By Cassie Gavin
Senior Director of Government Relations
This week at the NC General Assembly, the House seemed to get in the Earth Day spirit by moving forward helpful bills to address plastic waste, update a health standard for lead in water and restore dedicated conservation funding. And Rep. Susan Fisher (D - Buncombe) read a special Earth Day prayer to open the House session today.
Plastic: On Thursday, the House unanimously passed H 230, NC Management Environmental Waste Act of 2021, sponsored by Representatives Warren (R - Rowan) and Richardson (D - Cumberland). The bill would provide funding for local government recycling programs, establish a program to reduce plastic waste at state food services and require a study of how the state can reduce plastic waste. Rep. Warren noted in his presentation to the House Environment Committee that many businesses are already transitioning to compostables or recyclables because there’s a wide variety of these options available. This bill next goes to the Senate for consideration. The Senate did not take up a similar bill sent over by the House last session but Rep. Warren shared with the House today that Sen. Rabon (R - Bladen, Brunswick, New Hanover, Pender) promised to help make that happen.
Lead: The House Environment Committee approved H 272, Revise Health Standard for Lead, sponsored by Representatives Warren, Lambeth (R - Forsyth), Adcock (D - Wake), and Potts (R - Davidson). Rep. Warren explained in committee that the bill will align state law with federal law. It would update the childhood lead poisoning prevention law to ensure that young children are not exposed to hazardous lead in drinking water. The House Committee on Health will next consider H 272.
Conservation: The House Environment Committee also approved H 372, Restore Funding/ State Conservation Purposes, sponsored by Representatives McElraft (R - Carteret, Jones), Saine (R - Lincoln), Davis, (R - New Hanover) and Howard (R - Davie, Rowan). The passage of this bill would be a big deal for land conservation in North Carolina because it would restore the dedicated deed stamp tax revenue to conservation. That dedicated funding was previously in place but was reallocated to go to the general fund. If this bill had been law last year it would have sent about $80 million to conservation, according to the sponsor. H 372 is supported by the Land for Tomorrow Coalition.
An update on the CAFO biogas bill: There was no movement this week on the Farm Act (S 605), which includes a biogas provision opposed by environmental groups. The bill was removed from the schedule of Tuesday’s Senate Agriculture, Environment & Natural Resources Committee, but we expect that it will be up for consideration by the committee in coming weeks.