2021 General Assembly Bills
The General Assembly continues it 2021 session and we are asking for your help in contacting your legislators expressing your support of these bills. The Senate Agriculture , Conservation and Natural Resource Committee was scheduled to hear these bills last Tuesday but it was postponed until this coming Tuesday, Feburary 2, 2021. So there is still time for you to call and/or e-mail and let them know you support these bills. Approval of these bills is important to our endeavor to stop the proposed mega landfill from a reality in Cumberland County, especially SB1319.
Please take a few minutes and sent a quick e-mail or make a quick phone call – you can do during off hours and your support will still be recorded.
Senate Bills
Senator Hashmi has four (4) bills referred to Committee at this time. Three to the Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resource and one (1) to the General Laws and Technology. Below is a brief summary of the bills, a link to the full bill, and a list of members of the two committees for your use in writing e-mails, letters, or making phone calls.
SB 1318 – Environmental justice; interagency working group. Establishes the Interagency Environmental Justice Working Group as an advisory council in the executive branch of state government to further environmental justice in the Commonwealth and directs each of the Governor’s Secretaries to designate at least one environmental justice coordinator to represent the secretariat as a member of the Working Group. The bill provides that the Working Group shall expire on July 1, 2031.
The bill directs each state agency, no later than October 1, 2021, to adopt an agency-specific environmental justice policy that requires an evaluation of the environmental justice consequences of any covered agency action, requires a consideration of the environmental justice consequences or cumulative impacts of the administration of regulations, and contains other features, including robust public participation plans for residents of environmental justice communities and fenceline communities potentially affected by a covered agency action.
This bill is referred to the Committee on General Laws and Technology. See contact information below.
SB 1319 – Waste control and recycling; permits. Prohibits the Waste control and recycling; permits. Prohibits the Department of Environmental Quality (the Department) and the Virginia Waste Management Board from issuing any permit for the construction, modification, or expansion of a new or existing municipal solid waste landfill that will accept 3,500 tons or more of municipal solid waste per day until the General Assembly enacts legislation incorporating the findings and recommendations of the Waste Diversion and Recycling Task Force (the Task Force), and requests the Department to continue through 2022 and expand the scope of the Task Force.
SB 1200 – Waste disposal; local approval. Requires any application (i) to store, provide treatment for, or dispose of hazardous waste or (ii) for a new solid waste management facility permit, except for a noncaptive industrial landfill, to include certification from the governing body for each locality within a five-mile radius of the facility, other than the locality in which the facility is or will be located, granting approval of the facility or activity.
SB 1186 – Landfill siting; historic preservation. Prohibits the construction of any new municipal solid waste landfill within three miles of any designated historic district, building, structure, object, or site.
PLEASE SUPPORT THESE BILLS
Provided above is all the information you need to show your support for these four bills – summary of the bill, the full text of the bill, and the list of committee members. You do not need to limit your support for these bills to just the Committee members, expand it to your representatives – both Delegates and Senators. Share the information with your neighbors, friends, organizations, etc. All Virginians have the obligation and responsibility to protect our environment.
THANK YOU for your support!!!!