HOUSE BILL 551

51st legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2013

INTRODUCED BY

Antonio "Moe" Maestas

AN ACT

RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT; AMENDING THE SOLID WASTE ACT TO PROVIDE FOR RECYCLING OF FOOD RESIDUAL; PROVIDING FOR PERFORMANCE REPORT CARDS OF STATE AGENCY RECYCLING BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. Section 74-9-15 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1990, Chapter 99, Section 15) is amended to read:

     "74-9-15. SPECIFIC PROGRAM--STATE GOVERNMENT SOURCE REDUCTION AND RECYCLING--PERFORMANCE REPORT CARD.--

          A. The division shall cooperate with the general services department in its assessment of the status of recycling efforts undertaken directly by state government for its own solid waste and its evaluation of existing programs and its development of necessary recycling programs to reduce the generation of solid waste by state government. The programs shall include recycling of office papers, cardboard, used motor oil, food residual, yard waste and other materials produced by the state for which recycling markets exist or may be developed.

          B. Each state agency and the legislature shall prepare a source reduction and recycling plan addressing the requirements of Subsections C and D of this section. Each agency plan shall be submitted for approval to the general services department on or before December 31, 1991, consistent with the goals and guidelines of this section, the goals stated in Subsection J of Section [6 of the Solid Waste Act] 74-9-6 NMSA 1978 and the state plan. Agency plans shall be updated biennially to increase the amount of solid waste recycled by taking advantage of any changed circumstances. Updated plans shall be submitted to the general services department for approval prior to adoption.

          C. By July 1, 1992, each state agency and the legislature shall establish and implement a source separation and collection program for recyclable materials produced as a result of agency operations, including, at a minimum, high grade paper, corrugated paper and glass. The source separation and collection program shall include, at a minimum, procedures for collecting and storing recyclable materials and contractual and other arrangements with buyers. Each agency shall appoint a recycling coordinator and shall conduct educational programs about the recycling program for its employees.

          D. By July 1, 1992, each state agency shall establish and implement a source reduction program for materials used in the course of agency operations. The program shall be designed and implemented to achieve the maximum feasible reduction of solid waste generated as a result of agency operations.

          E. The department of finance and administration shall report the performance of each state agency in its recycling efforts in a performance report card. The report card shall measure an agency's efforts to recycle paper, cardboard, food residual and other recyclable materials, where there is a market. The report card shall also show the agency's savings from recycling.

          F. As used in this section, "food residual" means source separated and uncontaminated material that is derived from the processing or discarding of food and that is recyclable. "Food residual" includes preconsumer and post-consumer food scraps."

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