An Act to renumber and amend 289.67 (1) (b); to create 289.67 (1) (b) 2. of the statutes; Relating to: retention of environmental repair fees by certain municipal solid waste facilities. (FE)
Summary
SB599 would change how certain municipal solid waste facilities handle Wisconsin’s environmental repair fee. Under current law, facility owners or operators collect the fee from waste generators and remit the full amount to the Department of Natural Resources. The bill creates an exception for municipal solid waste facilities that have received a Clean Water Fund Program loan for wastewater treatment infrastructure.
For those facilities, the bill would allow the owner or operator to retain from the collected environmental repair fees an amount equal to the total principal and interest owed on the CWFP loan, but only while the loan remains in repayment. In effect, the retained fee revenue would be used to help repay the wastewater treatment infrastructure loan rather than being fully forwarded to DNR. The bill amends s. 289.67 (1) (b) and creates a new subdivision establishing this retention authority.
Impact
The bill would narrow the general requirement in s. 289.67 (1) (b) that licensed solid or hazardous waste disposal facilities remit all collected environmental repair fees to DNR by creating a special rule for municipal solid waste facilities with qualifying Clean Water Fund Program loans. It would affect municipal solid waste facility operators, waste generators who pay the fee, and DNR’s administration of environmental repair fee collections. The practical fiscal effect would be to redirect a portion of fee revenue to loan repayment for wastewater treatment infrastructure at eligible facilities.
Sentiment
The available record shows no committee transcript or recorded votes, so there is no documented floor or committee debate to gauge support or opposition. The bill ultimately failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1, indicating it did not advance to enactment. Based on the text alone, the proposal appears targeted and technical rather than broadly controversial, but the final outcome suggests it did not secure sufficient legislative support.
Contention
The main policy tension is between preserving environmental repair fee revenue for the state’s existing fee program and allowing municipal solid waste facilities to keep those funds to offset debt service on wastewater treatment infrastructure loans. Potential concerns would likely come from stakeholders focused on DNR revenue integrity or uniform fee collection, while support would likely come from municipal facility operators seeking financial relief and flexibility. Because there were no transcripts provided, specific arguments from legislators or interested parties are not available.
Crossfiled
An Act to renumber and amend 289.67 (1) (b); to create 289.67 (1) (b) 2. of the statutes; Relating to: retention of environmental repair fees by certain municipal solid waste facilities. (FE)
Providing for power plant host community benefit agreements between municipalities and owners of certain electric generating facilities, for power plant host community impact fees paid by affected facilities and fee uses; establishing public participation requirements; and providing for administrative fees and for duties of the Department of Environmental Protection.
Environmental protection: solid waste; reporting and compliance requirements for anaerobic digesters; modify. Amends secs. 11506 & 11568 of 1994 PA 451 (MCL 324.11506 & 324.11568). TIE BAR WITH: HB 4257'25