Legislative Bulletin February 3, 2023 – Action Alert
Friday, February 03, 2023 - 09:42am
Oppose bill that would eliminate local authority to regulate solid waste materials recovery facilities
Contact Senators today! SB1365 will be on the Senate floor Monday.
SB1365 (Lewis) would eliminate local authority to regulate waste residue generated from a “materials recovery facility” (MRF) by way of a new definition set out in the bill. This legislation is an attempt to achieve through the General Assembly what a private company was unable to achieve through the courts.
The bill was reported from Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources by a vote of 11-1 and will be on the Senate floor for action on Monday, Feb. 6.
Localities have the authority under Virginia Code Sections 15.2-931 and 15.2-933 to enact “flow control” ordinances which allow localities to direct the delivery of garbage, trash, and refuse to specific facilities. While these ordinances cannot apply to recyclable materials, they can apply to the waste generated by recyclable materials. This bill would eliminate local ordinance authority for the “flow control” of materials recovery facilities.
Materials Recovery Facilities or (MRFs) are facilities that separate recyclable materials such as metals or other recyclable products from solid waste. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) only has operational requirements but not thresholds for materials.
Key points
- Codifies a new definition of “materials recovery facilities” that conflicts with local ordinances.
- Exempts the newly defined “materials recovery facilities” from existing local ordinance authority under 15.2-931 and 15.2-933.
- The Supreme Court of Virginia has upheld localities’ authority to regulate materials recovery facilities.
- Opens the door to allowing solid waste to be processed so long as any amount of that waste is “collected, processed, or recovered.”
- Allows these facilities to engage in the “production of a fuel from solid waste” and prevents localities from regulating fuel production so long as the facilities are permitted to operate by DEQ.
- Localities deserve an opportunity to decide how solid waste is directed and processed within their community.
Action requested
Please contact your legislators and members of the Senate to voice your concerns and oppose SB1365!
| Barker |
George |
(804) 698-7539 | |
| Bell | John | district13@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7513 |
| Boysko | Jennifer | district33@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7533 |
| Chase | Amanda | district11@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7511 |
| Cosgrove | John | district14@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7514 |
| Deeds | Creigh | district25@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7525 |
| DeSteph | Bill | district08@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7508 |
| Dunnavant | Siobhan | district12@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7512 |
| Ebbin | Adam | district30@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7530 |
| Edwards | John | district21@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7521 |
| Favola | Barbara | district31@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7531 |
| Hackworth | Travis | district38@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7538 |
| Hanger | Emmett | district24@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7524 |
| Hashmi | Ghazala | district10@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7510 |
| Howell | Janet | district32@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7532 |
| Lewis | Lynwood | district06@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7506 |
| Locke | Mamie | district02@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7502 |
| Lucas | Louise | district18@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7518 |
| Marsden | Dave | district37@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7537 |
| Mason | Monty | district01@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7501 |
| McClellan | Jennifer | district09@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7509 |
| McDougle | Ryan | district04@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7504 |
| McPike | Jeremy | district29@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7529 |
| Morrissey | Joseph | district16@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7516 |
| Newman | Stephen | district23@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7523 |
| Norment | Tommy | district03@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7503 |
| Obenshain | Mark | district26@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7526 |
| Peake | Mark | district22@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7522 |
| Petersen | Chap | district34@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7534 |
| Pillion | Todd | district40@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7540 |
| Reeves | Bryce | district17@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7517 |
| Rouse | Aaron | district07@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7507 |
| Ruff | Frank | district15@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7515 |
| Saslaw | Richard | district35@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7535 |
| Spruill | Lionel | district05@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7505 |
| Stanley | William | district20@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7520 |
| Stuart | Richard | district28@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7528 |
| Suetterlein | David | district19@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7519 |
| Surrovell | Scott | district36@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7536 |
| Vogel | Jill | district27@senate.virginia.gov | (804) 698-7527 |
VML Contact: Mitchell Smiley, msmiley@vml.org
