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1997 SESSION

974863160
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 585
Offered January 20, 1997
Establishing a joint subcommittee to study the solid waste disposal, collection and recycling services provided by water and sewer authorities, and the use of the private sector to assist in the delivery of those services.
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Patrons-- Cooper, Callahan, Councill, Dickinson, Guest, Keating and Moss; Senators: Barry, Benedetti, Colgan, Earley, Gartlan, Holland, Houck, Miller, K.G., Miller, Y.B., Reasor, Saslaw and Waddell
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Referred to Committee on Conservation and Natural Resources
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WHEREAS, many localities in Virginia have joined together to form water and sewer authorities pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 28 of Title 15.1 of the Code of Virginia to provide solid waste management services; and

WHEREAS, water and sewer authorities encourage regional cooperation and can reduce the cost of solid waste disposal, collection and recycling services provided individually by localities; and

WHEREAS, some water and sewer authorities rely heavily on contracting with the private sector for the delivery of their solid waste management services while others use the private sector to a limited degree; and

WHEREAS, substantial long-term debt has been incurred by some Virginia water and sewer authorities to construct and operate their solid waste management systems; and

WHEREAS, a variety of alternatives are being considered by water and sewer authorities in Virginia to meet the cost of providing solid waste management services and systems, including (i) using the private sector to provide services, (ii) eliminating uneconomical services, (iii) displacing private companies providing solid waste management services in their service area, (iv) competing with the private sector in the delivery of commercial solid waste management services, and (v) imposing new fees on users and, in some cases, non-users of their services; and

WHEREAS, the financial well-being of Virginia's water and sewer authorities has significant implications for their member localities, the residents and businesses within those localities, Virginia's economic development, and the quality of Virginia's environment; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That a joint subcommittee be established to study the solid waste disposal, collection and recycling services provided by Virginia water and sewer authorities and the use of the private sector to assist in the delivery of those services. The joint subcommittee's study shall include an examination of (i) the solid waste management services provided by Virginia's water and sewer authorities and an analysis of the costs and charges imposed for those services; (ii) the challenges presently facing Virginia's water and sewer authorities in the delivery of solid waste management services; (iii) the ways in which the private sector can assist Virginia's water and sewer authorities in meeting those challenges; (iv) the long-term debt incurred by Virginia's water and sewer authorities for their solid waste management systems; and (v) the alternatives being considered by Virginia's water and sewer authorities to meet the costs and challenges of their solid waste management systems.

The joint subcommittee shall consist of fifteen members, which shall include nine legislative members and six nonlegislative citizen members as follows: five members of the House of Delegates, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; four members of the Senate, to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections; one representative of a water and sewer authority providing solid waste management services, one representative of a county and one representative of a city that are members of a water and sewer authority providing solid waste collection services, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; and one representative of a private sector company providing solid waste collection services in the Commonwealth, one representative of a private sector company that owns a solid waste disposal system in the Commonwealth, and one representative of a private sector company providing recycling services in the Commonwealth, to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections.

The direct costs of this study shall not exceed $ 9,000.

The Division of Legislative Services shall provide staff support for the study. All agencies shall provide assistance to the Division, upon request.

The joint subcommittee shall complete its work in time to submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 1998 Session of the General Assembly as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for processing legislative documents.

Implementation of this resolution is subject to subsequent approval and certification by the Joint Rules Committee. The Committee may withhold expenditures or delay the period for the conduct of the study.