To require the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot program on a military installation for the composting of yard waste and cafeteria waste.

Directs the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot program on a military installation for reducing the amount of solid waste generated at the installation. Requires that the yard waste (leaves and grass trimmings) and cafeteria waste (food waste) at such installation be composted, rather than be disposed of in a landfill or by other conventional means. Requires the compost produced to be used for soil amendment or in another appropriate manner as determined by the Secretary.

Directs the Secretary to report to the Congress on the implementation of the pilot program, including a recommendation as to whether similar programs should be carried out at other military installations.

 
HR 2138 IH
102d CONGRESS
1st Session
 H. R. 2138
To require the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot program on a military
installation for the composting of yard waste and cafeteria waste.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 30, 1991
Mr. HOCHBRUECKNER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Armed Services
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot program on a military
installation for the composting of yard waste and cafeteria waste.
  Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
  States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
  (a) FINDINGS- The Congress finds the following:
  (1) The United States faces a severe and worsening crisis in solid waste
  management.
  (2) Waste disposal is becoming increasingly impractical because of concerns
  about environmental contamination, escalating fees, the closing of disposal
  facilities, and difficulties in siting new facilities.
  (3) The Department of Defense has a responsibility to reduce its
  waste generation and find various means to dispose of its waste in an
  environmentally safe manner.
  (4) It would be in the best interests of the United States to treat waste
  according to the following hierarchy:
  (A) Waste reduction.
  (B) Reuse.
  (C) Recycling.
  (D) Composting.
  (E) Landfilling or incineration.
  (5) Composting is one method of safely managing waste materials, and
  compost is useful as a soil amendment.
  (b) PURPOSES- The purposes of this Act are as follows:
  (1) To establish a pilot program on a Department of Defense facility for
  the composting of yard and cafeteria waste.
  (2) To use the finished compost material at the Department of Defense
  facility in a useful and beneficial manner.
SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM FOR COMPOSTING YARD AND CAFETERIA WASTE AT MILITARY
INSTALLATION.
  (a) PILOT PROGRAM REQUIREMENT- Not later than one year after the date of
  the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall establish a pilot
  program on a military installation for purposes of reducing the amount of
  solid waste generated at the installation. Under the pilot program, the
  yard waste and cafeteria waste generated at the military installation shall
  be composted, rather than disposed of in a landfill or other conventional
  means of disposal. The compost that is produced under the pilot program
  shall be used for soil amendment or in such other manner as the Secretary
  of Defense considers appropriate.
  (b) REPORT- Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of
  this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress a report on
  the implementation of the pilot program. The report shall include the
  Secretary's findings and recommendations, including a recommendation
  with respect to whether similar programs should be carried out at other
  military installations.
  (c) DEFINITIONS- For purposes of this Act:
  (1) The term `cafeteria waste' includes food waste.
  (2) The term `yard waste' means leaves and grass trimmings.
  (3) The term `military installation' means a base, camp, post station,
  yard, center, homeport facility for any ship, or other activity under the
  jurisdiction of the Secretary of a military department.