SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 46
(By Senator Edgell)
Requesting the United States Environmental Protection Agency
authorize rulemaking for programs relating to the recycling of
one-way pesticide containers.
Whereas, Pesticide container recycling has a number of
environmental and economical benefits. More than 20 million pounds
of one-way pesticide containers have been collected and recycled
through a unique and productive partnership of state pesticide
agencies, extension offices, trade associations and pesticide
registrants. Collected plastic is consolidated and made into
products such as field drain pipes and marine pilings; and
Whereas, For the past 13 years, the pesticide container
recycling program has been managed and promoted by the Ag Container
Recycling Council (ACRC), a nonprofit organization established for
this purpose. The ACRC is funded by more than 30 companies that
formulate, produce, package and distribute crop protection and
other pesticide products; and
Whereas, The American Association of Pesticide Control
Officials, CropLife America and the Responsible Industry for a
Sound Environment are working with the United States Environmental
Protection Agency to expand participation in ACRC. These organizations propose that manufacturers either participate in the
funding of ACRC or show that they provide end users of one-way
plastic pesticide containers with an opportunity to recycle. These
organizations further propose that recycling by the end user remain
voluntary and that triple-rinsed containers continue to be treated
as nonhazardous material able to be discarded in a landfill. In
addition, CropLife America and Responsible Industry for a Sound
Environment encourage rulemaking by the Environmental Protection
Agency's Office of Pesticide Programs to establish a standard for
recycling pesticide containers, facilitating the widespread
collection and recycling of these containers; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Legislature hereby requests the United States
Environmental Protection Agency authorize rulemaking for programs
relating to the recycling of one-way pesticide containers; and, be
it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby
directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the Administrator
of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and West
Virginia's congressional delegation.