Repealed or Renumbered
Repealed or Renumbered
Repealed or Renumbered
If a federal department or agency issues a formal ruling that a section of this chapter will prevent the state from receiving federal financial participation in a program or activity established under this chapter, the section does not apply to the extent that it causes the program or activity to lose federal funding.
The penalties imposed for littering shall be posted along the public highways of the state, at visitor centers, at entrances to state parks and recreational areas, at public beaches, and other publicly owned public places the commissioner determines necessary to accomplish the purposes of this chapter. The state agency or municipality responsible for litter removal from a public place shall post the notice required by this section.
(a) The following persons are authorized to enforce the provisions of this chapter:
(1) a state employee authorized by the commissioner; and
(2) a peace officer.
(b) The department shall prescribe a citation form which shall be used by all peace officers and persons in the state who are authorized to enforce the provisions of this chapter.
(a) The department may establish a youth litter patrol program for the employment of young people on a seasonal basis. The department shall cooperate with federal, state, or municipal programs that either employ young people or encourage their employment. The department may contract with other state agencies to provide administration and other support for the youth litter patrol established by this section.
(b) [Repealed, Sec. 6 ch 37 SLA 1987].
In order to minimize present and future threats to human health and the environment in the state, the department shall promote the following solid and hazardous waste management practices in the following order of priority:
(1) waste source reduction;
(2) recycling of waste;
(3) waste treatment; and
(4) waste disposal.
The department may design and have produced a litter bag bearing the state anti-litter symbol and a statement of the penalties for littering in the state. The department may make litter bags available for this purpose to the administrative component of the Department of Administration that administers motor vehicle and driver's license laws. That component may distribute one litter bag to each person who applies for registration or reregistration of a motor vehicle and shall notify the person of the person's responsibilities under the law. The department may make litter bags available to all vehicle and vessel operators entering the state. The commissioner shall designate distribution points for the broadest possible distribution of litter bags to persons entering the state by vehicle or vessel.
(a) Beginning October 1, 1981, a person may not sell or offer to sell a nonglass beverage container that is designed and constructed so that the container is opened by detaching a metal ring or tab. This section does not apply to a beverage container that is opened by a detachable piece of tape, foil, or other soft material.
(b) Beginning January 1, 1985, a person may not sell or offer to sell in this state beverage containers that are held together by plastic rings or similar plastic devices unless the rings or devices are degradable and bear a distinguishing mark furnished to the department by the manufacturer. The department may require test data that shows that the plastic rings or plastic devices meet or exceed the department's standards of degradability.
(c) A person who violates this section is guilty of a violation. Each sale or offer to sell is a separate offense.
The department shall
(1) serve as the coordinating agency among public and private organizations in the state that are involved in the control, reduction, and recycling of litter;
(2) assist local governments in the adoption and amendment of ordinances relating to the control, reduction, and recycling of litter;
(3) promote voluntary local programs and information campaigns that encourage the public to refrain from littering and to participate in efforts to clean up and recycle litter;
(4) inform the public of, and encourage the public to comply with, the provisions of this chapter and regulations adopted under this chapter;
(5) encourage federal, state, and local agencies to assist programs for the recycling of litter by allowing the use of publicly owned land, buildings, or equipment for those programs whenever possible;
(6) apply for, receive, and expend grants, loans, and other monetary and nonmonetary assistance for use in programs established under this chapter;
(7) determine the types of materials or energy that may be profitably recovered from litter, and adopt regulations under AS 44.62 (Administrative Procedure Act) that require the recovery of the materials or energy;
(8) adopt other regulations under AS 44.62 (Administrative Procedure Act) necessary to implement this chapter.
(a) The department shall adopt regulations under AS 44.62 (Administrative Procedure Act) that establish
(1) eligibility requirements for applicants for a grant under AS 46.06.120;
(2) standards for the evaluation of proposals submitted by applicants for grants under AS 46.06.120 ; and
(3) other conditions for the receipt of a grant under AS 46.06.120 that are necessary to achieve the purposes of this chapter.
(b) The regulations adopted by the department under (a) of this section must meet the following criteria:
(1) if there is not enough money for grants to all eligible applicants, the following shall receive priority:
(A) a proposed program or project that most efficiently recovers materials or energy from litter;
(B) the proposed program or project that creates the greatest number of new jobs;
(2) the maximum amount for a single grant shall be established so that available money is distributed to a variety of programs;
(3) a grant may be made for new programs or for improvements to or additions to existing programs that were not previously financed by other existing resources of financing.
