On Thursday, March 7, ISRI members participated in the Georgia Recyclers Association (GRA) Day on the Hill in Atlanta, GA. The occasion gave ISRI and GRA members a chance to have face-to-face conversations with elected officials.
Throughout the lobby day, attendees engaged in meaningful discussions with multiple Georgia Representatives and Senators. Notably, the group met with Senator Tim Bearden, John Eunice, the Deputy Director at Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA EPD), and Senator Lee Anderson, Chair of Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee.
Left to Right: John Eunice, Deputy Director at Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA EPD), Chip Koplin, Radius Recycling, David Lipton, Radius Recycling, and Senator Lee Anderson, Chair of Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee.
Participants engaged in discussions with legislators concerning various bills impacting the industry including SB 479 concerning catalytic converters. This bill was introduced by Senator Bo Hatchett and aimed at refining certain provisions of SB 60, enacted in 2023.
SB 479 clarifies registration and business licensing requirements for secondary metals recyclers and authorizes the Georgia Sheriff’s Association to recoup costs from registration fees for managing registrations and the secondary metals recyclers database. This bill has garnered widespread support, having cleared the full Senate and House committee almost unanimously, and it now awaits consideration by the House Rules Committee.
Members also discussed HB 654, which fixes a 2019 bill that inadvertently increased fees on small recycling businesses that dispose of automobile shredder residue at privately owned solid waste facilities from $1.00 per ton or volume equivalent to $2.50 per ton or volume equivalent.
Left to Right: Senator Tim Bearden and Garrett Denny, SLM Recycling.
Another notable bill in Georgia is HB 1169, which was introduced on Feb. 6. This bill would require the environmental permit approval process to consider any violations of environmental laws, regulations, and associated penalties incurred by the applicant in another state. It would apply to businesses seeking permits related to mineral and water resources, soil erosion/sedimentation, or air pollution prevention.
Concerns have been raised that this could lead to permit denials based on minor infractions, potentially affecting out-of-state businesses moving into Georgia. This bill is currently under committee review, but there are indications suggesting that it may not further in the legislative process.
As Georgia advances through its legislative session, ISRI staff remains committed to monitoring bills and regulations and will keep members updated accordingly.
For more information into EPR-trends, or other legislative action within states, visit ISRI’s State Resources and Tracking resource. These webpages help members stay well-informed about legislation, categorized by state or issue area. Members can also access the latest ISRI State Update on Region and Chapter Policy Activities for bi-weekly updates. For more information, contact ISRI staff Abby Blocker, ablocker@isri.org.
Featured Photo: Georgia Capitol Building. Photo Credit: Autiger, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
