The Ohio Senate Bill 119 was passed 30-0, and will provide significant changes to waste management in Ohio. Sponsored by State Senator Bill Reineke (R-Tiffin), SB 119 allows for a new permissive, variable fee for the disposal of construction and demolition debris, identical to the district disposal fees for solid waste. The money collected will fund local boards of health to help mitigate the impacts on the health, safety, and welfare of citizens living near a landfill.
Reineke explained he intends for the funding to go toward more adequate inspections of the landfill. “This gives the opportunity for the Seneca County Health Department to have much better oversight, valid oversight,” he said. The bill also allows solid waste management districts to pass funds on to cities, counties, boards of health, municipalities and townships so they can mitigate impacts on health, safety, and welfare or for recycling initiatives.
“Ohio has been the destination for out-of-state trash at the cost of the health and safety of our citizens,” Reineke said. “Out-of-state trash deserves to be treated the exact same as waste collected locally, and the communities near and around these districts deserve the resources to combat the health and safety concerns it brings. Senate Bill 119 includes no new fee increases nor does it impose any new regulations. The permissive fee allows for more oversight and enforcement of current regulations on landfills by local boards of health, which should be empowered to protect their constituents.”