Solid Waste

AB 45 (Mullin) – Oppose
As Amended March 19, 2015

AB 45, by Assembly Member Kevin Mullin, would require jurisdictions to create a baseline for household hazardous waste (HHW) diversion and meet an unspecified requirement for HHW diversion. This bill also makes findings outlining the preference for door-to-door HHW collection programs and allows Cal Recycle to create a model ordinance for a door-to-door collection and diversion program. CSAC has a number of concerns with the bill. First, AB 45 would take away the incentive for the Legislature to pass any additional Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation for products that are banned from our landfills. Requiring local governments to collect a certain amount of HHW places the burden of the end-of-life management of toxic products squarely on local governments and tax payers rather than the companies that profit from the products. Secondly, door-to-door collection programs are not the only method of HHW collection, and in many jurisdictions, it is not the preferred method. Local governments are better suited to design and implement HHW programs that are appropriate for their community. This bill has been referred to the Assembly Local Government Committee.

Stormwater Initiative 

AB 1362 (Gordon) – Support
As Introduced February 27, 2015

CSAC’s 2015 Legislative Priorities include a directive to support legislation that would amend Article XIII D, section 6© of the California Constitution (Proposition 218) to expand its exemption from the majority-property-owner or 2/3-registered-voter election requirement from “fees or charges for sewer, water, and refuse collection services” to “fees or charges for storm water and flood control, sewer, water, and refuse collection services.” AB 1362, by Assembly Member Richard Gordon, serves as the critical first step toward expanding the current exemptions by providing implementation guidance for the Constitutional Amendment. Specifically, it would add a definition of “stormwater” to the Proposition 218 Omnibus Implementation Act. It would define stormwater to mean any system of public improvements or service intended to provide for the quality, conservation, control, or conveyance of waters that land on or drain across the natural or man-made landscape. Combined with the Constitutional amendment, which is expected to be introduced soon, the two measures would have the effect of providing cities and counties with the mechanism to raise revenue for stormwater related programs similar to the current mechanism in place for water and wastewater districts to fund their programs and services. AB 1362 is expected to be heard by the Assembly Local Government Committee by mid-May.

PACE

AB 450 (McCarty) – Support
As Introduced February 23, 2015

AB 450, by Assembly Member McCarty, would allow cap and trade auction revenue to be allocated to assist homeowners and businesses with clean energy upgrades to homes and commercial buildings by expanding available financing through the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program. Expanding PACE would assist property owners in being part of the solution to reduce GHGs and create high paying jobs for the workers who install the clean energy upgrades.  CSAC is very supportive of PACE programs and increasing local eligibility to Cap and Trade funding. This bill would advance both objectives. This bill will be heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee on April 13.