GeoLawWatch: Tracking Weather & Climate Legislation

Bill Summary:

The legislation titled "The Rhode Island Clean Air Preservation Act" aims to establish regulations prohibiting specific geoengineering practices. The bill categorizes such practices as hazardous to public health and the environment, particularly focusing on stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) and solar radiation modification (SRM) experimentation. It emphasizes the potential risks these activities pose due to the release of hazardous chemicals and electromagnetic radiation into the atmosphere.

Key Provisions:

1. Prohibition of Geoengineering Activities: The bill explicitly prohibits the following activities within Rhode Island:

   • Stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI)
   • Solar radiation modification (SRM) experimentation
   • Other hazardous weather engineering activities, including weather modification and cloud-seeding.

2. Enforcement and Penalties:

   • The Director of the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is authorized to issue cease-and-desist orders upon discovery of any polluting atmospheric activities. Violators may face significant fines or imprisonment.
   • Entities engaging in prohibited activities may incur daily fines for continuous violations.

3. Public Participation and Reporting: The bill encourages public involvement in monitoring and reporting any suspected geoengineering activities. It outlines procedures for reporting incidents related to atmospheric pollution and mandates governmental investigation of such reports.

4. Definition of Key Terms: The bill includes specific definitions for terms such as "geoengineering," "pollutants," and "weather engineering" to clarify the scope of the prohibitions and regulatory framework established by the law.

5. Legislative Intent: The act is framed as a necessary response to perceived federal neglect regarding environmental protection from geoengineering practices deemed potentially harmful to public health and natural resources.

This bill is currently held for further study and represents a legislative effort to protect the environment and public health in Rhode Island through strict regulatory measures against certain geoengineering practices.