The Natural Resources Subcommittee advanced two environmental bills unanimously: SB 645, creating an expedited permitting process for a biomethanization facility tied to Fairfax County's waste incinerator, was reported and referred to Appropriations 8-0 with amendments; SB 163, allowing volunteers to apply herbicides to invasive trees on state property, was reported 9-0.
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Karina Bell of the Sierra Club argued that moving waste energy facilities out of the CPCN process — which requires a full environmental review by DEQ and a State Corporation Commission needfulness determination — and into an expedited permit by rule process of approximately 90 days rather than four to eight months was a concern. Senator Surovell acknowledged ongoing debate with the Sierra Club about the bill's geographic reach, noting that limiting the language to Planning District 8 would eliminate their concern about unintended consequences outside Fairfax County.
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“Fairfax county has a incinerator that burns trash for 1.1 million people in Fairfax County. Another 200,000 people in Arlington county, and then another, I forget, 600,000 people in D.C. so it burns trash about 2 million people. It's about 118 wheeler load full of trash every two minutes.”
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Sign in to subscribeHey, good morning. We're going to go ahead and get started. Calling the committee to order. With authority. With authority. All right, Mr. Clerk, can you open the roll? And the record should reflect that Delegate Ware is also here. Okay, we'll go ahead and get started. I see Senator Sorvel. We have only two bills up. Subcommittee members. So Senator Sorvel's bill, Senate Bill 645. Are you ready? Oh, but he's not ready. The other person would be Senator McDougal, but he is running a little bit late with great enthusiasm. Which bill is this? What's the number? This is your biomethane. Okay, 645. 645. Okay. So, Madam Chair, the genesis of 645 is one I think you're familiar with. So Fairfax county has a incinerator that burns trash for 1.1 million people in Fairfax County. Another 200,000 people in Arlington county, and then another, I forget, 600,000 people in D.C. so it burns trash about 2 million people. It's about 118 wheeler load full of trash every two minutes. And besides regular household waste, they also burn a lot of organics. They burn food waste, they burn yard waste, they burn all that kind of stuff. About two…
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