STATE HOUSE – The House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources is scheduled to meet Thursday, March 23, at the rise of the House (sometime after 4:30 p.m) in the House Lounge on the second floor of the State House. The committee will hear several bills relating to waste disposal, recycling and environmental protection.

Among others, the committee will hear testimony on the following bills:

• 2023-H 5090 — This bill, introduced by House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources Chairman David A. Bennett (D-Dist. 20, Warwick, Cranston), would prohibit a covered establishment from preparing, selling, processing or providing food or beverages in or on a disposable food service container that is composed in whole or in part of polystyrene foam (commonly known as Styrofoam).
• 2023-H 5502 — This bill, introduced by House Committee on Small Business Chairwoman Carol Hagan McEntee (D-Dist. 33, South Kingstown, Narragansett), also known as the “bottle bill,” would establish a system for the recycling of beverage containers working with the Department of Environmental Management. Deposits would be paid by the consumer and retailers or redemption centers would be reimbursed a handling fee.
• 2023-H 6054 — This bill, introduced by Chairman Bennett, would create a refundable 25-cent deposit for miniature alcoholic beverage containers, often referred to as “nips.”
• 2023-H 5673 — This bill, introduced by Rep. Terri Cortvriend (D-Dist. 72, Portsmouth, Middletown), would prohibit the use of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances or “PFAS” in various products including carpets, cookware, cosmetics, ski wax and other items.
• 2023-H 5861 — This bill, introduced by Rep. June Speakman (D-Dist. 68, Warren, Bristol), would require that water supply systems that have PFAS contaminants that exceed the interim drinking water standard enter into a consent agreement with the Department of Health to implement treatment to reduce the levels of PFAS contaminants.