BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                               SB 1016
                                                                       

                      SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
                        Senator S. Joseph Simitian, Chairman
                              2007-2008 Regular Session
                                           
           BILL NO:    SB 1016
           AUTHOR:     Wiggins
           AMENDED:    April 10, 2007
           FISCAL:     Yes               HEARING DATE:     April 16, 2007
           URGENCY:    No                CONSULTANT:       Randy Pestor
            
           SUBJECT  :    SOLID WASTE REPORTING

            SUMMARY  :    
           
            Existing law  , under the California Integrated Waste Management  
           Act of 1989:

           1) Requires each city or county source reduction and recycling  
              element to include an implementation schedule that shows a  
              city or county must divert 25% of solid waste from landfill  
              disposal or transformation by January 1, 1995, through  
              source reduction, recycling, and composting activities, and  
              must divert 50% of solid waste on and after January 1,  
              2000.

           2) Requires each city, county, or regional agency to annually  
              submit a report to the California Integrated Waste  
              Management Board (CIWMB) summarizing its progress in  
              reducing solid waste, and requires the report to contain  
              certain information (e.g., calculations of annual disposal  
              reduction, information on changes in waste generated or  
              disposed, progress in diverting construction and demolition  
              waste material).

            This bill  :

           1) Authorizes the CIWMB to allow a city or county to submit  
              certain information in the annual report on a biennial,  
              rather than an annual, basis if the CIWMB determines the  
              city or county has diverted more than 50% of solid waste  
              from landfill disposal through source reduction, recycling,  
              and composting activities.  This CIWMB authorization cannot  
              be effective if the city or county subsequently fails to  









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              divert 50% of the solid waste or if the CIWMB rescinds the  
              authorization.

           2) Contains legislative intent regarding the diversion rates,  
              adjusting the solid waste diversion compliance system to  
              simplify the system while improving its accuracy, examining  
              new methods to streamline accounting of disposal  
              quantification, and continuing implementation of diversion  
              programs.

           3) Make corresponding technical and clarifying amendments.

            COMMENTS  :

            1) Purpose of Bill  .  According to the CIWMB, "California  
              diverted more than 46 million tons of solid waste away from  
              landfills into recycling, composting and transformation  
              programs in 2005, for an estimated statewide diversion rate  
              of 52 percent.  Diversion has increased nine-fold since the  
              Integrated Waste Management Act was passed in 1989."  The  
              CIWMB notes that almost 70% of jurisdictions have received  
              approval for their diversion rates while about 30% have  
              either been granted a time extension or are on compliance  
              orders.

           SB 1016 provides an incentive to cities and counties with a  
              diversion rate that exceeds 50% by authorizing fewer  
              reporting requirements in their annual reports to the  
              CIWMB.

            2) Exploring options  .  Many are concerned that while solid  
              waste diversion rates are increasing, Californians are also  
              generating more waste.  According to the CIWMB, each  
              Californian generated 7.8 pounds of waste per day in 1990,  
              but by 2005 each Californian generated 13.2 pounds of waste  
              per day.

           The author and sponsor are exploring alternatives to  
              procedures for streamlining the solid waste diversion  
              compliance system by also focusing on disposal reduction,  
              simplifying the system while improving its accuracy, and  
              emphasizing implementation of diversion programs.










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            SOURCE  :        California Integrated Waste Management Board  

           SUPPORT :       None on file  

           OPPOSITION  :    None on file