The department may make grants to state agencies, to municipalities, and to private organizations including nonprofit organizations for the establishment and operation of programs authorized under this chapter. A grant under this section may not exceed 18 months. A program qualifying for a grant under this section may include
(1) courses of instruction at, or the distribution of informative materials to, elementary and secondary schools;
(2) purchase and erection of roadside signs;
(3) organization and operation of litter removal activities conducted by municipalities, private organizations or service groups using volunteer help;
(4) a public information program to inform the public concerning the reduction of litter using the media including use of the electronic media;
(5) expansion of existing, and planning, design, and construction of new, facilities for the recovery of materials and energy from litter;
(6) research and evaluation of markets for the materials and energy recovered from litter;
(7) advice and assistance, including information and consultation on available technology, operating procedures, organizational arrangements, markets for materials or energy obtained from litter, transportation alternatives, and publicity techniques;
(8) surveys by public agencies or recognized research organizations to assess the amount and composition of litter, and rates of littering;
(9) the purchase of litter receptacles;
(10) the creation or expansion of litter law enforcement programs;
(11) the initial purchase or lease of recycling equipment, the cost of operating that equipment, and the cost of storing and transporting materials before and after those materials are recycled.
(a) A community solid waste management planning grant account is established in the general fund. It consists of appropriations made to it.
(b) The department may issue matching grants from money in the account to a municipality, to an unincorporated community, to an organization representing two or more municipalities or unincorporated communities within a region, to a nonprofit organization, coastal resources service area, or regional health corporation for the purpose of a community solid waste management plan.
(c) In its award of a grant under this section, the department shall consider the severity of environmental or public health concerns relating to existing solid waste management practices. The department may consider the extent to which the proposed planning effort will meet the needs of more than one community, the extent to which there is clear evidence of local support for the planning effort, and the number of individuals who will benefit from the planning effort.
(d) The department shall establish guidelines for the preparation of plans funded under this section to achieve the practices and priorities established under AS 46.06.021 .
(e) A grant under this section
(1) must be matched on a dollar-for-dollar basis by the grantee in cash or in kind;
(2) may not exceed $50,000 for a single proposal or project.
(f) The department may waive the match required under (e) of this section on a showing satisfactory to the commissioner by the prospective applicant that matching funds are not available.
In this chapter,
(1) 'beverage container' means the individual, separate, sealed glass, metal or plastic bottle, can, jar or carton containing beer or other malt beverages or carbonated soft drinks, in liquid form;
(2) 'commissioner' means the commissioner of environmental conservation;
(3) 'degradable' means a characteristic of a material that allows the material to be broken down by biological, chemical, photochemical, or other physical processes
(A) within two years upon exposure to natural elements; and
(B) to a particle size and chemical composition that may be assimilated harmlessly and aesthetically into the environment without producing a residue or by-product determined by the department to be hazardous;
(4) 'department' means the Department of Environmental Conservation;
(5) 'litter' means all waste material including disposable packages or containers disposed of in a manner prohibited by AS 46.06.080 , but does not include the wastes of the primary processes of mining or other extraction process, logging, sawmilling, farming, or manufacturing;
(6) 'litter bag' means a bag, sack or other container made of any material which is large enough and suitable to serve as a receptacle for litter inside a vehicle or vessel;
(7) 'public place' means public or private property that is used or held out for use by the public, whether owned or operated by public or private interests, including but not limited to highways or other roads upon which vehicles are moved, parks, campgrounds, trailer parks, drive-in and fast food restaurants, gasoline service stations, marinas, boat launching areas, boat moorage and fueling stations, public and private piers, beaches, bathing areas, school grounds, sporting event sites with seating capacity for more than 200 spectators, business district sidewalks, parking lots for taverns, shopping centers and grocery stores, and other parking lots if they have a capacity for more than 50 vehicles;
(8) 'vehicle' means a mechanically driven device of any kind that is used for the transportation of a person or property on a public highway, trail, or path;
(9) 'vessel' means all descriptions of watercraft used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on the water.
(a) A person may not throw, drop, deposit, discard, or otherwise dispose of litter from a vehicle or otherwise, on public or private property in the state or in waters in the state or under state jurisdiction unless
(1) the property is designated by a state agency or municipality as a site for the sanitary disposal of garbage or refuse, and the person is authorized to use the site for that purpose; or
(2) litter is placed in a litter receptacle so that the litter is prevented from being carried away or deposited by the elements upon public or private property or water in the state or under state jurisdiction.
