Counties: Investment Can Transform Liabilities Into Sustainable Assets

On March 8, 2023, Associate Policy Director Dominic Butchko submitted testimony to the House Environment and Transportation Committee in support of HB 1139 – Solid Waste Disposal and Diversion and On-Farm Composting and Compost Use.

This bill creates several grant funds to encourage eligible entities to develop and implement on-site compositing and compost use projects. The State faces myriad challenges in confronting environmental degradation. Managing the volume of waste produced and reimagining waste infrastructure are among the most daunting, especially considering the compounding effects that pollution and methane emissions have on other facets of environmental policy. HB 1139 represents a novel approach to transforming these liabilities into sustainable assets.

From the MACo Testimony:

Under HB 1139, the State will charge a $2 per ton tipping fee on waste haulers at landfills. This fee will then be distributed among three funds with the purpose of funding new waste reduction infrastructure. If counties already established a similar waste reduction program with a similar funding mechanism, they may opt out of the program and the $2 per ton fee at their landfills. This approach strikes a balance, allowing counties to go above and beyond state programs, but at the same time providing resources to those jurisdictions who may be in the early stages of reimagining their waste systems.