Lawmakers aim to solve with a new bill to study the safe disposal of single-use propane canisters, which often still contain enough propane to cause an explosion if punctured. There currently is no central repository or list of places that take the one-pound, nonrefillable propane canisters, making it hit or miss for people who want to dispose of them responsibly.
鈥淭he problem of litter was one of the main motivators around it,鈥� Rep. Ambureen Rana, D-Bangor, said. 鈥淧eople don鈥檛 have an option or any convenient or efficient way of disposing of them, so they just end up being littered.鈥�
Rana introduced the bill, which has six co-sponsors in the Maine Senate and House. The bill requires the Maine Department of Environmental Protection to evaluate the current infrastructure for disposing of single-use propane canisters and make recommendations for improvements to the environment committee by Dec. 3. Possible outcomes might be a trade-in program or outright banning of the single-use canisters.