Title
Chief Administrative Office, Economic Development Division and Community Development Agency, Environmental Management Division, recommending the Board:
1) Adopt and authorize the Chair to sign Resolution 029-2016 authorizing a joint application for designation of El Dorado County cities and unincorporated areas as a Recycling Market Development Zone; and
2) Find that the the designation of a Recycling Market Development Zone is exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guideline 15061(b)(3). (Est. Time: 5 Min.)
FUNDING: N/A
Body
DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION
Chief Administrative Office, Economic Development Division; and Community Development Agency, Environmental Management Division (EMD), recommend the Board of Supervisors (Board) 1) adopt a Resolution authorizing a joint application for designation of El Dorado County cities and unincorporated areas as a Recycling Market Development Zone (RMDZ); and 2) find that the the designation of a Recycling Market Development Zone (RMDZ) is exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guideline 15061(b)(3).
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
California's Integrated Waste Management Act passed in 1989, also known as Assembly Bill 939 (AB 939), requires each jurisdiction within the State to reduce the amount of waste disposed in landfills by fifty percent (50%). Assembly Bill 341 (AB 341) signed by the Governor in 2011, increases the current AB 939 statewide average goal to seventy-five percent (75%) of waste recycled by the year 2020. To assist California cities and counties in reaching these goals, the RMDZ program was created by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle).
The RMDZ program is a business assistance program for businesses or manufacturers that process discarded materials, creating recycled-content materials and products. Qualifying businesses and manufacturers in an RMDZ are eligible to receive low interest loans from the State. Other benefits, such as help with locating recycled materials for processing, and identifying new customers, may be offered to companies located in RMDZs.
The RMDZ program was designed to create an increased market demand for local recycled-content material. The program also helps create jobs, can increase the tax base, reduce transportation costs of local recycled materials, and reduce energy demands as many recycled content products use significantly less energy to manufacture than non-recycled content products. Facilitating growth of businesses in El Dorado County using recycled materials to create new products can reduce solid waste, and contribute to achievement of economic development and sustainability goals. There are presently forty (40) RMDZs in the State.
The proposed El Dorado County RMDZ includes the unincorporated areas of the County and the cities of Placerville and South Lake Tahoe. The primary discarded materials that are available in El Dorado County for use by these recycling businesses and manufacturers are: 1) construction and demolition debris; 2) plastics (including agricultural plastics); 3) organic materials such as yard and food waste (from both residential and commercial sources); agricultural wastes from local facilities that process crops such as wine grapes, tomatoes, olives and fruits; 4) textiles; and 5) cardboard and paper.
To encourage recycling businesses to locate within El Dorado County, the County and cities will work to expand and sustain the local markets for these materials, and facilitate separating and removing these materials from municipal solid waste and landfill disposal. Toward this goal, future EMD projects could include the following:
• partnering with a private company, such as a current solid waste franchisee, to design, build and operate a regional green waste and/or food composting facility;
• partnering with private and/or non-profit entity to design and operate a construction and demolition debris facility and/or discarded household materials reuse facility;
• collaborating with local entities to expand the school organics diversion and composting program to all schools within the County; and
• facilitating or partnering with a private and/or non-profit entity to design, build, and operate a textile facility to recycle used fabrics into a variety of products.
The RMDZ business support services and potential low interest loans available for eligible businesses are not a project subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). A Notice of Exemption has been prepared by the Community Development Agency, Development Services Division (Attachment C). EMD will act as Lead Agency for the RMDZ application and will manage program activities.
ALTERNATIVES
Do not approve an RMDZ application to CalRecycle, and/or direct staff to return to the Board with alternative recycling program recommendations.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
The cities of Placerville, South Lake Tahoe, and CalRecycle have been involved in this process.
CAO RECOMMENDATION
Approve department recommendation.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no direct impact on Net County cost. Staff time will be required to prepare the County's portion of the RMDZ application. At this time, staff does not anticipate any additional costs for this project. County funds will not be used for future RMDZ programs or projects without approval from the Board.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1) Obtain the Board Chair’s signature on the Resolution
2) Forward a fully-executed copy of the Resolution to CDA-EMD and to the Chief Administrative Office, Economic Development Division.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Economic Development
CONTACT
Greg Stanton, Community Development Agency, Environmental Management Division
and/or
Jeff McLaughlin, Chief Administrative Office, Economic Development Division