SUMMARY OF BILL
REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE
Senate Bill 507 (as reported without amendment)
CONTENT
The bill would add Part 175 (Recycling Reporting) to the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to do the following:
-- Require a recycling establishment to register annually with the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).
-- For recycling activities occurring on or after October 1, 2016, require a recycling establishment to report to the DEQ the amount of recyclable material received by and shipped from the establishment, broken down into specified categories.
-- Allow a person that was not a recycling establishment to report to the DEQ voluntarily.
-- Provide for the confidentiality of identifying information contained in a report from a recycling establishment.
-- Allow the DEQ to aggregate report data to determine statewide quantities of recyclable materials that were recycled.
-- By January 31, 2018, and then annually, require the DEQ to report to the Legislature on Part 175.
"Recycling establishment" would mean an establishment engaged in recycling of, or brokering of, reportable recyclable materials (as defined in the bill). The term would not include an establishment that recycles fewer than 100 tons per year; a retail establishment that bales cardboard packaging for off-site shipment, or that collects returnable beverage containers for transfer to a recycling establishment; an end-use of reportable recyclable materials; a drop-off recycling location that sends materials to a registered establishment; or an establishment that ships material to registered establishments but does not engage in other recycling.
Proposed MCL 324.17501-324.17505 Legislative Analyst: Julie Cassidy
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have a minor, but negative fiscal impact on the Department of Environmental Quality, and no fiscal impact on local government. The DEQ would have to develop forms for recycling establishments to use for reporting, receive those reports, and publish an annual report aggregating the contents of the reports it received from recycling establishments. All of these requirements would introduce some new, but likely minor administrative costs to the DEQ. Beginning in fiscal year 2014-15, the DEQ has been appropriated about $1.0 million annually from the State General Fund for a new recycling initiative intended to increase the availability of residential recycling and to develop markets within Michigan for recycled products. While the bill does not specify how any new costs introduced by the bill would be covered, it is likely that some of the appropriated funds could be used to cover those costs.
Date Completed: 12-4-15 Fiscal Analyst: Josh Sefton
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.