Solid Waste Department

(from an April 12, 2013 staff memo to the Board of Directors)

1.       Solid Waste Department
Big objectives for 1, 5, and 10 years were created in preparation for the drafting of the next 5-year Strategic Plan, which was worked on at the 2-day Department Heads Workshop.  A six-month evaluation was completed for the Solid Waste Program Intern.
 

2.       Benchmark Information Fee
As discussed at the April Board Meeting, staff has been following how the Alameda County Waste Management Authority (ACWMA) has been handling the implementation of the July 1, 2013 Benchmark Information Fee.  A memo from the ACWMA Executive Director for the April 24thACWMA Board meeting has been included as an attachment.  The outcome of this meeting will determine how staff and WMAC will approach addressing the administration of the fee on customer bills.
 

3.       Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Facility Fee
The ACWMA and HHW Facility are considering a fee per account to support the continuation (or expansion) of HHW services at Alameda County facilities.  A memo was to be delivered to ACWMA Committees on April 11thand TAC was to receive it the same day.  This memo will lay out final options and costs.  Cost options will most likely not include the “by dwelling unit” option since SWO legal counsel has stated that varying levels of occupancy would create a problem.  According to StopWaste, the only option may be the small/medium/large account structure that the benchmark fee has.  A per ton cost method could be a potential option as well but this has not been proposed or discussed yet.  The item will be at the May WMA meeting and may be carried over to June.
 

4.       Legislative Updates
Updates have been included as an attachment.
 

5.       WMAC - CVSan Update

Monthly Coordination Meeting:  A meetingwas held on March 26th; meeting minutes will be included in the May Board packet.

Contract & Rate Amendment 6:  The final Rate and Contract Amendments effective July 1, 2013 will be included in the May Board packet along with the Ordinances.  A public hearing will be conducted at the May Board meeting

6.       Multi-Family Recycling

Monthly outreach and site visits to multi-family dwellings continues in coordination with the WMAC Recycling Coordinator (RC).  Staff and the WMAC RC have a goal to start a food scrap recycling program at ten (10) multi-family complexes by June 30th.  In March, three multi-family complexes requested food scrap pails and outreach material to start food scrap recycling programs. 

7.       Commercial Recycling

Recycling & Organics:With the assistance of the WMAC Recycling Coordinator provided assistance with set-up, training, and donations of signs and bins for recycling services for the following businesses Eden Bicycles, Chef Express, and Capers.  With CVSan assistance, the following businesses started recycling programs: Bank of the West, USA Kung Fu Studio, and 76 Gas Station.  China Bowl added organics services.  Willow Park Events Center added recycling and organics, and reduced garbage services. 

4R Business, 4R Planet: A total of 6 new businesses signed up for the 4R Business, 4R Planet program in March.  Castro Valley Unified School District, Don Jose’s Restaurant, Aroma Cuisine of India, Aran’s Art Studio, Faith Lutheran Church, and China Bowl now join 44 other businesses in Castro Valley that are part of the program.  See the entire list of “4R Stars” at www.cvsan.org/4RStarDirectory.  

8.       School Programs

Waste Audits:  A press release detailing the 2012-13 waste audit program was submitted.

4Rs Field Trips:18 4Rs Field Trips have successfully been completed.  Two 3rdgrade classes have submitted thank you letters to CVSan. 

9.       Canyonlands Recycling
Solid Waste Committee reviewed two options at the March meeting for continuing pursuit of garbage and recycling services for the Castro Valley Canyonlands residents, and recommended that staff pursue Option 1, a Memorandum of Understanding between CVSan, the County of Alameda, and WMAC.  Staff will begin meeting with WMAC, and has set up a stakeholder meeting with a few Canyonlands residents.

10.     Street Cans/Recycling Pyramids and Maintenance Partnership

Staff completed an audit of Castro Valley street cans this month.  Graffiti and stickers continue to plague many street cans.  Staff is planning to monitor the usage cans that are repeat targets for graffiti and stickers in the summer months and will determine in early Fall 2013 if any cans need to be moved or removed from the streets.

