[Pharmwaste] Pharms EPR bill passed in Cook County, IL

[Vivian Futran Fuhrman]

Hi All,

For those who had not already heard, the pharmaceutical EPR bill in Cook County (WA) was approved. The Legislation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee<https://cook-county.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=510902&GUID=1B3F711E-3DAB-4A0E-9AE6-CBEE4CFD8B54&Options=&Search=> decided in favor of the bill this week, so when the meeting minutes are approved by the Board, the bill becomes law. The most recent draft of that bill is attached.

PSI has been working closely with the IL Product Stewardship Council (ILPSC) and our contacts in the County to help make the bill as strong as possible. In a letter to the bill sponsor that we co-wrote with the ILPSC this week (also attached), we expressed our support for the EPR concept but recommended adjusting the bill in two key areas of concern: strengthening the convenience standard and increasing the producer fee to cover the costs of the program.

In the bill that passed, language was added giving the County Board of Commissioners flexibility to set a fee that recovers the costs of implementation. This is an improvement, but we are still concerned that enough money will not be raised. In addition, the convenience standard is still weak (1 drop-off site per 150,000 County residents; no less than 5 in each of 17 County Districts). This legislation also deviates from our best practices by having the County's law enforcement staff run the program; the ordinance establishes a producer-funded program that would be designed and implemented by the Sheriff's office. This is a good step forward, but we will continue to track the implementation of this bill and assist ILPSC and Cook County to develop an effective program.

Best,
Vivian
______________________________
Vivian Fuhrman, Ph.D.
Associate for Policy and Programs
Product Stewardship Institute, Inc.
29 Stanhope St., 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02116
P: (617) 236-4771 F: (617) 236-4766
www.productstewardship.us<http://www.productstewardship.us/>
vivian at productstewardship.us<mailto:vivian at productstewardship.us>
The Product Stewardship Institute, Inc. is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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