Kentucky state legislators propose bill that would reassess authority of solid waste boards

Dive Brief:

Louisville, KY's Rep. Steve Riggs and Rep. Jerry Miller have filed House Bill 454, a bill aimed at limiting Louisville Metro solid waste board's ability to impose new requirements on cities within Jefferson County, as long as those cities are meeting state solid waste laws.
The bill comes shortly after Mayor Greg Fischer presented a plastic bag ban for the region, which went into effect on Jan. 1, put into place due to plastic that was contaminating yard waste and making it more difficult to produce commercial compost.
Miller explained that the bill was proposed to ensure that the solid waste board's authority is in-line with state law. Riggs said to the Courier-Journal that the proposed bill is "not about plastic bags," however he'd like for cities to have the option to drop the ban.

Dive Insight:

Discrepancies between local governments and waste district boards can be tricky to solve as many decisions, though intended to benefit all municipalities, are not favored by the municipalities they are affecting. However in this matter, it is not the municipalities that are opposing the solid waste rules — it is the state lawmakers, who argue that the recent plastic bag ban was passed by an unelected board.

Yet, according to Miller and Riggs, this matter is not about the plastic bag ban. It is about the appropriate parties having the authority to make solid waste decisions. In addition to the earlier mentioned implications, the proposed bill would require district board appointments to be approved by Metro Council, and would also require one member from the local league of small cities and one from the solid waste industry to be present, according to the Courier-Journal.

"We have serious concerns about the bill because having waste management and reduction policies that are consistent citywide are critical to the city’s future," said Mayor Greg Fischer's spokesman, Chris Poynter, to the Courier-Journal. "We will be talking to the bill sponsor to learn more."

The bill is scheduled to go before the Kentucky House Local Government Committee tomorrow.