11.     Used Oil Recycling Grant

Staff is editing the first cut of the Used Oil CVTV advertisement.  The 2013 Spring Used Oil Filter Exchange Program will take place from April 27 – June 7. 

12.     Castro Valley Forum Advertisements

Five (5) CVSan ads ran in the Forum during February: (2) ads promoting CVSan’s Earth Day Clean-Up and Recycles Day Event; (1) ad providing recycling reminders for single- and multi-family households; (1) ad explaining CVSan’s FOG Canister Recall; and (1) ad recognizing 4R businesses.

13.     Pipeline Newsletter

The Spring 2013 Pipeline (to reach the community in May) is now in draft form and being reviewed by staff.  Summer 2013 Pipeline planning will begin in April.

14.     Community Advisory Committee (CAC)

The CAC met on March ­­­­­­14, and discussed the following: 2013 volunteer opportunity event signups, the 2013 Rowell Ranch Rodeo Parade theme, use of the Waste Management service credit, the Sewer System Maintenance Plan (SSMP), the draft CVSan 75thAnniversary logo, Pumps and Pump Maintenance Tours, and the Wastewater Rate Study.

15.     Website/Social Media

During the month of March, there were 12 social media posts pertaining to the Department’s programs and 0 photos posted to Facebook and Twitter sites during the month.  Most of the posts continue to promote messages from the weekly Castro Valley Forum ads and various departmental programs. 

16.     CastroValleyTV.Com Videos and Web-Based Advertisements

The second and third of 6 videos and web-based advertisements is underway, with the theme of School Programs and Food Scrap Recycling.  An upcoming video includes the Department’s mission and programs.

17.     Earth Day: Clean-Up & Recycle

Clean-Up:The Clean-Up will be held from 9:00 a.m. – noon on Saturday, April 27th.  A total of 13 schools are participating in addition to the five public sites.  Online registration opened on February 22ndthand includes selection of one of five charities in lieu of event t-shirts.  School volunteers will select their charity of choice on the day of the event.  A free continental breakfast will be provided for all event volunteers.  Eleven event sponsors / donors have been confirmed.

Recycle: Staffing has been finalized, training session and FAQ sheets are prepared, marquee posting were done the week of April 8, and new this year: flyers are being delivered to multi-family dwellings.

18.     Rowell Ranch Rodeo Parade
The theme for the 2013 Rowell Ranch Rodeo Parade is “Used motor oil gets dirty, but it never wears out”.  Float and sign ideas have been drafted to incorporate this theme.    

19.     Event Greening
Staff continues to finalize the Events Greening Guide entitled “How Can We Green Events The 4Rs Way?”  The guide, which incorporates Solid Waste Committee, CAC, and staff comments, will be reviewed by the Public Relations Committee in April.  The guide is intended to serve as a quick 4-step tool to provide Castro Valley events with the information needed to green their events, and encourages events to seek CVSan expertise and resources.  CVSan is working on greening the 2013 Run to the Lake event.

20.     Pharmaceutical Drop-Box Collection

The collection box at Eden Medical Center has now been collected 32 times since it opened in September 2011.  The average weight of collection is 52 pounds. 

21.     Countywide Reusable Bag Ordinance
StopWaste.Org reports that the implementation of the ordinance is going very well with a small number of calls and very minor issues found during enforcement with stores.  The next CVSan reusable bag give away will be at the Castro Valley Farmer’s Market in May with over 300 bags to be given out.

22.     Community Group Outreach: LeaR4n

On April 9th, 10 registrants attended the Earth Day and Bay-Friendly Gardening workshop at the CVSan offices on Marshall Street.

23.     Donation Requests

Staff processed 13 Donation Request Forms (see Donation Request Report for details) for the community totaling $3,305.00 during the month of March. 

24.     Zero Waste
The Zero Waste Survey Results Memo was presented to the Solid Waste Committee during the March meeting.  Staff will utilize the results in development of CVSan’s future Zero Waste Plan FY 2013/14.

25.     Training

The Department attended the Northern California Recycling Association’s Recycling Update on March 19th.  The Solid Waste Supervisor attended the Liebert Cassidy Whitmore Employment Law Annual Conference on March 21-22nd, and the Solid Waste Specialist attended the BioCycle Conference on April 9-10th.

