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 Senator Alvarado-Gil requesting that she introduce the Rural County Representatives of California Legislative Proposal: SB 1383 Organic Waste Recycling Right-Sizing and Flexibility.
FUNDING: N/A
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
Excerpt from attached RCRC SB 1383 Legislative Proposal 2024:
[SB 1383 (Lara, Chapter 395, 2016) requires the state to reduce landfill disposal of organic waste 75 percent below 2014 levels 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 has formulated the attached Proposal and is reaching out to Senator Alvarado-Gil to introduce the Proposal as legislation. ESJPA member counties have been asked to reach out to Senator Alvardo-Gil to request that she introduce the legislation on behalf of RCRC.
The RCRC legislative proposal 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 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 give aways and rebates are not a gift of public funds.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could choose not to send a letter of support to Senator Alvarado-Gil for the RCRC SB 1383 Legislative Proposal 2024, however, El Dorado County is a member of the ESJPA and is specifically mentioned in the Proposal, which would benefit the County with 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
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
Environmental Management
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The specific financial impact of this Proposal 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 and Proposal to Senator Alvarado-Gil at : marie.alvarado-gil@sen.ca.gov
cc: Lauren Hernandez, District Director to Senator Alvarado-Gil at lauren.hernandez@sen.ca.gov
John Kennedy, RCRC Senior Policy Advocate at jkennedy@rcrcnet.org
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONEN
Good Governance
CONTACT
Supervisor Parlin