Change provisions relating to fees and distribution of proceeds under the Integrated Solid Waste Management Act and uses of and transfers from the Petroleum Release Remedial Action Cash Fund
Summary
LB247 revises Nebraska law governing solid waste disposal fees and the distribution of those fees under the Integrated Solid Waste Management Act. It changes the per-volume disposal fee charged at landfills and solid waste processing facilities, requires quarterly payment and reporting, and keeps the existing split of fee revenue between the Integrated Solid Waste Management Cash Fund and the Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Fund. The bill also preserves the Department of Environment and Energy’s authority to use fund money for spill response, environmental emergency response, remediation of contaminated sites, and related oversight and enforcement activities.
The bill also amends the Petroleum Release Remedial Action Cash Fund. It clarifies and expands the fund’s permitted uses, including reimbursement for remedial actions, third-party claims, state response costs, and other petroleum-release-related expenses, and it authorizes transfers from that fund to the Superfund Cost Share Cash Fund at the direction of the Legislature. The bill includes an operative date of July 1, 2025, repeals the original sections it replaces, and contains an emergency clause so it takes effect immediately upon passage and approval.
Impact
LB247 affects Nebraska’s solid waste fee structure, fund allocations, and environmental remediation financing. It updates statutory provisions in the Integrated Solid Waste Management Act and the Petroleum Release Remedial Action Act, directing how disposal-fee revenues are collected, credited, and spent, and expanding the Department of Environment and Energy’s authority to reimburse local governments and cover cleanup and response costs. The bill also modifies the Petroleum Release Remedial Action Cash Fund’s sources and uses, which can affect petroleum spill response, remediation funding, and transfers to other environmental cost-share accounts.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests broad support for LB247. It advanced 32-1 and passed final reading 44-3, indicating strong bipartisan approval with only limited opposition. There were no committee transcript excerpts provided, so the record here shows little visible public controversy in the available materials.
Contention
The main policy issues likely concern fee increases or fee administration for landfill and solid waste processing operators, and how the resulting revenue is divided between environmental cleanup, recycling incentives, and local reimbursement. Another possible point of contention is the scope of spending from the Petroleum Release Remedial Action Cash Fund, including transfers to the Superfund Cost Share Cash Fund and the breadth of reimbursable cleanup-related expenses. The narrow but present opposition in floor votes suggests some disagreement, but the available record does not identify specific objections or speakers.