Title
Supervisor Parlin, as the appointee to the Rural County Representatives of California Environmental Services Joint Powers Authority, recommending the Board send a letter of support to Assembly Member Jim Wood for Assembly Bill 2902, regarding organic waste management.
FUNDING: N/A
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
SB 1383 (Lara, Chapter 395) was passed in 2016 as part of California’s strategy to combat climate change. Organics like food scraps, yard trimmings, paper, and cardboard make up half of what Californians dump into landfills. This waste releases 20% of the state’s methane. SB 1383 requires jurisdictions to reduce landfill organic waste by 75% by 2025. CalRecycle estimates that these far-reaching SB 1383 regulations could cost as much as $40 billion to implement over a ten-year period and will require the construction of as many as 100 new organic waste recycling facilities
El Dorado County is a member of the Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) Environmental Services Joint Powers Authority (ESJPA). As a member county, El Dorado has been participating in the ESJPA’s efforts to right-size and gain flexibility in implementing SB 1383, which has been burdensome and costly to many of the RCRC ESJPA member counties. The ESJPA reached out to Assembly Member Jim Wood, who has sponsored and introduced Assembly Bill 2902.
The key components of AB 2902 that would affect El Dorado County would include:
• Provide additional flexibility for 12 smaller counties to propose an alternative or modified organic waste diversion and recycling program for CalRecycle’s approval.
• This applies to unincorporated portions of El Dorado, Humboldt, Imperial, Kings, Mendocino, Madera, Napa, Nevada, Shasta, Yuba, Sutter, and Yolo Counties but excludes census-designated places with a population greater than 10,000 residents.
• This provision is intended to recognize the efforts of those jurisdictions to divert agricultural and forest-derived organic waste from landfills.
• Allow local jurisdictions to obtain waivers from food-waste collection requirements for areas where bears pose public safety issues.
• Increase local benefits of edible food recovery programs and facilitate the use of organics for animal feed.
• Promote small-scale community composting efforts.
• Relieve locals from having to procure organics-derived materials on behalf of residents who live in areas exempted from SB 1383 by CalRecycle.
• Clarify that local compost and mulch giveaways and rebates are not a gift of public funds.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could choose not to send a letter of support to Assembly Member Jim Wood for AB 2902, however, El Dorado County is a member of the ESJPA and would benefit from the passage of AB 2902 with the added flexibility in implementing SB 1383.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
Legistar #20-0139, 2-4-20, Presentation by CalRecycle to Board
Legistar #20-0858, 8-24-20, Allocation for SB 1383 Sustainability Coordinator
Legistar #22-1188, 8-23-22, Adopt SB 1383 Ordinance
Legistar #23-1058, 7-18-23, Accept SB 1383 Local Assistance Grant Program
Legistar #23-1319, 7-18-23, Board direction on SB 1383 procurement requirements
Legistar #23-1779, 11-14-23, Approve 100% compost procurement option from El Dorado Disposal
Legistar #24-0111, 1-9-24, Letter of support to Senator Alvarado-Gil for the Rural County Representatives of California Legislative Proposal: SB 1383 Organic Waste Recycling Rightsizing and Flexibility.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
Environmental Management Department
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The specific financial impact of Assembly Bill 2902 is unknown. However, SB 1383 continues to be a financial burden for jurisdictions to implement and the Proposal would provide for flexibility in implementation and potential relief.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
Send an executed copy of the letter of support to Assembly Member Jim Wood
Copies to:
Brian Dahle, Member, California State Senate
Isaac Bryan, Chair, Assembly Natural Resources Committee, Rural County Representatives of California
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Good Governance
CONTACT
Supervisor Parlin