Solid Waste

AB 158 (Levine) – Support
As Amended March 20, 2013

Assembly Bill 158, by Assembly Member Marc Levine, would phase- out the use of single-use bags at certain retailers and place requirements on reusable bags. Specifically, this bill would prohibit retailers with gross annual sales of $2 million or more or 10,000 square feet or more of retail space on and after January 1, 2015 from providing a single-use carryout bag to a customer at the point-of-sale. In addition, this bill would require a store, on and after January 1, 2016, to only provide a reusable grocery bag to a customer, which may be made available for purchase. 

Plastic bags are a significant waste management problem. It is estimated that California retailers distribute more than 19 billion plastic retail carryout bags annually. However, less than five percent are currently recycled, and most end up in our landfills. According to the author, plastic bags comprise 10 percent of marine debris and take more than 1,000 years to break down. Over 60 local governments, including the County of Los Angeles, San Jose, San Luis Obispo County, San Francisco, and Long Beach have already adopted bans on plastic bags. The results from these existing policies demonstrate both environmental and economic success, and public support. Furthermore, AB 158 does not pre-empt local ordinances relating to single-use bags. CSAC supports this bill because it will help to reduce plastic pollution and the costs associated with it. AB 158 will be heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee on Monday, April 1, 2013. 

SB 804 (Lara) – Support
As Introduced February 22, 2013

SB 804, by Senator Richardo Lara, is the CSAC, Los Angeles County co-sponsored bill dealing with solid waste conversion technology. CSAC and Los Angeles County have been working closely with the author, the Administration and Legislative staff to craft a bill that would create a clear permitting path for solid waste conversion technologies in California in order to reduce dependence on landfill disposal and generate renewable energy. Conversion Technologies are technologies capable of converting residual solid waste (the fraction remaining after recycling and composting) into renewable energy, biofuels, and other useful products. Conversion technologies are generally split into three categories: biological, chemical, and non-combustion thermal processes. Conversion technologies are well established in Europe and Asia, having been used for well over a decade in many countries in these regions. They have been an integral part of meeting these countries’ mandates for recycling, landfill phase-out, and greenhouse gas reductions. We are currently working on amendments to the bill that would define what feedstock could be used in a conversion technology facility, ensuring for the upfront recycling of materials to the maximum extent feasible. This bill will most likely be heard in the Senate Energy, Utilities and Commerce Committee on April 16, 2013, with a possible referral to the Senate Environmental Quality Committee. 

CSAC is requesting county support on this bill. For more information, please contact Cara Martinson at 916-327-7500, ext. 504, or cmartinson@counties.org. 

Climate Change

AB 416 (Gordon) – Support
As Amended March 21, 2013

AB 416, by Assembly Member Richard Gordon, would establish a competitive grant program within the Strategic Growth Council and the California Air Resources Board for purposes of providing grants to public agencies, including cities, counties, special districts, metropolitan planning organizations, regional climate authorities, special districts, joint powers authorities, air pollution control and air quality management districts, regional collaboratives, or nonprofit organizations working in coordination with a local government, for projects that develop and implement greenhouse gas emission reductions at the local level. Consideration would be given to projects that do the following:

• Create local job training and job creation benefits.
• Decrease air or water pollution.
• Reduce the consumption of natural resources or energy.
• Provide opportunities to achieve greenhouse gas emission reductions in ways that increase localized energy resources.
• Increase the reliability of local water supplies.
• Increase solid waste diversion from landfills.
• Achieve greenhouse gas emission reductions in ways that 
• reduce vehicle miles traveled.
• Prevent conversion of agricultural, forest, and open space lands to uses that result in higher greenhouse gas emissions.

CSAC believes that local governments are instrumental in helping the State meet their climate and energy goals. As the closest level of government to Californians, local governments are able to make a significant impact by taking action in our communities and promoting public awareness; however, we need the funding to accomplish these goals. This bill would provide funding on the local level to proven GHG reducing projects as well as energy efficiency and clean energy generation projects that would also create jobs. This bill will be heard on Monday, April 1, 2013 in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee and on April 10th in the Assembly Local Government Committee. 

CSAC is requesting for county support of this bill. Please send your letters of support to the author and the Assembly Natural Resources Committee and the Assembly Local Government Committee. 

AB 691 (Muratsuchi) – Oppose
As Amended March 11, 2013

AB 691, by Assembly Member Al Muratsuchi, would require a local trustee of granted public trust lands to prepare a sea level assessment for all of its granted public trust lands by 2019. This bill does include an exemption that makes the action plans permissive for trustees under $250,000 in gross public trust revenues. This bill is nearly identical to last year’s AB 752 (Brownley) that stalled in the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee. While we are inherently concerned about sea level rise and the potential effects on our communities, we do not agree with a number of the provisions in AB 691. Specifically, numerous jurisdictions have already begun addressing sea level rise in their hazard mitigation documents, their General Plans, their LCPs and through the CEQA process as projects come up. We believe that cities and counties should address sea-level rise in these types of documents that are consistent with our existing planning processes, not through a new “sea level rise action plan” on specific lands within their jurisdiction. In addition, it remains unclear which jurisdictions would be subject to the bill. For these reasons, CSAC will continue to oppose this measure. This bill is scheduled to be heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee on Monday, April 1, 2013. 

Energy: Proposition 39 Implementation

The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Resources and Education is holding a joint hearing next Thursday, April 4, 2013 to discuss the implementation of Proposition 39 and the Governor’s proposed budget allocation for funds associated. 

As you may recall, Prop. 39, the California Clean Energy Jobs Act, was approved by the voters in November 2012 and requires out-of-state businesses to calculate their California income tax liability based on the percentage of their sales in California. This change is expected to generate roughly $1 billion annually for the State. Prop. 39 also established a new state fund, the Clean Energy Job Creation Fund, to support energy efficiency retrofits and alternative energy projects in schools and “other public agencies” for the next five years. In addition, the measure also allows for “assistance to local governments in establishing and implementing Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs or similar financial and technical assistance for cost-effective retrofits that include repayment requirements.” Prop. 39 also states that funding shall be prioritized to maximize job creation, energy savings, geographical and economic equity. However, the Governor’s 2013-14 Budget proposes to allocate all energy-related Prop. 39 funds exclusively to schools and community colleges on a per-student basis. 

CSAC is urging the Committees to support an alternative to the Governor’s proposed allocation of Prop 39. funds that would leverage existing State energy efficiency programs for all public agencies by directing a portion of funds from the Clean Energy Job Creation Fund to the California Energy Commission for the purpose of awarding competitive grants and financial assistance to all public agencies for energy efficiency, conservation and renewable projects. This will ensure that the will of the voters is upheld and funds from the Clean Energy Job Creation Fund go to support projects that improve energy efficiency and expand the use of alternative energy in public schools and all public agencies.