Counties Push for New Reporting Requirements for Waste Haulers

On February 22, 2023, Associate Policy Director Dominic Butchko testified before the House Environment and Transportation Committee in support of HB 609 – Environment – Waste Haulers – Reporting Requirement.

The Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee will consider the bill’s cross-file, SB 768, on February 23.

HB 609 requires waste haulers that dispose of waste to facilities or disposal sites located in a particular county to submit a report on their waste disposal activities to that county on an annual basis, and establishes that waste haulers who violate the new law will incur a minor civil penalty. The more meticulous reporting system outlined in this bill represents a boon to counties—the data collected will be leveraged to help local governments identify where recycling and diversion activities need to be better supported, and what additional services or infrastructural developments are needed to reach state and local sustainability goals.

From the MACo Testimony:

Annually, counties are required to submit to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) an MRA Tonnage Reporting Survey, which details the quantity of materials generated in the public and private sectors that are recycled and diverted from the solid waste stream each year. However, many jurisdictions aren’t reaching the state-mandated recycling goal because businesses, multi-family dwellings, and office buildings are not reporting on their recycling activities, even if they are required by law to recycle. HB 609 asks haulers to do their part in accurately tracking the flow, diversion, and in some cases, final destination of waste. This reporting, which to some extent is already being done by haulers for billing purposes, would result in significantly improved recycling, diversion, and reporting rates for the counties.