Sec. 1. 38 MRSA §1309, as amended by PL 1989, c. 585, Pt. E, §19, is further amended to read:

§1309. Interstate cooperation

The Legislature encourages cooperative activities by the department and the agency office with other states for the improved management of hazardous and solid waste; for improved, and as far as is practicable, uniform state laws relating to the management of hazardous and solid waste; and compacts between this and other states for the improved management of hazardous and solid waste.

Sec. 2. 38 MRSA §2132, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1995, c. 465, Pt. A, §41 and affected by Pt. C, §2, is further amended to read:

1. State recycling goal. It is the policy goal of the State to recycle or compost, by January 1, 1998 2003, 50% of the municipal solid waste tonnage generated each year within the State.

Sec. 3. 38 MRSA §2132, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:

1-A.__State waste reduction goal.__It is the goal of the State to reduce the annual generation of municipal solid waste tonnage by 5% by January 1, 2003 and by an additional 5% every subsequent 2 years.__This reduction in solid waste tonnage, after January 1, 2003, is a biennial goal.__The baseline for calculating this reduction is the 1999 solid waste generation data gathered by the office.

SUMMARY

Consistent with the directive of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 38, section 2132, subsection 2, this bill establishes a waste reduction goal to be met by January 1, 2003 and delays the date by which the State is to meet the 50% recycling goal. It also corrects a reference to the State Planning Office.