No one likes or wants hazardous waste, but so many products we consume and depend on every day result in the creation of some amount of such waste. The disposal of such waste is strictly controlled in the United States and here in New Mexico.
The State’s Environment Dept. has proposed new, costly regulations on hazardous waste, which, if adopted, will take effect in January of 2020. The Environmental Improvement Board (EIB) is an unelected government board here in New Mexico which will be considering new fees to be imposed on businesses which generate hazardous waste. The Hazardous Waste Bureau had proposed the increases early in 2019.
There is currently a fee paid by companies that generate hazardous wastes from their operations. The new fees represent an increase from 100% to 16,600% over the old fee structure.
These fees are expected to cover the administrative and operational costs of the Bureau, but will do little to improve public safety or the environment. There are more than 3,000 companies in New Mexico that generate hazardous waste as a result of normal business operations. The increased fees will likely be used for more inspections (and fines) than for helping the companies cope with the very complicated waste management rules in the State of New Mexico.
They are just another cash grab by State government. The new fee structure will target businesses that produce small amounts of waste but will affect the large waste generators the most. You can read about the regulatory process and how to comment for yourself here.
The proposed fee increases are detailed here.
A webinar that explains the new fees is available at http://EHStips.com/NMED27
Why are they always putting more costs on businesses when they know that the cost is only passed on to the consumer?
Maybe they should assess each person in NM a nickle tax for the privilege of having products and services that we need to live?