

Sponsorship: COLTON, BENEDETTO, WEISENBERG, DINOWITZ, JAFFEE, KOON, MILLMAN, EDDINGTON, CYMBROWITZ, LAFAYETTE, CARROZZA, WALKER, SPANO. Multi:MLTSPNSR Brennan, Gordon T, Gunther, Maisel, Mayersohn, Miller, Reilly, Thiele

Cowboy Notes: 28

More Information: Bill Text - Sponsor's Memo

A.8633

5/22/07 - referred to economic development

1/9/08 - referred to economic development

S.4477

4/17/07 - REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION

5/15/07 - 1ST REPORT CAL.985

5/16/07 - 2ND REPORT CAL.

5/21/07 - ADVANCED TO THIRD READING

6/21/07 - COMMITTED TO RULES

1/9/08 - REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION

4/8/08 - 1ST REPORT CAL.725

4/9/08 - 2ND REPORT CAL.

4/14/08 - ADVANCED TO THIRD READING

Prohibit Styrofoam Packing Peanuts (A.842)

Legislative Description: Prohibits the sale or commercial use of styrofoam, commonly known as "packing peanuts" as a packaging material. Add S27-0721, En Con L.

Sponsorship: ENGLEBRIGHT, LAVELLE, COOK, WEISENBERG. Multi:MLTSPNSR Colton, Cymbrowitz, Diaz R, Dinowitz, Hoyt, Mayersohn, Weinstein

Cowboy Notes: Prohibits the use of styrofoam packing peanuts in shipping boxes. There are corn-based or recycled-paperboard alternatives, that when used can be dumped or burned without the toxins of polystyrene plastics. The reality is the vast majority of packing peanuts only get one use, and they are light so they are likely to get out in the environment and cause problems. It's an interesting idea, but I doubt the legislature will take it seriously. 28

More Information: Bill Text

A.842

1/3/07 - referred to environmental conservation

1/9/08 - referred to environmental conservation

No Same As Bill

Most pieces of legislation without same as bills do not have a realistic chance of passage.

This legislation may exist to solely educate the legislature on an issue, to appease a consituency, influential person, or lobbyist, or because a legislator believes deeply in a cause.