Recreational Boaters of California [RBOC] and our national advocacy partner BoatU.S. are requesting that amendments be made to SB 1066 [Blakespear], legislation that would establish an extended producer responsibility [EPR] requirement for pyrotechnic marine flares, to incorporate the alternative test program proposal by Orion Safety Products.
Orion is proposing a one year "test program" in which it would participate in pyrotechnic marine flare collection events in California during 2024 and the first six months of 2025 by packaging and arranging for the transportation of all returned "Orion" branded marine flares back to its Indiana manufacturing and distribution facility with all such costs covered by Orion.
This test program would address a number of critical issues that RBOC and others have identified as SB 1066 has progressed through the legislative process. It would:
Resolve any backlog inventory of outdated pyrotechnic marine flares that are in the possession of boaters.
Enable all stakeholders to obtain additional information and data that will lead to the development of realistic, reasonable and affordable approaches for the end-of-life management of pyrotechnic marine flares.
Identify the challenges and opportunities for pyrotechnic marine flares to be transported, managed, re-used, recycled, and destroyed or disposed.
Accomplish these objectives with no additional state or local government expense.
Avoid the imposition of significant cost increases in a noncompetitive marketplace to be borne by the many recreational boaters who rely upon pyrotechnic marine flares as the most effective visual distress signal.
RBOC would support SB 1066 if it were to be amended to provide for this test program as an alternative to the imposition of a boilerplate extended producer responsibility requirement.
We would also engage in its implementation as an opportunity to advance environmental stewardship of the state’s waterways in a manner that is tailored to this product and mindful of the importance of boater safety on those waterways.