The bill amends Section 23-19.1-6 of the General Laws concerning hazardous waste management. It introduces new legal language that outlines the powers and duties of the director of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) in adopting necessary plans, rules, regulations, procedures, and standards for effective hazardous waste management. The director is required to develop these regulations with input from various stakeholders, including affected persons and agencies, while ensuring compatibility with federal regulations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

Additionally, the bill removes the phrase "which is naturally occurring" from the existing regulations concerning the remediation of arsenic. This change means that the DEM's rules will no longer exempt naturally occurring arsenic levels below nineteen parts per million from remediation requirements. The act is set to take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
644: 23-19.1-6