House concurs on miscellaneous agriculture bill; extends deadlines for Ryegate biomass milestones

House members voted to concur in the Senateproposal of amendment to H.484, an act covering multiple agriculture-related topics, and adopted a further House amendment before suspending the rules to message the action to the Senate.

The bill makes a range of changes affecting pesticide disposal fees, extended producer responsibility (EPR) for paint products, definitions of agricultural land for current-use classification, and permitting relief for the Rutland County Fair. It also contains a provision creating a one-year extension pathway for milestones tied to the Ryegate biomass electric plant(Section 16), including new deadlines for contracts, engineering certifications, construction plans, and on-site verification.

H.484 covers many discrete sections. Key provisions reported on the floor include: an increase to the annual fee paid by companies that sell pesticide products (from $200 to $250) to help reimburse solid-waste management entities for disposal of obsolete pesticides, with the Agency of…