Commercial fertilizer; fee; amount; collection; refund. (1) Through December 31, 1996, there shall be imposed a fee of four dollars per ton upon the gross tonnage of all sales, use, or other consumption in this state of commercial fertilizers, and commencing January 1, 1997, through December 31, 2000, there shall be imposed a fee of one dollar per ton upon such gross tonnage. … Read More
With passage of the 1987 Groundwater Protection Act (House File 631), Iowa articulated a comprehensive policy regarding groundwater contamination. The Act established a scheme to raise revenue in three ways: pesticide manufacturing registration fees, pesticide dealer licensing fees, and fertilizer taxes. Among other provisions, retailers of nitrogen-based fertilizers must pay an additional $.75 per ton sold based on an 82 percent solution and prorated for different solutions.… Read More
Halifax Regional Municipal Council (HRM) has passed a by-law to regulate certain aspects of pesticide use. The by-law is authorised by the province of Nova Scotia under the Municipal Government Act, specifically Section 533, which allows an HRM by-law to regulate outdoor application of pesticides for the purpose of maintaining plants and turf on residential and municipal properties.
Santa Monica was one of the first cities to require the reduction of toxicity of janitorial products. In 1993 the city implemented a Toxics Use Reduction Program, which included the trial of less-toxic or non-toxic alternative custodial products. The results of the pilot contributed to the development of bid specifications for the evaluation of bids from custodial product vendors. The specifications include environmental and public health criteria as well as performance and cost criteria.… Read More
A 1998 Iowa law required state agencies to give soy-based hydraulic fluid a purchasing preference. In April 2000, this law was amended to include a preference for greases and other industrial lubricants as well as hydraulic fluids. Soy is still the raw material of choice. In addition, the new law also removes two prerequisites for the purchasing preference: one said that the lubricant must be within the agency’s budget, and the other that the lubricant must be consistent with the manufacturer’s specifications for the equipment.… Read More
After proven to be harmful to the ozone layer, some governments moved to ban chlorofluorocarbons.
The US government is the world’s biggest consumer and together federal, state and local governments spend hundreds of billions of dollars annually on goods and services. This purchasing power can be used to promote environmentally friendly products and practices in the economy. Government purchasing can significantly enlarge the market for a producer’s goods as well as … Read More
All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), commonly referred to as four-wheelers, and other Off Road Vehicles (ORVs or Off-Highway Vehicles – OHVs) are facing increasing regulatory pressures. The growing popularity of these recreational vehicles has resulted in grassroots movements to protect sensitive, natural areas from intrusion by ORVs. These vehicles can easily inflict damage to the landscape and … Read More
A Corporate Good Character Law allows the state to take certain factors into account when deciding whether or not to allow a company a permit. If the company has consistently violated environmental rules in the past, this law would allow the state to deny future permits.