 

Month 2013	Franchise Fees Received	New Res Pack Sent	Bag-Its Sold	Paper Garden Bags Sold	Service Referral	Used Oil Resi
Jan	$67,066.96	53	15	4	5	4
Feb	$51,643.62	38	10	5	5	7
Mar	$148,910.81	52	3	4	1	19
TOTAL
2013	$267,621.39	143	15	13	11	30
2012	$1,018,905.30	799	198	110	92	78
2011	$980,417.43	579	195	135	150	83
2010	$920,986.76	671	205	96	187	100
2009	$777,740.14	544	277	159	743	215
2008	$608,998.07	446	374	149	136	137

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2012 Legislative Update & Priority (from Californians Against Waste (CAW), California Resource Recovery Association (CRRA), Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) and StopWaste.Org)

CAW:

SB 1219 (Wolk) Plastic Bag Recycling
Summary. SB 1219 proposes to extend the sunset of AB 2449 (Levine) which mandates plastic bag recycling at supermarkets.

Position and Status. CAW is watching.

 

SB 1159 (Calderon) Plastic Bag Recycling

Summary. SB 1159 would create the Plastic Bag Reduction and Recycling Act.

Position and Status.

 

AB 1442 (Wieckowski) Pharmaceutical Waste Hauling

Summary.AB 1442 allows for medical waste generators to apply for waste hauling exemptions in transporting pharmaceutical waste.

Position and Status.CAW is watching.

AB 1442 is scheduled for a hearing in the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials committee on March 20.

 

AB 1834 (Brownley) - Reusable Bag Definition

Summary. AB 1834 would add a reusable bag definition to the Public Resources Code.

Position and Status.CAW Supports.

AB 1834 is currently in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

 

AB 1647 (Gordon) - Tires

Summary.Increases the enforcement of existing tire hauling and manifesting laws to prevent the illegal export of waste tires.

Position and Status.

Support. Scheduled to be heard in Assembly Natural Resources Committee on March 26.

 

AB 298 (Brownley) - Reusable Bag Bill

Summary. AB 298 prohibits manufacturers from selling or distributing reusable bags to customers unless they meet certain requirements.

Position and Status.CAW Supports.

AB 298 may be acted upon this year. It is currently in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee after passing the Assembly Floor on 4/28, 49-25.

 

AB 960 (Bonnie Lowenthal) - E-waste Export

Summary.AB 960 will help reduce the export of electronic waste overseas.

Position and Status.CAW Supports.

AB 960 was held in Senate Appropriations and is now a 2 year bill.

 

SB 568 (Lowenthal) - Polystyrene Food Containers

Summary.SB 568 prohibits food vendors from dispensing cooked food in polystyrene foam or styrofoam containers.

Position and Status. CAW Supports.

SB 568 is inactive on the Assembly floor but eligible to be voted on this year.

 

SB 589 (Lowenthal) - Fluorescent Light Recycling

Summary.SB 589 would establish a product stewardship program for mercury-containing lamps.

Position and Status. Watch. SB 589 is now a 2-year bill.

 

AB 1933 (Gordon) - Bottle Bill Enforcement

Summary.This bill is an enforcement bill to reduce fraud from recyclers attempting to import and redeem beverage containers in CA. This measure would lower the load limit a person can import beverage containers into the state before reporting to CalRecycle, and also requires documentation of the source and destination of the material.

Position and Status.

Support. AB 1933 is scheduled to be heard in Assembly Natural Resources Committee 3/26

 

AB 341 (Chesbro) - Jobs and Recycling

Summary.AB 341 would create green jobs by expanding recycling to every multi-family dwelling and business and would charge CalRecycle with the responsibility for ensuring that the state is recycling at least 75% of the garbage that it generates by 2020.

Position and Status.

CAW Supports.

UPDATE! Governor Brown Signed AB 341!

 

AB 1149 (Gordon and Wieckowski) - Recycled Plastic Market Development

Summary.AB 1149 would extend a January 1, 2012 sunset for the Plastic Market Development program to continue investment in California’s plastics recycling and manufacturing infrastructure. It would also authorize CalRecycle to ‘reinvest’ up to 50% of savings from an anticipated drop in PET processing fee offsets back into Plastic Market Development Payments.

