Environment (Waste Management)

This bill prohibits the construction, expansion, or operation of pyrolysis facilities within one mile of any public or private K-12 school. It defines pyrolysis facilities as sites that thermally break down solid waste like plastics to produce fuel or oil in an oxygen-limited environment. To enforce this rule, the state's environmental management department cannot issue permits for such facilities that do not meet the distance requirement, and the restriction cannot be waived by any authority. The law takes effect upon passage and applies to all schools approved by the Rhode Island Department of Education.