Bill eliminates loophole for disposal of solid waste

Madison- State Representative Louis J. Molepske, Jr. announced today
that the Assembly
passed a bill that would close a significant loophole in Wisconsin’s
solid waste disposal statutes.

Current law allows solid waste to be disposed of on the property where
it was generated. This
means that land owners could simply bury their trash in their
backyard, creating a potential
health hazard for both neighboring property owners and for
groundwater. This means that
potentially hazardous materials, such as batteries, pesticides, oil
filters, fluorescent lights, and used medical supplies could be buried
in landowners’ backyards.

Assembly Bill 372 would close this loophole and protect both property
rights and groundwater.
Homeowners will not have to deal with unlicensed or toxic landfills
next door, nor will potential
property buyers have to worry that there might be an undisclosed waste
disposal site on a property. Groundwater, on which 97% of Wisconsin’s
communities rely, will also be protected from this source of potential
contamination.

“It’s time for laws that protect both the rights of Wisconsin’s
property owners and the quality of
Wisconsin’s groundwater,” said Representative Molepske. “This bill is
about making sure that
property owners will not have to deal with unlicensed landfills on
nearby property, and that
groundwater is simultaneously protected from unknown and potentially
toxic sources of
contamination.”

Rep. Molepske added, “This bill will not affect the rights of
homeowners and farmers to compost
biodegradable waste on their property. Rather, this bill is meant to
address the risks to human
health and property that are posed by unregulated backyard dumping.”
The Department of Natural Resources has indicated that it will
emphasize education on proper waste disposal to property owners in
hopes of reducing the need for regulatory action whenever possible.