SS/HCS/HB 661 - This act modifies provisions pertaining to programs administered by the Department of Natural Resources.SECTION 204.659 - STORMWATER FEES
The Metropolitan Sewer District shall not assess a stormwater fee to any residential customer who does not receive sanitary sewer services from the district and where the stormwater from such customer's property does not drain to a sewer maintained by the district.
SECTIONS 260.273 through 260.276 - SCRAP TIRES
The current authorization to collect a fee from retailers that sell new tires in Missouri expires on January 1, 2010. This act extends the authorization until January 1, 2015.
Under current law, the Department of Natural Resources may use up to 5% of its portion of the tire fees collected for the purpose of educational programs and curricula. The act specifies that the educational programs must be environmentally-related and assist the Department implement the solid waste laws.
Current law allows the Department to use up to 25% of its portion of the tire fees collected to remove tires from illegal tire dumps and address nuisances created by illegal tire dumps. The act increases the percentage of funding that may be used for these purposes to 50%. Similarly, the act increases from 5% to 45%, the amount of its fee revenue that the Department may spend on grants to people who will use products made from scrap tires.
Coal-fired electric plants that burn tire-derived fuel shall not be considered a scrap tire site or solid waste disposal area and are not therefore subject to regulations for those areas.
The act allows charitable, fraternal, and other non-profit organizations to be eligible for reimbursement of costs associated with disposal costs of scrap tires collected during a voluntary land or river cleanup event. Local governments may also be eligible for similar reimbursement, provided their costs are not part of their normal operating costs.
SECTIONS 640.107 AND 644.101 - PUBLIC DRINKING WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT
The act allows the state to distribute federal economic stimulus funds to local governments, public water or sewer districts, and other eligible entities to assist the construction of public drinking water and water pollution control projects, as such projects are approved by the Safe Drinking Water Commission or Clean Water Commission.
SECTIONS 640.150 through 640.160 - ENERGY
The act allows the Department of Natural Resources to analyze the potential for increased utilization of landfill gas as an alternative energy source. The act also provides authority to the department to enter into cooperative agreements with other states, political subdivisions, private entities, and educational institutions in order to seek and obtain federal grants. The act allows funds appropriated to the department for energy-related activities to be used to carry out agreements, contracts, grants, subgrants, or cooperative arrangements with other governmental, non-profit, or private organizations.
The act creates the Energy Futures Fund. Moneys in the fund may be used for energy-related activities including energy efficiency programs, energy studies, energy resource analyses, and related departmental administration costs.
SECTION 644.036 - 303(d) LIST PUBLIC NOTICE REQUIREMENTS
Under current law, the public notification requirements for the Clean Water Commission's development of the list of impaired waters required by Section 303(d) of the federal Clean Water Act expire on August 28, 2009. This act extends the expiration date to August 28, 2010.
SECTION 644.054 - WATER POLLUTION CONTROL PERMIT FEES
Under current law, the authority expires on December 31, 2009 for the Clean Water Commission to charge fees for construction permits, operating permits, and operator's certifications related to water pollution control. This act extends the expiration date to December 31, 2010.
The act contains an emergency clause for the sections involving federal stimulus funds (sections 640.107, 640.150, and 644.101) and the water pollution permit fee section (644.054).
Provisions of this act are similar to SS/SCS/SB 539 (2009), SCS/SB 409 (2009), SB 272 (2009), HCS/SS/SB 172 (2009), and HB 734 (2009).
ERIKA JAQUES