PA 07-136—HB 6404

Labor and Public Employees Committee

Government Administration and Elections Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING THE OPERATION OF HYDRAULIC LOADING OR UNLOADING EQUIPMENT AT CERTAIN SOLID WASTE FACILITIES

SUMMARY: This act requires each owner or operator of a solid waste, recycling, or resources recovery facility that uses a floor level system to load solid waste into combustion units to have at least two employees present in the work area whenever waste is being moved with hydraulic loading or unloading equipment. The employees must be familiar with how the equipment operates. The act applies to solid waste, recycling, or resources recovery facilities that (1) do not use overhead cranes to load solid waste into feed hoppers and (2) serve at least five municipalities.

The requirement does not apply if the facility has (1) a properly working camera that is trained on and has an unobstructed view of the feed hopper area or (2) a device that stops the feeder from operating when someone enters the hopper.

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2007

BACKGROUND

Waste Facility Definitions

The statutes define these terms as follows:

1. A “solid waste facility” is any solid waste disposal area, volume reduction plant, transfer station, wood-burning facility, or biomedical waste treatment facility (CGS § 22a-260).

2. A “recycling facility” or “recycling center” means land, equipment, and structures where recycling is conducted, including an intermediate processing center (CGS § 22a-260).

3. A “resources recovery facility” means a facility using processes to reclaim energy from municipal solid waste (CGS § 22a-207).

OLR Tracking: KM: VR: PF: RO