[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4236 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4236
To encourage recycling and reduction of disposable plastic bottles in
units of the National Park System, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 6, 2019
Mr. Quigley (for himself, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Lowenthal, Ms. Haaland, Mr.
Tonko, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. Gallego,
Mr. Connolly, and Ms. Kuster of New Hampshire) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To encourage recycling and reduction of disposable plastic bottles in
units of the National Park System, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Reducing Waste in National Parks
Act''.
SEC. 2. DISPOSABLE PLASTIC BOTTLE RECYCLING AND REDUCTION IN UNITS OF
THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM.
(a) Program for Recycling and Reduction of Disposable Plastic
Bottles in Units of the NPS.--Each regional director concerned shall
establish in such unit of the National Park System a program for
recycling and reduction of disposable plastic bottles, including, if
applicable, elimination of the sale of water in disposable plastic
bottles under subsection (b).
(b) Elimination of Sale of Water in Disposable Plastic Bottles.--
(1) In general.--Each regional director concerned may
eliminate the sale of water in disposable plastic bottles in
such unit of the National Park System after consideration of
the following factors with respect to such unit:
(A) The costs and benefits to the overall
operations.
(B) The amount of waste that would be eliminated.
(C) The infrastructure costs and funding sources
for bottle refill stations.
(D) Any contractual implications with respect to
concessioners, including considerations of new
leaseholder surrender interest or possessory interest.
(E) The operational costs of bottle refill
stations, including utilities and regular public health
testing.
(F) The cost and availability of BPA-free reusable
containers.
(G) The effect on concessioner and cooperation
association sales revenue.
(H) The availability of water within concession
food service operations.
(I) The ability to provide visitor education in the
unit and online so that visitors may come prepared with
their own water bottles.
(J) Any input from the National Park Service Office
of Public Health.
(K) The feasibility of posting signs so that
visitors can easily find bottle refill stations.
(L) Safety considerations for visitors who may
resort to not carrying enough water or drinking from
surface water sources with potential exposure to
disease.
(M) Any input from concessioners and cooperating
associations within the unit.
(2) Units of nps previously eliminated sale of water in
disposable plastic bottles.--With respect to a unit of the
National Park System that does not offer for sale water in
disposable plastic bottles on the date prior to the date of the
enactment of this Act, the superintendent of such unit may
continue to not offer for sale water in disposable plastic
bottles if such superintendent, not later than 180 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act, submits to the regional
director of such unit an evaluation that analyzes and addresses
the factors listed in subparagraphs (A) through (M) of
paragraph (1).
(c) Proactive Visitor Education Strategy.--Each regional director
concerned shall develop for such unit of the National Park System a
proactive visitor education strategy that addresses visitor
expectations of water availability and explains the rationale for the
program for recycling and reduction of disposable plastic bottles
established under subsection (a) and implemented in such unit.
(d) Continuity Within Unit of the NPS.--Each regional director
concerned shall, to the extent possible, implement the program for
recycling and reduction of disposable plastic bottles established under
subsection (a) in a manner that is consistent throughout such unit of
the National Park System, including incorporation of such program into
any agreement with an organization operating within the unit, including
a concessioner operating plan and cooperating association scope of
sales.
(e) Biennial Evaluation.--Each regional director concerned shall,
not less than once every 2 years--
(1) conduct an evaluation of the program for recycling and
reduction of disposable plastic bottles established under
subsection (a) for such unit of the National Park System,
including--
(A) public response to the program;
(B) visitor satisfaction with the availability of
water;
(C) buying behavior with respect to products sold
in disposable plastic bottles;
(D) public safety including information on cases of
dehydration or exposure to disease from drinking from
surface water; and
(E) disposable plastic bottle collection rates; and
(2) submit such evaluation to the Director of the National
Park Service and the Secretary of the Interior.
(f) Definition of Regional Director Concerned.--For the purposes of
this section, the term ``regional director concerned'' means, with
respect to a unit of the National Park System, the regional director of
the region of the National Park System in which such unit is located,
working in coordination with the superintendent of such unit.
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