Advocacy

U.S. House Hearing on “Addressing America's Plastic Waste Crisis”

The U.S. House of Representatives held a committee hearing about managing plastics on March 4, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Reform: Addressing America's Plastic Waste Crisis." A variety of stakeholders were invited by the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change to discuss the challenges this material may cause for solid waste management and recycling in the United States, as well as possible solutions.

The solutions explored by the House members broke down mainly along party lines, with liberal members asking more about regulation at the federal level and conservative members asking more questions about innovative technologies and tax incentives. Most of the witnesses called for more direct federal intervention, though their recommendations varied. Solutions proposed included setting recyclability requirements, requiring producers of plastics to pay fees to fund recycling, and funding public education efforts.

Producer claims about recyclability were also discussed, most likely prompted by the recent Greenpeace report “Circular Claims Fall Flat: Comprehensive U.S. Survey of Plastics Recyclability.”

Witnesses who testified during the hearing included Enrique C. Zaldivar, P.E., General Manager, Los Angeles Sanitation and Environment Bureau, City of Los Angeles; Lynn Hoffman, Co-President, Eureka Recycling; Denise Patel, U.S. Program Director, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives; Keith Christman, Managing Director, Plastic Markets, American Chemistry Council; William H. Johnson, Chief Lobbyist, Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc.; and Jenna Jambeck, Ph.D., Professor, College of Engineering, University of Georgia. 

A full list of members of the Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change can be viewed here. If you are interested in speaking with your representative about this or any other solid waste management issue, please feel free to contact Jesse Maxwell, Advocacy & Safety Senior Manager, for assistance at jmaxwell@swana.org.

RECOVER Act Gains More Support in House

The bipartisan Realizing the Economic Opportunities and Values of Expanding Recycling (RECOVER) Act has added on two new co-sponsors, Representatives Susan Brooks (R-IN) and Julia Brownley (D-CA). The bill (H.R. 5115), supported by SWANA and numerous other recycling stakeholders, would provide $500 million in matching federal grants to eligible states, local municipalities, and tribal governments to invest in improving their recycling infrastructure, programs, and education efforts.

The bill has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change and is awaiting consideration.

Administrator Wheeler Testifies on Proposed 2020 EPA Budget

On Wednesday, March 4, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler testified on the White House’s proposed FY 2021 budget for the agency. Wheeler laid out how it aligns with EPA priorities, including reducing lead exposure, taking action on PFAS, addressing critical water issues, investing in water infrastructure, improving the nation’s recycling system, and reducing food loss and waste. He also highlighted the agency’s focus on deregulatory actions.

Wheeler’s testimony discussed a request for funds to “support work to improve the U.S. recycling system and reduce food loss and waste.” He noted that, “Additional resources will be used to conduct a needs assessment of the U.S. recycling industry to inform future work, support grant programs, and encourage the use of recycled materials in manufacturing through a pilot incentive program.” This includes a proposed Community Recycling Infrastructure and Capacity Building Grant program to support pilot programs and infrastructure to recover and recycles materials.

Under the FY 2021 budget proposal, EPA would lose $2.4 billion from its funding, representing about 26 percent of its current budget. In order to meet this lower amount, EPA would eliminate 50 programs and reduce research and development. The drastic 2021 EPA budget reductions are consistent with those previously proposed by the administration, but Congress has not ultimately enacted them in the past.

EPA to Require Electronic Reporting for LFG Fired Turbines

On March 9, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a final rule that adds electronic reporting requirements for LFG fired turbines starting in September. This change was made as part of EPA finalizing the residual risk and technology review (RTR) for the Stationary Combustion Turbines source category regulated under national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAP).

EPA is requiring owners and operators of stationary combustion turbine facilities to submit electronic copies of certain required performance test results and semiannual compliance reports using the Compliance and Emissions Data Reporting Interface (CEDRI). Owners and operators are urged not to wait until they need to submit the test results to register on EPA’s Central Data Exchange (CDX).

In addition to the electronic reporting requirement, the final rule also eliminates the startup, shutdown, or malfunction (SSM) exemption, making it consistent with the Clean Air Act and court decisions on the issue. EPA also determined that the existing Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standards for this source category are acceptable and that the current NESHAP provides an ample margin of safety to protect public health.