Relating to the Creation of the Governor’s Task Force on Waste Materials Recovery and Disposal

WHEREAS, Wisconsin’s citizens, businesses, industries and municipalities depend on the proper management of wastes to protect human health and the environment, ensure continued economic development and to promote the welfare of future generations; and

WHEREAS, Wisconsin’s solid waste policy statute acknowledges that “maximum solid waste reduction, reuse, recycling, composting and resource recovery is in the best interest of the state in order to protect public health, to protect the quality of the natural environment and to conserve resources and energy;” and

WHEREAS, failure to maximize the productive use of waste materials represents an inefficient use of society’s resources that leads to increased economic and environmental costs affecting all citizens of the state; and

WHEREAS, Wisconsin has a proud tradition as a national leader in the recovery of high-volume industrial byproducts, in the recycling of consumer materials such as paper, aluminum, glass and plastic, in the composting of yard waste and in the development of solid waste management standards; and

WHEREAS, Wisconsin is encountering challenges to improving on its successful recycling and waste management record, including the advent of new waste streams and changes in consumption habits; and

WHEREAS, landfilling of solid wastes as practiced today in Wisconsin and the rest of the nation poses potential burdens for future generations; and

WHEREAS, wise lands use principles require that Wisconsin achieve a reasonable balance between waste generation and disposal requirements and the development of disposal capacity;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JIM DOYLE,Governor of the State of Wisconsin by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the Laws of this State, and specifically by Wis. Stat. § 14.019, do hereby:

1. Create the Governor’s Task Force on Waste Materials Recovery and Disposal (“Task Force”); and
2. Provide that the Task Force shall consist of no more than 20 members appointed by the Governor to serve at the pleasure of the Governor; and
3. Provide that the Governor shall designate one member of the Task Force as chairperson to serve in that capacity at the pleasure of the Governor; and
4. Provide that the Task Force shall have the following mission:
   1. Study and make recommendations regarding the economics of landfilling and recycling solid wastes, including the full environmental costs and benefits, and the extent to which those costs and benefits are reflected in the prices of landfilling and recycling and the associated fees collected by the state; and
   2. Review the extent to which materials with economic value are lost to landfilling and recommend ways to maximize the productive use of waste materials, including materials recycling and composting; and
   3. Study and recommend ways that Wisconsin can minimize the generation of waste materials, including incentives for waste materials reduction and reuse; and
   4. Study the current management of toxic and nontoxic solid wastes and recommend ways to ensure that these wastes are managed in a manner that minimizes present environmental impacts and potential burdens to future generations; and
   5. Consider the roles of Wisconsin municipalities, businesses and residents in the use, management and disposal of waste materials; and
5. Require the Task Force to provide ongoing reports to the Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources; and
6. Direct the Department of Natural Resources, and as appropriate, the Department of Administration and other state agencies to assist the Task Force with administrative and support services; and
7. Require the Task Force to submit a final report on its findings and recommendations to the Governor and that the Task Force shall dissolve when its final report is accepted by the Governor

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Wisconsin to be affixed.  Done at the Capitol in the City of Madison this fourteenth day of June in the year two thousand five.

JIM DOYLE

Governor

By the Governor:

DOUGLAS LA FOLLETTE
Secretary of State