The Legislature is now adjourned until next January, so all bills that have not been enacted are now dead. Past updates have highlighted the bills introduced and the action taken on them. It is expected that several bills that did not become laws will be introduced next session, including on landfill surcharges and electronics disposal and recycling.

However, the rule-making process is still active and legislative, rule and state policy recommendations have been made by the Council on Recycling. Finally, the Governor's Task Force on Waste Materials Recovery and Disposal has also developed some draft recommendations as it works towards its end-of-the-year deadline.

Rules revisions

The NR 500 revisions for landfill design and operation that took effect in 2005 included a general requirement that landfill owners and operators prepare a written plan for achieving organic stability in a shorter time frame than what is currently achieved. With the help of an advisory workgroup, the DNR has developed more detailed rules governing plans for the stabilization of biodegradable organics, as well as a list and descriptions of possible strategies for fulfilling this requirement (either through diversion of organics, pre-processing of organics, in-landfill treatment, or a combination of these approaches). For many landfills, the plans are to be submitted by January 1, 2007. The DNR held public hearings on the more detailed rule proposal in April; modifications were made to the rule and the DNR Board approved the revised rule at its June meeting. It now goes to the Legislature for their review and possible hearings and comments.

Web page for the rule:Click here
Web page for the workgroup:Click here

Council on Recycling

The Council has been working on two major issues that involve legislation or policy:

The disposal of mercury-containing products result in more mercury being emitted to Wisconsin's environment each year than the amount of air emissions from the state's power plants. The Council has developed recommendations to:

o Ban the sale of mercury thermostats

o Promote thermostat recycling programs within the heating, ventilating and air conditioning industry

o Require that retailers set up take back and recycling programs for thermostats, fluorescent and vehicle HID lamps

o Increase funding for Clean Sweep programs to handle mercury

o Ban the use of elemental mercury in schools

o Support existing state programs that deal with mercury switches in scrapped vehicles

o Support the pollution prevention requirements for mercury for publicly owned wastewater treatment works, which are expected to cover dental offices, health-care facilities, and other businesses.

"Stickies" is a paper recycling term for pressure sensitive adhesives; they are a serious contaminant in paper recycling, with one study estimating the cost to the recycling industry at over $700 million a year. The Council has formed a subcommittee of industry and other representatives to try to develop a consensus plan of action. One issue that has been discussed several times is having state purchasing encouraging the use of environmentally benign pressure sensitive adhesives. Already, the US Postal Service uses such adhesives on postage stamps.

Governor's Blue Ribbon Task Force on Waste Materials Recovery and Disposal

The Blue Ribbon Task Force is beginning to discuss possible recommendations for its report to the Governor, which is due at the end of December. Issues that have come up include:

o Improvements to the standards for landfills for construction and demolition materials

o Increased recycling for construction and demolition materials, including bans on the landfilling of non-inert materials

o Increased recycling of paper, including mixed paper

o Banning the landfilling of universal wastes from households

o Elimination of transfers from the recycling and agricultural chemical management funds to other programs or the general fund

o Placing deposits on recyclable products, such as beverage containers

The Task Force intends to hold public hearings before finalizing its recommendations. The next meeting is scheduled for August 2nd, at a location yet to be specified. A web page of the Task Force's membership and meeting materials is available at www.wasteresources.wi.gov

For questions regarding legislation, please contact John Reindl at Reindl@co.dane.wi.us

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