HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2058        FILED ON: 2/16/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3267

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Daniel Cahill

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to energy production through waste reduction.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2058        FILED ON: 2/16/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3267

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 2819 OF 2019-2020.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

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An Act relative to energy production through waste reduction.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, the Department of Energy Resources is hereby directed and authorized to conduct a comprehensive study to investigate the impacts of waste-to-energy facilities on electric generation and emissions in Massachusetts. Said study shall include, but not be limited to, (a) the levels of greenhouse gas emissions produced by Massachusetts waste under the current waste management system, (b) the levels of greenhouse gas emissions that would be produced by Massachusetts waste if the state had 50% more waste to energy facilities, (c) the levels of greenhouse gas emissions that would be produced by Massachusetts waste if the state had 75% more waste to energy facilities, and (d) the levels of greenhouse gas emissions that would be produced by Massachusetts waste if the state had 50% more/twice as many waste to energy facilities. The Department shall provide an opportunity for interested parties to submit relevant testimony. The Department shall file a report of its study, including recommendations and drafts of any legislation, if necessary, with the clerks of the House of Representatives and Senate and with the House and Senate Chairs of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy within one year of the effective date of this act.

SECTION 2.  Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, the Department of Energy Resources is hereby directed and authorized to conduct a comprehensive study to investigate the electric generation and environmental impacts of modifying the moratorium on municipal solid waste combustion facilities to allow for converting municipal solid waste to energy for fuel in municipal solid waste combustion faculties that 220 megawatt hours per day and shall have the capability to process no more than a maximum of 400 tons of solid waste per day and (b) the municipal solid waste combustion facility shall accept and process waste from no more than 15 miles away.

SECTION 3. Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, The Department of Environmental Protection shall promulgate further regulations to the Commercial Food Material Disposal Ban in order to ban the disposal of commercial organic wastes by businesses and institutions that dispose of 1,000 pounds or more of these materials per day. The Department shall promulgate regulations establishing a gradual schedule during which the amount of commercial organic wastes that a business or institution is allowed to dispose of decreases from the current one ton to the proposed 1,000 pounds per week.