Water quality, PFAS and landfills: The House will consider a number of bills that address environmental issues facing the state this Wednesday. Here are some of these key issues they will be voting on.
PFAS
After failing to get approval from the Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee, a proposal to ban the sale products containing per- and/or polyfluoroalkyl forever chemical is up for a vote. The panel recommended that further research be done on the matter because there are so many items made with PFAS. Committee report. Representative Bill Boyd, Merrimack Republican, introduced House Bill 1589 to stop chemical pollution at its source.
Another bill deals with the issue of PFAS soils. It instructs the Department of Environmental Services in establishing soil remediation standards to protect groundwater. House Bill 1547The bill would also make a polluter responsible to provide safe water for someone with contaminated well water. The Environment and Agriculture Committee unanimously voted in favor of the bill.
Landfills
House Bill 1420This would prevent the state’s issuing of new landfill permits until the state’s solid waste plan is updated. The state must update its solid waste plan at least every six years. per New Hampshire lawHowever, the current plan was Created in 2003This was updated in 2009. The bill is on track to pass without any debate on Wednesday due to unanimous support from committee.
The House Environment and Agriculture Committee combined a few proposals about landfill sitting into one bill for the study committee. House Bill 1049. The study committee would examine the criteria used to locate landfills and how to reduce landfill capacity pressure.
Water quality
Schools will be required to notify parents if high levels of lead are detected in school drinking water. This is a move that has been proposed by lawmakers. House Bill 1421Would.
Before it reached the House floor, an attempt to change the Department of Environmental Services from the Department of Environmental Protection did not receive support from the committees. House Bill 1452Also, the department was authorized to inspect and take samples from private wells in order to improve water quality. According to the department, a change in the name would cost more than half a million dollars. This was the opposition testimony. The committee did not recommend that the bill be advanced, but unanimously agreed that it should continue to be studied.