HCS HB 387 -- HAZARDOUS WASTE

SPONSOR:  Ervin (Byrd)

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on Small
Business by a vote of 7 to 0.

This substitute extends until July 1, 2007, the time frame within
which the Hazardous Waste Management Commission must promulgate
rules and regulations regarding the dry-cleaning industry.  A law
enacted in 2000 created the Dry-cleaning Environmental Response
Trust Fund to pay for the commission's oversight of the
dry-cleaning industry's use of hazardous chemicals and authorized
the commission to promulgate rules for implementation until July
1, 2002.  The substitute also removes from the commission's
regulatory authority all dry-cleaning facilities using
petroleum-based solvents.

The fund and the commission's regulatory authority over all
dry-cleaning facilities will expire on August 28, 2012.

The substitute contains an emergency clause.

FISCAL NOTE:  No impact on General Revenue Fund in FY 2006, FY
2007, and FY 2008.  Estimated Effect on Other State Funds of a
Cost of $87,600 to an Income of Unknown in FY 2006, FY 2007, FY
2008.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that the bill gives the necessary
statutory authority to the Hazardous Waste Management Commission
to promulgate rules to implement assessments, investigations, and
corrective action procedures at dry-cleaning facilities
throughout the state.  The Dry-cleaning Environmental Response
Trust Fund was established several years ago; and dry-cleaning
facilities have been paying into the fund, but the commission has
not been able to do any of the actual work because the rules were
not promulgated in a timely fashion.  The legislative authority
for that rule making expired in 2002.  The bill grants that
rule-making authority again to the commission, so the work can be
done using the money already sitting in the fund.  The bill
removes petroleum-based, dry-cleaning solvents from the fund
provisions.  This change was suggested by both the commission and
the industry because petroleum-based solvents are already found
in less than 20% of the dry-cleaning industry and is rapidly
decreasing as the industry moves to more efficient alternatives.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Byrd; Associated
Industries of Missouri; Department of Natural Resources; and
Steve Dinolfo.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Richard Smreker, Senior Legislative Analyst

Missouri House of Representatives
93rd General Assembly, 1st Regular Session
Last Updated August 25, 2005 at 1:19 pm