(b) A vehicle may not be driven or moved on a public highway or right-of-way unless it is constructed, loaded, or covered to prevent its load from dropping, sifting, leaking, or otherwise escaping from the vehicle. This subsection does not apply to a vehicle used (1) to deposit salt or sand to secure traction, (2) by a public agency to clean or maintain highways, or (3) to transport agricultural, mining, or timber products. A person who operates a vehicle from which an object has fallen or escaped that obstructs or endangers travel upon a public highway or right-of-way shall immediately remove the object at the person's own expense or pay the cost of removal incurred by the state or by another person.
(c) A person who violates this section is guilty of a violation, and may be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000. In addition, the court may order the person to gather and dispose of litter in an area and for a length of time determined by the court.
(d) A peace officer shall issue a citation as provided in AS 12.25.180 to a person who violates this section. If a citation is for a minor littering violation, then the person to whom the citation is issued may, within 15 days, mail or personally deliver to the clerk of the court in which the citation is filed
(1) a fine of $50; and
(2) a copy of the citation indicating that the right to an appearance is waived and a plea of no contest is entered.
(e) If a $50 fine has been paid under (d) of this section, then the court shall enter a judgment of conviction. Payment of the fine is a complete satisfaction for the violation.
(f) If a person cited under this section fails to pay the fine or to appear in court as required, the citation is considered a summons for a failure to obey a citation under AS 12.25.230 , and the court may issue a bench warrant.
(g) Notwithstanding other provisions of law, if a person cited for a minor littering violation under this section appears in court and is found guilty, the penalty that is imposed for the violation may not exceed $50.
(h) In this section 'a minor littering violation' means a violation of (a) or (b) of this section involving littering having an aggregate weight of five pounds or less.
(a) A person may not manufacture, sell, or offer to sell a plastic bottle or a rigid plastic container unless a code that identifies the type of resin used to produce the bottle or container and that complies with (b) of this section is molded into or imprinted on or near the bottom of the bottle or container.
(b) The department shall establish by regulation the content and design for the code required under (a) of this section. The regulations and further amendments to those regulations shall be consistent with applicable federal requirements concerning plastic product labeling. Prior to the establishment of any applicable federal requirements concerning plastic product labeling, the department shall use the codification system designed by the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., including the following features:
(1) a code number placed within an equilateral triangle of arrows, and code letters placed below the triangle of arrows, in which
(A) the triangle is formed by three arrows with the apex of the point of each triangle at the midpoint of each arrow, rounded with a short radius;
(B) the arrowhead of each arrow is at the midpoint of each side of the triangle with a short gap separating the arrowhead from the base of the adjacent arrow; and
(C) the triangle formed by the arrows depicts a clockwise path around the number;
(2) the following code numbers and letters to be used in (1) of this subsection to identify types of resin:
(A) 1 and PETE, representing polyethylene terephthalate;
(B) 2 and HDPE, representing high density polyethylene;
(C) 3 and V, representing vinyl;
(D) 4 and LDPE, representing low density polyethylene;
(E) 5 and PP, representing polypropylene;
(F) 6 and PS, representing polystyrene; and
(G) 7 and OTHER, representing all other plastic resins.
(c) The department shall maintain a list of the codes established under (b) of this section and provide a copy of the list upon request.
(d) A person who violates (a) of this section is subject to a civil penalty of $50 for each violation. Penalties imposed under this subsection for a series of related violations by the same person may not exceed $500. The superior court may enjoin a person from violating (a) of this section.
(e) In this section,
(1) 'plastic' means a material made of polymeric organic compounds and additives that can be shaped by flow;
(2) 'plastic bottle' means a plastic container that is intended for single use and that
(A) has a neck smaller than the body of the container;
(B) accepts a screw-top, snap-cap, or other closure; and
(C) has a capacity of not less than 16 fluid ounces or more than five gallons;
(3) 'rigid plastic container' means a formed or molded container that is intended for single use, that is composed predominately of plastic resin, and that has a relatively inflexible finite shape or form having a capacity of not less than eight ounces or more than five gallons; 'rigid plastic container' does not include a plastic bottle.
(a) The department shall designate one or more types and sizes of litter receptacles for use in the state. The department shall designate and make available for distribution throughout the state an anti-litter symbol of a uniform color and design adopted by the department. This anti-litter symbol must bear a statement of the penalties for littering and must be designed so that it may be attached to litter receptacles. To aid public recognition and use of litter receptacles, the department may adopt an anti-litter symbol used in another state. The person or agency responsible for the placement of litter receptacles located in public places of the state shall attach to those receptacles the anti-litter symbol designated by the department.
