An Act amending the act of July 7, 1980 (P.L.380, No.97), known as the Solid Waste Management Act, in general provisions, further providing for definitions.

PRINTER'S NO. 1119
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1035
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY COOK, JAMES, RADER, FLOOD, BERNSTINE, E. NELSON,
MALONEY, OLSOMMER, IRVIN, KOZAK, RYNCAVAGE, ARMANINI, ROAE,
SMITH, GREINER, STEHR, HAMM, M. JONES, WHITE, MOUL, BARGER,
M. MACKENZIE, DIAMOND, CAUSER, O'NEAL AND FINK,
MARCH 24, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE
PROTECTION, MARCH 24, 2025
AN ACT
Amending the act of July 7, 1980 (P.L.380, No.97), entitled "An
act providing for the planning and regulation of solid waste
storage, collection, transportation, processing, treatment,
and disposal; requiring municipalities to submit plans for
municipal waste management systems in their jurisdictions;
authorizing grants to municipalities; providing regulation of
the management of municipal, residual and hazardous waste;
requiring permits for operating hazardous waste and solid
waste storage, processing, treatment, and disposal
facilities; and licenses for transportation of hazardous
waste; imposing duties on persons and municipalities;
granting powers to municipalities; authorizing the
Environmental Quality Board and the Department of
Environmental Protection to adopt rules, regulations,
standards and procedures; granting powers to and imposing
duties upon county health departments; providing remedies;
prescribing penalties; and establishing a fund," in general
provisions, further providing for definitions.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The definitions of "advanced recycling,"
"advanced recycling facility," "municipal waste," "processing"
and "treatment" in section 103 of the act of July 7, 1980
(P.L.380, No.97), known as the Solid Waste Management Act, are
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amended and the section is amended by adding a definition to
read:
Section 103. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the
meanings given to them in this section:
* * *
"Advanced recycling." The term includes:
(1) A manufacturing process for the conversion of post-
use polymers through processes, including pyrolysis,
gasification, depolymerization, catalytic cracking,
reforming, hydrogenation and other similar technologies, into
any of the following:
[(1)] (i) Basic hydrocarbon raw materials,
feedstocks, chemicals, liquid fuels, waxes and
lubricants.
[(2)] (ii) Other products, including, but not
limited to, monomers, oligomers, plastics, crude oil,
naphtha, liquid transportation fuels and other basic
hydrocarbons.
(2) A manufacturing process for the conversion of waste
tires through mechanical shredding or pyrolysis into any of
the following:
(i) Pyrolytic gases and pyrolytic gas vapors to be
burned directly for fuel.
(ii) Pyrolysis oils.
(iii) Limonene.
(iv) Solid minerals or steel.
(v) Recovered carbon black.
(vi) Transportation fuels.
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(vii) Transportation fuel feedstock.
"Advanced recycling facility." A manufacturing facility that
receives post-use polymers or waste tires and separates, stores
and converts the post-use polymers or waste tires using advanced
recycling. The term does not include a resource recovery
facility, processing facility, municipal waste processing or
disposal facility or any other facility that receives unsorted
municipal waste for the purpose of separating out post-use
polymers or waste tires for use in advanced recycling.
* * *
"Municipal waste." Any garbage, refuse, industrial lunchroom
or office waste and other material including solid, liquid,
semisolid or contained gaseous material resulting from operation
of residential, municipal, commercial or institutional
establishments and from community activities and any sludge not
meeting the definition of residual or hazardous waste hereunder
from a municipal, commercial or institutional water supply
treatment plant, waste water treatment plant, or air pollution
control facility. The term does not include post-use polymers or
waste tires that are converted through advanced recycling.
* * *
"Processing."
(1) The term includes any of the following:
(i) Any method or technology used for the purpose of
reducing the volume or bulk of municipal or residual
waste or any method or technology used to convert part or
all of such waste materials for off-site reuse.
(ii) Transfer facilities, composting facilities, and
resource recovery facilities.
(2) The term does not include any of the following:
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(i) A collection or processing center that is only
for source-separated recyclable materials, including
clear glass, colored glass, aluminum, steel and
bimetallic cans, high-grade office paper, newsprint,
corrugated paper and plastics.
(ii) The conversion of post-use polymers or waste
tires through advanced recycling in which the
manufacturing activities, handling of the post-use
polymers or waste tires at an advanced recycling facility
and the products and by-products of the advanced
recycling conversion comply with all applicable
Environmental Protection Agency and department rules and
regulations.
* * *
"Treatment." Any method, technique, or process, including
neutralization, designed to change the physical, chemical, or
biological character or composition of any waste so as to
neutralize such waste or so as to render such waste
nonhazardous, safer for transport, suitable for recovery,
suitable for storage, or reduced in volume. Such term includes
any activity or processing designed to change the physical form
or chemical composition of waste so as to render it neutral or
nonhazardous. The term does not include the conversion of post-
use polymers or waste tires through advanced recycling in which
the manufacturing activities, handling of the post-use polymers
or waste tires at an advanced recycling facility and the
products and by-products of the advanced recycling conversion
comply with all applicable Environmental Protection Agency and
department rules and regulations.
"Waste tire." A tire that will no longer be used for the
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purpose for which it was originally intended. The term includes
a tire that has been discarded. For the purpose of this act,
waste tires that are converted using advanced recycling shall
not be considered solid waste, municipal waste or residual
waste.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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