§ 23-19-11.1. Initial resource recovery system development plan.
Notwithstanding the provisions of § 23-19-11, in view of current solid waste disposal needs in the state, the corporation shall
implement a solid waste processing system as soon as possible conforming to the following
criteria:
(1) The system shall consist of a waste processing facility that may be either publicly
or privately owned with a nameplate capacity not to exceed one thousand (1,000) tons
per day.
(2) The facilities shall be located at the central landfill in Johnston.
(3) Any energy revenues which may be generated by the facilities may inure to the benefit
of either the corporation or the vendor or both.
(4) The corporation shall select through competitive bidding, vendors to construct, operate,
maintain, and/or own these facilities.
(5) The state auditor general shall review and evaluate the reasonableness and fairness
of all contracts and agreements related to the construction, operation, and maintenance
of the facilities. The corporation shall test residue of facilities at least semi-annually.
(6) In choosing vendors for the facilities, preference shall be given to vendors who:
(i) Provide private financing and privately own the facilities with minimal or no financial
risk to the corporation or state;
(ii) Provide a waste processing facility technology that on-site separates, recovers for
recycling and composting the highest percentage of the waste stream and lowest amount
of residue;
(iii) Demonstrate the highest number of primary and secondary markets for materials recovered
from the waste stream and alternative material uses in the event a material market
fails or becomes economically infeasible;
(iv) Can provide the greatest degree of flexibility in the type of materials outputted
from the facility in order to adjust to changing markets for recovered materials;
and
(v) Guarantee a fixed rate tipping fee and/or fixed escalation rate of tipping fees for
the longest time periods.
(7) In an effort to reduce energy costs and resulting tipping fees at the facilities,
the corporation may consider the use of a natural gas cogeneration unit as an integral
part of the facility provided that the maximum output of the cogeneration unit does
not exceed twenty-five (25) megawatts. The inclusion or addition of a gas cogeneration
component shall not delay the permitting, construction and operation of the facilities
and the gas cogeneration components may be added to the facilities after construction
or operation of the facilities begins.
(8) In addition to any source separation programs for household hazardous waste, the facilities
shall have the capacity to separate household hazardous wastes and hazardous wastes
from the waste stream and it shall be the responsibility of the corporation to provide
for proper disposal of those hazardous wastes at a licensed facility. The corporation
may enter an agreement with the facility vendor to provide for proper disposal.