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1994 SESSION

LD5727685
HOUSE BILL NO. 1251
Offered January 25, 1994
A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 10.1-1425.10 and 10.1-1425.12 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 3.3 of Chapter 14 of Title 10.1 a section numbered 10.1-1425.19, relating to pollution prevention program.
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Patrons--Plum, Keating, Puller, Scott, Van Landingham and Van Yahres; Senators: Houck and Howell
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Referred to Committee on Conservation and Natural Resources
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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §§ 10.1-1425.10 and 10.1-1425.12 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted and that the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Article 3.3 of Chapter 14 of Title 10.1 a section numbered 10.1-1425.19 as follows:

§ 10.1-1425.10. Definition.

As used in this article, unless the context requires a different meaning,:

"pollution "Pollution prevention" means eliminating or reducing the use, generation or release at the source of environmental waste. Methods of pollution prevention include, but are not limited to, equipment or technology modifications; process or procedure modifications; reformulation or redesign of products; substitution of raw materials; improvements in housekeeping, maintenance, training, or inventory control; and closed-loop recycling, on-site process-related recycling, reuse or extended use of any material utilizing equipment or methods which are an integral part of a production process. The term shall not include any practice which alters the physical, chemical, or biological characteristics or the volume of an environmental waste through a process or activity which itself is not integral to and necessary for the production of a product or the providing of a service, and shall not include treatment, increased pollution control, off-site or nonprocess-related recycling, or incineration.

"Toxic or hazardous substance" means (i) all of the chemicals identified on the Toxic Chemical List established pursuant to § 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, 42 U.S.C. § 11001 et seq. (P.L. 99-499) and (ii) all of the chemicals listed pursuant to sections 101 (14) and 102 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, 42 U.S.C. § 9601 et seq. (P.L. 92-500).

§ 10.1-1425.12. Pollution prevention assistance program.

The Department shall establish a voluntary pollution prevention assistance program designed to assist all persons in promoting pollution prevention measures in the Commonwealth. The program shall emphasize assistance to local governments and businesses that have inadequate technical and financial resources to obtain information and to assess and implement pollution prevention measures. The program may include, but shall not be limited to:

1. Establishment of a pollution prevention clearinghouse for all available information concerning waste reduction, waste minimization, source reduction, economic and energy savings, and pollution prevention;

2. Assistance in transferring information concerning pollution prevention technologies through workshops, conferences and handbooks;

3. Cooperation with university programs to develop pollution prevention curricula and training;

4. Technical assistance to generators of toxic or hazardous substances, including on-site consultation to identify alternative methods that may be applied to prevent pollution; and

5. Researching and recommending incentive programs for innovative pollution prevention programs.

To be eligible for on-site technical assistance, a generator of toxic or hazardous substances must agree to allow information regarding the results of such assistance to be shared with the public, provided that the identity of the generator shall be made available only with its consent and trade-secret information shall remain protected.

10.1-1425.19. Inspections and enforcement actions by the Department.

A. The Department shall promulgate and implement, by July 1, 1995, guidelines and regulations regarding the conduct of any inspections which it conducts pursuant to Chapters 13 (§ 10.1-1300 et seq.) and 14 (§ 10.1-1400 et seq.) of Title 10.1 and Chapter 3.1 of Title 62.1 (§ 62.1-44.2 et seq.) which ensure that, where appropriate, (i) inspections are multimedia in approach; (ii) inspections are performed by teams of inspectors authorized to represent the air, water and solid waste programs within the Department; and (iii) duplication of inspections,-reporting requirements, and enforcement efforts is minimized.

B. The Department may require that any person found to be violating any law or standard for which the Department has enforcement jurisdiction shall develop a plan to reduce the use or generation of toxic or hazardous substances through pollution prevention incentives and, to the maximum extent possible, implement the plan as part of its coming into compliance with the violated law or standard. This shall in no way affect the Commonwealth's ability and responsibility to seek penalties in enforcement activities.