Senate amendment expands environmental provisions: $50 pesticide fee proposed, paint stewardship and household hazardous waste changes, Rutland fair stormwater"

The House Ways & Means Committee examined the Senate amendment to the miscellaneous agricultural and environmental bill, which adds several revenue and program provisions: a $50 annual fee on pesticide product registrations to reimburse solid waste districts for disposal costs; expansion and statutory codification of the paint-product stewardship program; additions related to household hazardous waste collection plans; and a site-specific accommodation for the Rutland State Fair under stormwater permitting.

Michael Grady, who briefed the committee, summarized the changes and said the bill had been expanded on the Senate floor from roughly 24 pages to about 70 pages by incorporating provisions from H.319. Grady described section-by-section changes and fiscal implications. "They are proposing to add a $50 per product annual fee to the state's pesticide registration fee," Grady said, adding the fee would be deposited into the pesticide monitoring special fund and used to support collection and disposition of unwanted pesticides.

Fiscal office analysis: James Duffy of the fiscal office told the committee that…