Position and Status.CAW-sponsored.

UPDATE: Governor Brown Signed AB 1149!

 

AB 583 (Knight) - Consolidate E-waste Program

Summary. consolidate the E-waste program by transfering DTSC powers to CalRecycle.

Position and Status. Watch. This bill died in the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials committee.

 

AB 1019 (Perez) - Carpet Stewardship

Summary. would reenact AB 2398, the Carpet Stewardship Bill passed last year.

Position and Status. CAW Supports. AB 1019 is still alive from last year.

 

AB 1178 (Ma) - Prohibition on Local Disposal Limits

Summary. AB 1178 prohibits local governments from limiting disposal of imported waste.

Position and Status. CAW Opposes.

AB 1178 is in Senate Environmental Quality Committee and will be eligible to be heard this year.

 

AB 812 (Ma) - Recycled Concrete and Asphalt

Summary. AB 812 would increase the allowable amount of recycled asphalt pavement used by CalTrans to 50%.

Position and Status. CAW Supports. AB 812 is currently in the Senate Transportation and Housing committee.

 

SB 833 (Vargas) - Gregory Canyon Landfill

Summary. SB 833 would have limited the building of landfills that are within a specific distance of a San Diego waterway or Native American sacred site. Specifically, this legislation would have applied to the proposed Gregory Canyon Landfill.

Position and Status. CAW Supports.

Governor Brown vetoed SB 833.  Read the veto message.

 

SB 489 (Wolk) - Net Energy Metering

Summary. SB 489 will foster the development of anaerobic digesters and other small renewable energy projects by allowing them to be included in the state's Net Energy Metering program.

Position and Status. CAW Supports.

SB 489 was signed by the Governor.

 

AB 408 (Wieckowski) - Paint and Used Oil Recycling

Summary.AB 408 provides regulatory reform to make paint and used oil recycling easier.

Position and Status.CAW Supports.

AB 408 was signed into law by the Governor.

 

AB 794 (Wieckowski) - Strengthening CA's Landmark E-waste Law

Summary.AB 794 would close a loophole in current e-waste law and protect the state against frivolous lawsuit.

Position and Status.CAW Supports.

AB 794 is heading to the Senate Floor.*update: AB 794 was gutted and amended and is now local facility bonds.

 

SB 419 (Simitian) - Home-Generated Medical Sharps

Summary. SB 419 requires medical sharps manufacturers to improve electronic access to their annual sharps disposal reports.

Position and Status. CAW Supports.

SB 419 is in the Assembly Appropriations committee and eligible to be heard this year.

 

SB 915 (Calderon) - Plastic Carryout Bags

Summary. SB 915 mandates reduced plastic bag use and establishes a schedule of required recycled content in plastic bags, including both post consumer content and post-industrial content.

Position and Status. CAW was watching this bill. It was pulled from Senate Environmental Quality Committee on 5/2 and is no longer active.

 

AB 921 (Allen) - Compost Study Bill

Summary. AB 921 directs the state to measure the significant agricultural water efficiency benefits of applying compost to croplands.

Position and Status. CAW Supports. AB 921 was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on 5/27 and is now a dead bill.

 

AB 525 (Gordon) - Tire Recycling

SummaryAB 525 (Gordon) extends CalRecycle's successful Rubberized Asphalt Concrete tire recycling program.

Position and StatusCAW Supports. AB 525 just passed both houses and was signed into law by Governor Brown on October 8, 2011.

 

AB 34 (Williams) Compost Infrastructure Development

Summary. AB 34 targets the most prevalent items in our waste stream by encouraging the development of compost facilities to recycle organic materials.

Position and Status. CAW Supports.

AB 34 was held in Assembly Appropriations Committee and is now dead.

 

SB 567 (DeSaulnier) - Truthful Environmental Advertising in Plastics

Summary.SB 567 expands the scope of current plastic end-of-life claim labeling requirements from bags and food packaging to all plastic products.

