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Committee hears proposal to expand state paint stewardship program to additional paint products; convenience standards debated
Summary
Lawmakers considered language to expand an existing paint stewardship program to include stains, thinners and other paint-related products; committee members asked for additional testimony about how household-hazardous items would be collected and whether convenience standards should differ by product type.
The Natural Resources & Energy Committee discussed proposed language (referred to in the hearing as S.319 / '03/19') to expand Vermont’s existing paint stewardship program beyond architectural paint to include additional paint-related products that some stakeholders classify as household hazardous waste.
Why it matters: The change would expand the program run by the stewardship organization (PaintCare in current practice) to cover items such as stains, shellacs and paint thinners. Some of those products are considered household hazardous waste and are typically collected through municipal hazardous-waste systems rather than retail take-back at paint stores.
What was discussed - Scope and collection systems: Committee members and stakeholders noted that architectural paint has an existing retail take-back convenience model but certain additional products may be hazardous enough that they are better collected through municipal household-hazardous-waste programs. A stakeholder identified in the record, Allison Crowley (as introduced in the transcript), told the committee the stewardship group would work with municipal solid-waste entities where products are household hazardous waste.
- Convenience standards and retail collection: The draft includes a convenience standard (for example, a permanent collection site within a 15-mile radius for at least 90% of residents for architectural paint). Industry and municipal representatives asked whether those convenience standards should apply to the broader set of covered products or whether collection of hazardous items should follow existing municipal hazardous-waste infrastructure.
- Next steps: Committee members asked for additional testimony and written material from the stewardship organization and from solid-waste districts explaining how expanded product categories would be collected and whether the municipal network can meet convenience standards for household hazardous waste. A stakeholder in the hearing offered to appear at a later meeting; committee staff suggested scheduling that follow-up.
Outcome: No vote was taken. Committee asked the stewardship organization and the Agency of Natural Resources to provide clarifying testimony or written materials before the committee advances the provision.