(b) Litter receptacles designated for use in the state by the department shall be placed at public places in the state unless the public place is specifically exempted by regulations adopted by the commissioner under AS 44.62 (Administrative Procedure Act). The number of receptacles required to be placed in each public place shall be determined by a formula related to the need for those receptacles. The requirements of this subsection are satisfied by the use of a litter receptacle which was in use before July 1, 1980, if the anti-litter symbol of the state is attached to the receptacle.
(c) A person owning or operating a privately owned public place at which litter receptacles are required under (b) of this section shall place litter receptacles at the public place at the person's own expense.
(d) Compliance with this section requires proper upkeep, maintenance and repair of a litter receptacle sufficient to permit the receptacle to serve the function for which it was designed and to prevent the receptacle from becoming unsightly.
(e) Responsibility for the placement of litter receptacles at publicly owned public places and for the removal of litter from those litter receptacles remains with the municipality or other public agency performing litter removal. Removal of litter from litter receptacles placed at privately owned public places remains the responsibility of the owner or operator of the privately owned public place.
(f) A person may not damage, deface, abuse, or misuse a litter receptacle not owned by the person so as to interfere with its proper function or to detract from its appearance.
(g) A person may not deposit leaves, clippings, prunings, garden refuse, or household waste materials in a litter receptacle without the permission of the owner of that receptacle.
(h) Except as provided in (i) of this section, a person who violates the provisions of (b) - (g) of this section is guilty of a violation, and, in addition to the punishment imposed by AS 12.55.035 (b)(7), the court may order a person who violates this section to gather and dispose of litter in an area and for a length of time determined by the court.
(i) If a municipality of the state adopts an ordinance that prohibits the same conduct prohibited by (b) - (g) of this section, a violation of (b) - (g) of this section that occurs in the municipality is punishable under the provisions of the municipal ordinance if the punishment imposed under the ordinance is equal to or greater than the punishment imposed by AS 12.55.035 (b)(7).
(a) There is established within the department a solid and hazardous waste reduction and recycling program. Within the limit of funds available, the department shall
(1) coordinate community and agency efforts to reduce the production of solid and hazardous waste, including air and water emissions;
(2) promote the practices and priorities established under AS 46.06.021 by promoting solid and hazardous waste reduction, on-site recovery of resources from hazardous waste sources, recovery of resources from solid waste sources, repeated use of packaging and products, materials recycling, appropriate pretreatment, waste separation, or separate management for waste that creates problems when disposed of within the community, transportation for solid waste that cannot be disposed of within the community, and environmentally sound disposal;
(3) provide technical assistance and consultation for source reduction and recycling as necessary to assist with the implementation of the practices and priorities established under AS 46.06.021 with communities and regional planning organizations and generators of solid and hazardous waste;
(4) sponsor or co-sponsor, with public or private organizations, technical workshops and seminars on implementation of the practices and priorities established under AS 46.06.021 , including solid and hazardous waste reduction and recycling;
(5) develop a technical reference center and data base relating to the implementation of practices and priorities established under AS 46.06.021 for solid and hazardous waste reduction and recycling;
(6) establish and maintain an information referral service on the implementation of the practices and priorities established under AS 46.06.021 for solid and hazardous waste reduction and recycling;
(7) identify and evaluate research needs for state businesses and industry, communities and regional planning organizations, and state agencies as they relate to the implementation of the practices and priorities established under AS 46.06.021 for solid and hazardous waste reduction and recycling;
(8) develop, in consultation with institutions of higher education in the state, courses and curricula related to the implementation of the practices and priorities established under AS 46.06.021 for solid and hazardous waste reduction and recycling; and
(9) issue hazardous waste reduction matching grants under AS 46.03.317 and community solid waste management planning grants under AS 46.06.041.
(b) In response to a request of a hazardous waste generator, a representative of the department may visit the hazardous waste generator's site for the purpose of observing a waste generating process, obtaining information relevant to waste reduction, rendering advice, and making recommendations. A visit under this subsection may not be regarded as an inspection or investigation. A representative of the department designated to render advisory or consultative services may not have enforcement authority.
(c) This section does not diminish the responsibility of a person to comply with this chapter, AS 46.03, AS 46.04, or AS 46.09.
© 2023 Helpline Law / Contact Us / Site Map
