Solid Waste 

AB 2371 (Mullin) – Request for Comments 
As Introduced February 21, 2014 

AB 2371, by Assembly Member Kevin Mullin, would require cities and counties, using information already required to be submitted annually to CalRecycle, to review the effectiveness of its household hazardous waste (HHW) plan and to identify ways to improve the convenient recycling and disposal of HHW. AB 2371 would require cities and counties, in their annual HHW progress report to CalRecycle, to identify steps taken to improve the convenient recycling and disposal of HHW. In addition, this bill requires CalRecycle to review the reports submitted by cities and counties and submit a report to the Legislature that identifies barriers to the convenient recycling and disposal of HHW and recommend measures to improve convenience. The goal of the bill is to evaluate the existing HHW programs and identify barriers to participation with the goal of making HHW programs more effective. This bill is sponsored by Waste Management. 

SB 1014 (Jackson) – 
Support As Introduced February 27, 2014 

SB 1014 by Senator Hannah Beth Jackson would require producers of pharmaceuticals to develop an extended producer responsibility (EPR) program by creating a program to finance and manage a collection system to the take back of expired and unwanted pharmaceuticals. Prescription drug abuse is a serious problem in the United States. One of the four top recommendations of the National Strategy on Preventing Prescription Drug Abuse is to have a safe and convenient method of disposal for prescription, over the counter drugs and bet medicines that we have in our homes. This bill is a free-market approach that allows manufacturers to design the program in whatever way is most cost effective. SB 1014 creates a privately managed and financed system to allow consumers to property manage their unwanted drugs. CSAC has long-standing policy that supports an EPR approach to the end of life management of products. This bill has been referred to the Senate Environmental Quality Committee and the Committee on Business and Professions. 

AB 1594 (Williams) – 
Request for Comments As Introduced February 14, 2014 

AB 1594, by Assembly Member Das Williams, would seek to phase-out the solid waste diversion credit that jurisdictions receive for the use green material as Alternative Daily Cover (ADC) at landfills. CSAC has longstanding policy to oppose legislation that would eliminate this credit. However, as many of our counties have moved beyond 50% solid waste diversion and we recognize the impact of landfilled organic materials, we are beginning to reevaluate this position. In addition, we are working to come to resolution with Cal Recycle and other stakeholders on legislation that would require the diversion of organic materials away from our landfills (see AB 1826). In light of these issues, we’d like your input on AB 1594 as we reconsider our policy on the issue. CSAC strongly believes that any legislation that would remove this credit must allow for the full implementation of an organics management program and take into consideration local conditions. 

AB 1826 (Chesbro) – 
Request for Comments Current Spot Bill 

AB 1826, by Assembly Member Wes Chesbro, is a current spot bill but is the intended vehicle for legislation that would create an organics management plan. The author has shared draft language with CSAC that would require businesses that are large generators of food scraps or yard debris to sign up for separate collection and recycling for this material. CSAC is working with the author and other stakeholders to suggest language that would phase-in this requirement as the capacity and infrastructure for dealing with organic materials is not consistent throughout the state. More information on this bill will be included in future legislative bulletins. Please contact Cara Martinson at if you would like more information or would like to provide input into this process. 

AB 2390 (Muratsuchi) – 
Request for Comments As Introduced February 21, 2014 

AB 2390, by Assembly Member Al Muratsuchi, would require the Governor, by June 30, 2015, to designate a state agency to establish and administer a Low Carbon and Renewable Fuels Credit Reserve (Green Credit Reserve) to facilitate and encourage the development of renewable and low carbon transportation fuel projects in California by providing stability and predictability for the value of credits generated by the production of those fuels pursuant to the low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) and the federal renewable fuel standard (FRFS). There are currently several state goals that drive the development of alternative fuels in California. Executive Order S-1-07, the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (issued on January 18, 2007), calls for a reduction of at least 10 percent in the carbon intensity of California’s transportation fuels by 2020. It instructed the California Environmental Protection Agency to coordinate activities between the University of California, the California Energy Commission and other state agencies to develop and propose a draft compliance schedule to meet the 2020 target. In addition, there is current legislation (AB 1826) that would require the diversion of certain organic materials from our landfills, creating an opportunity to take this material and turn it into a renewable fuel through a conversion process. The bill would provide for the Green Credit Reserve to enter into specified contracts with developers of projects that are intended to produce renewable transportation fuels that qualify for state and federal low carbon or renewable fuel credits, and that will commit the Reserve to purchase the LCFS and RFS credits at a contracted price when the renewable fuel is produced. The Green Credit Reserve would act like a risk mitigation fund to provide certainty in the price of credits making financing of projects more reliable.

Agriculture

AB 1961 (Eggman) – Request Comments
As Introduced February 19, 2014

AB 1961, by Assembly Member Susan Eggman Talamantes, would require each county with significant agricultural land resources to develop, by January 1, 2018, a sustainable farmland strategy. The bill would require the Sustainable Farmland Strategy to include a map and inventory of all agriculturally zoned land within the county, a description of the goals, strategies, and related policies and ordinances to retain agriculturally zoned land, where practical, and mitigate the loss of agriculturally zoned land to nonagricultural uses or zones, and a page on the county’s Internet Web site with the relevant documentation.

The bill would also require the board of supervisors of each county to consult with their
cities and local agency formation commission (LAFCO) on the development of the sustainable farmland strategy. Counties will have the option of complying with the sustainable farmland strategy requirements by relying on existing inventories and maps of agricultural lands and existing goals, strategies and related policies that substantially comply with the provisions of the bill.

A county with less than 4 percent of its land use base in agriculture would be exempt from the bill’s provisions. According to the 2007 USDA Agricultural Census (the 2012 data will be released in May), four counties have less than 4 percent of their land base in agriculture. They are the counties of Alpine, Del Norte, and Mono and the City and County of San Francisco.

AB 1961 would also require the Office of Planning and Research (OPR), when it adopts its next edition of the general plan guidelines to include best practices that support agricultural land retention and mitigation, and recommendations on the role of LAFCO in the preservation of agriculturally zoned lands when considering annexations of agriculturally zoned lands into cities and service extensions onto agriculturally zoned lands.

AB 1961 is co-sponsored by the American Farmland Trust, California Climate and Agriculture Network, and the Community Alliance with Family Farmers. It has been double-referred to the Assembly Local Government Committee and the Assembly Agriculture Committee. The bill will likely be heard in early April.