TITLE X
PUBLIC HEALTH

CHAPTER 149-M
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

Section 149-M:2

    149-M:2 Solid Waste Disposal Reduction Goal. –
I. The general court declares its concern that there are environmental and economic issues pertaining to the disposal of solid waste in landfills and incinerators. It is important to reserve landfill and incinerator capacity for solid wastes which cannot be reduced, reused, recycled or composted. The general court discourages the disposal of recyclable materials in landfills or processing of recyclable materials in incinerators.
II. The general court further declares a goal to reduce the quantity by weight of solid waste disposed by 25 percent by the year 2030, and by 45 percent by the year 2050. For the purposes of this goal, disposal reduction targets shall apply, on a combined basis, to disposal of municipal solid waste and construction and demolition debris, and shall be measured against baseline quantities of these wastes disposed of in the year 2018. For the purposes of this goal only, municipal solid waste means solid waste generated at residences, commercial or industrial establishments, and institutions, but excludes automobile scrap and other motor vehicle waste, infectious waste, asbestos waste, contaminated soil and other absorbent media, sludge, industrial process waste, and ash other than ash from household stoves. Disposal reduction may be achieved through source reduction as well as diversion including but not limited to reuse, recycling, and composting. For the purposes of this section "goal" shall not establish a mandate.
III. In exercising any and all powers conferred upon the department under this chapter, the department shall use and consider criteria relevant to the disposal reduction goal and solid waste management hierarchy established in this section and RSA 149-M:3. The department shall not take any action relative to the reduction goal which causes the municipalities organized under RSA 53-A and 1986, 139 or RSA 53-B to violate or incur penalties under legal obligations existing on June 26, 1990.

Source. 1996, 251:2. 251:27; 261:2. 1999, 43:1, eff. July 20, 1999. 2021, 188:5, eff. Oct. 9, 2021.