Position and Status.

CAW Supports.

UPDATE: Governor Brown signed SB 567!

 

AB 818 (Blumenfield) - Renter's Right to Recycle Act

Summary.AB 818, the Renter's Right to Recycle Act, provides a residential recycling opportunity for more than 7.1 million Californians residing in more than 2.4 million multifamily dwelling units.

Position and Status.  CAW Supports.

AB 818 passed the legislature and was signed in to law by Governor Jerry Brown.

 

SB 515 (Corbett) Household Battery Recycling Bill

Summary.Product stewardship for household batteries

Position and Status. CAW Supports.

SB 515 was held in the Senate Appropriations Committee and is now a dead bill. Previously, it passed out of Senate Environmental Quality Committee  4/4/2011 with a 5-2 vote.

 

CRRA:

 

Bill #	Author	Subject Note: CRRA positions are subject to change based on changes to legislative text.	CRRA Position
AB 298	Brownley	Would require reusable bags are made from materials that can be cleaned and disinfected; bags may not contain lead, cadmium, or any other heavy metal in toxic amounts.	Support
AB 34	Williams	Spot bill potentially for compost use issue.	Watch
AB 341	Chesbro	Mandate local govs provide recycling program for businesses with >4 yards of weekly garbage/recycling services, and potentially all multi family residences;  Increase AB 939 waste diversion mandate from 50% to 75% by 2020; Ease review process for local nondisposal facility element (NDFE); Change submission deadline for local diversion mandate reports to May 1.	Support
AB 525	Gordon	Would extend for 5 years tire recycling grant program that would otherwise expire this year.	Support
AB 818	Blumenfield	Would enact the Renters’ Right to Recycle Act would require MFD owners to arrange for recycling services.	Support
AB 900	Swanson	Require schools to provide recycling and composting bins, but says nothing about provision of recycling collection services.	Watch
AB 921	Allen	Would enact the Agriculture Water Efficiency with Compost Use and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act of 2011, requiring CalRecycle in consultation with UC to measure agricultural water efficiency resulting from the use of compost.	Support
AB 960	Bonnie Lowenthal	Would require recyclers to conform their export practices as a condition of receiving existing payments under California’s Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003.	Support
AB 1149	Gordon and Wieckowski	Would extend for 5 years the Plastic Market Development program that would otherwise expire 1/1/12.	Support
SB 515	Corbett	Establish a product stewardship program for household batteries including rechargeable and single-use alkaline batteries.	Support
SB 567	DeSaulnier	Would prohibit misleading labeling of plastic products such as “biodegradable” on plastic products.	Support
SB 568	Lowenthal	Would prohibit use of polystyrene foam food takeout containers, including clamshells, cups and bowls.	Support
SB 915	Calderon	Would suspend local plastic bag ordinances and prohibit local governments from enacting plastic bag bans or fees on plastic bags. Would also establish a mandatory recycled content in plastic bags (Year 1 - 5% PC; Year 2 – 7% PC; Year 3 – 10% PC), increase funding for recycling education, and establish incentives for consumers to return or recycle plastic bags.	Oppose
		Watch List
AB 204	Halderman	Sales and use taxes exemption for biomass energy production	Watch
AB 712	Williams	Convenience Zone recyclers	Watch
AB 768	Gatto	WTE	Watch
AB 812	Ma	Use of recycled concrete and asphalt by CalTrans	Watch
AB 1019	Perez	Carpet	Watch
AB 1178	Ma	Spot	Watch
SB 41	Yee	Sharps	Watch
SB 419	Simitian	Sharps	Watch
SB 457	Huff	Curbside collection of HHW	Watch
SB 518	Simitian	Bottle Bill	Watch
SB 589	Lowenthal	Spot	Watch
SB 771	Kehoe	LFG to energy	Watch
SB 833	Vargas	Spot	Watch
SB 932	Leno	Spot	Watch

 

SWANA: http://www.swananorcal.org/downloads/SWANA%20LTF%20Newsletter%20October%202011.pdf

 

StopWaste.Org: http://www.stopwaste.org/docs/pa_leg_update_10-13-11.pdf

 

top