SPONSOR:	Rep. Collins & Sen. Lavelle
	Reps. D. Short, Hudson, Ramone, Spiegelman, Wilson, Brady; Sens. Ennis, Hall-Long, Hocker, Richardson

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

148th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 40

CREATING THE DELAWARE ANTI-DUMPING AND ANTI-LITTERING TASK FORCE.

WHEREAS, there are countless instances of illegal dumping occurring every year in Delaware; and 

WHEREAS, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of sites where illegal dumping regularly occurs in our state; and 

WHEREAS, litter is a pervasive problem in our state, impacting roadsides, parks, waterways, open spaces, and private and public properties; and 

WHEREAS, littering and illegal dumping not only degrade Delaware’s aesthetics, but also negatively affect our environmental protection and economic development efforts; and 

WHEREAS, littering and illegal dumping are issues that cut across partisan and geographical lines and touch every representative and senatorial district; and

WHEREAS, Delaware’s struggle to combat these issues has produced insufficient results; and 

WHEREAS, there is a clear need for Delaware to have a unified plan, including new strategies that will effectively curtail littering and illegal dumping 

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the 148th General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the Senate concurring therein, that the Delaware Anti-Dumping and Anti-Littering Task Force be created in the State of Delaware. 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this task force shall consist of the following members:

(1) The Delaware Controller General or designee who will serve as the task force chairman. 

·         (2) The Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) or a designee familiar with the agency’s efforts to identify and prosecute illegal dumpers.

·       (3) The Chief Executive Officer of the Delaware Solid Waste Authority or designee.

(4) The Secretary of the Department of Transportation or a designee familiar with the challenges posed by littering and illegal dumping to the agency.

(5) The Commissioner of the Delaware Department of Correction or a designee familiar with the use of prison labor to collect litter and other debris.

(6) The State Attorney General, or a designee who can provide expertise on existing laws on littering and illegal dumping and the enforcement of these statues.

·       (7) Two members representing Delaware’s non-profit environmental advocacy community, as appointed by the committee chair.

·        (8) The Delaware State Farm Bureau executive director or designee.

(9) One member representing Delaware’s waste-hauling businesses, as appointed by the committee chair.

(10) The leaders of each of the General Assembly’s four legislative caucuses may, if desired, each appoint one task force member.

(12) The New Castle County Executive may, if desired, appoint a task force member.

(13) The Kent County Administrator may, if desired, appoint a task force member.

(14) The Sussex County Administrator may, if desired, appoint a task force member.

 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the task force shall quantify and define the residential and commercial aspects of Delaware’s littering and illegal dumping issues.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the task force shall explore what actions the state is already employing to address these problems and evaluate their effectiveness.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this task force shall identify and review effective anti-dumping and anti-littering strategies employed in other states.

 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this task force shall consider creating an annual public awareness and education campaign to curtail littering and illegal dumping.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this task force may, as it deems appropriate, hold one or more hearings to gather input and solicit ideas from the public.

 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all meetings of the task force, unless otherwise prohibited by existing state law or policy, shall be open to the public.

 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all meetings of the task force shall be posted in advance and communicated to the media.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall compile a report including the following:

·         The scope and nature of littering and illegal dumping in Delaware;

·         Actionable recommendations for reducing littering and illegal dumping in Delaware;

· A strategy for coordinating the efforts of state agencies combating littering and illegal

dumping;

·         The funding needed to implement these strategies and where such funds may be derived; and

·         Any legislative action that would be needed to implement these strategies. 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Council Division of Research, the Office of the Controller General, and the General Assembly shall coordinate and cooperate in providing the staff and administrative support needed for this task force to carry out its mission.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the task force shall hold its first meeting no later than August 30, 2015.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall report its findings to all members of the General Assembly and Governor Jack Markell via e-mail no later than March 15, 2016.

SYNOPSIS

Seeking to address the pervasive problems of littering and illegal dumping in Delaware, this concurrent resolution would create the Delaware Anti-Dumping and Anti-Littering Task Force.  The task force would be charged with defining the scope of the problem; developing actionable strategies for curtailing it; and delivering a report to the General Assembly as to how these new policies could be implemented and financed.  The task force would be required to issue its report no later than March 15, 2016.