2002 Annual Report: Cross-Media Coordination

In 2002, the Board invested considerable resources in issues and problems that bridge environmental strata and traditional agency responsibilities. Co-location with other Cal/EPA boards, departments, and offices is a significant contributing factor to this trend towards improved coordination on cross-media issues.

On this page...

• Environmental Justice
• Electronics Waste
• Nonpoint Source Pollution
• Biodiesel Fuel
• Organics Regulatory Issues
• Landfill Study
• Environmental Protection Indicators

Environmental Justice
The Cal/EPA external advisory committee on environmental justice is finalizing its recommendations on environmental justice strategies to the Cal/EPA interagency work group, as mandated by PRC 71113. The Board continues to participate in this process. A final draft is expected by early summer of 2003. At that time, staff will review and analyze gaps in Board program information and services. Staff will use the Cal/EPA strategy and recommendations to respond to those gaps. Additionally, Board legal staff is participating in the Cal/EPA legal framework task force formed in the fall of 2002. In conjunction with the interagency work group, the legal task force will identify legal impediments to implementing environmental justice tenets at the boards, departments, and offices of Cal/EPA.

In early 2002, California State University, Sacramento (CSUS) presented the results of a $35,000 Board-commissioned study on waste stream impacts on minority communities. The study provided the Board a better understanding of the cultural diversity of the state and the impact increasingly diverse communities can have on waste stream reduction and diversion programs.

In December 2002 the Board approved a $200,000 contract with CSUS to develop an environmental justice guide for local jurisdictions. The guide will identify service gaps and address enhanced recycling and collection of used oil and household hazardous waste programs in minority communities. This document will cover baseline siting requirements for local facilities and assessment efforts by local government programs for incorporation of environmental justice tenets. The document will identify underserved populations and provide successful program attributes for programs targeted to minority populations. This information will assist local government in delivering collection programs to meet the needs of their minority communities.

The Board also approved a $100,000 environmental justice study by the University of California, Santa Cruz, to assess methods of increasing public and community participation in Board processes. This study will identify the priorities of key community-based environmental justice organizations throughout California relative to the Board’s programs. The Board will also receive presentations by community-based groups and appropriate information on best environmental justice practices of federal, State, and local government and private businesses.

To provide Board members with background and context on environmental justice concerns, the Board in 2002 began incorporating information on environmental justice as a part of each item. Agenda items will now include a description of the community setting, including land uses, demographics, population density, and race and ethnic origin. Also covered will be known environmental justice issues in the area. Agenda items will also address efforts made by the Board and local government/project proponents to ensure accessibility to public information and technical assistance and meaningful participation in Board public meetings. Finally, each item will include a description of positive impacts of actions being proposed.

The Board conducted several workshops for local enforcement agencies (LEA) and industry representatives to foster greater awareness of environmental justice issues. In 2002, Board staff participated in training teams that educated all Cal/EPA staff on environmental justice issues. In the future, Cal/EPA training will focus on specific implementation issues within its boards, departments, and offices as needed.

Electronics Waste
The fastest growing component of the municipal waste stream, discarded electronic products (e-wastes), present challenges and opportunities for government and industry. E-waste generation is increasing due to advances in technology, reductions in price to consumers, and the general pervasiveness of electronic products in modern life. An estimated half-billion computers in the U.S. will become obsolete and require disposal options within the next five years.

The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) is revisiting regulatory issues associated with hazardous materials used in the manufacture of computers, monitors, and other consumer electronic devices. The Board has established an electronics Web site with up-to-date information on how to safely manage these materials for local government and California residents.

In 2002, the Board continued to focus on three major e-waste areas:

• Participating in the National Electronic Product Stewardship Initiative (NEPSI).
• Developing procurement, use, and end-of-life management guidelines to improve environmental performance of State agencies with regard to electronic equipment consumption.
• Improving information on reuse, recycling, and disposal options for e-waste, developing cost estimates to address local government needs, and presenting the information on the electronics Web site.

In a 2001 Board-commissioned baseline study to assess the scope of e-waste issues, the Board surveyed key stakeholder groups to determine the cost and breadth of services offered to the public. Groups surveyed included local governments, local enforcement agencies, and household hazardous waste facility operators. Coupled with full-day workshops held in northern and southern California, the information from the survey provided substantial data for the State in its continuing role in NEPSI.

The Board, with Cal/EPA and DTSC, participated in a 2002 hearing after the Governor vetoed two bills that would have established infrastructure and funding for e-waste recovery. Representatives from manufacturer, consumer, environmental, recycling, and local government groups also participated in the hearing.

In 2002, the Board focused on helping electronic equipment recycling businesses expand or build new facilities in California with its Recycling Market Development Zone (RMDZ) program and RMDZ loans. The Board assisted local efforts to collect e-waste through household hazardous waste grants.

In 2003, the Board will expand data collection and information dissemination efforts concerning e-waste issues and improve its electronic equipment reuse Web site. In addition, the Board will assist DTSC in training LEAs and Certified Unified Public Agencies (CUPA) about newly adopted universal waste regulations for e-waste and mercury.

Nonpoint Source Pollution
Nonpoint source pollution of surface and groundwaters remains a challenging environmental problem. The Board is addressing this problem by promoting sustainable landscaping and agricultural practices. These practices accomplish multiple cross-media objectives, including landfill diversion, increased efficiency of water use, erosion control, and decreased runoff. In addition, the Board is funding pilot stormwater cleanup projects that keep solid wastes out of waterways. In 2002, the Board completed the following tasks:

• Finalized publication of reports on two projects it sponsored to demonstrate the use of mulch in hillside vineyard erosion control. The project findings are available to vineyard operators and local governments around the state on the Board Web site. The brochure “Let’s Do Mulch in the Wine Country” (CIWMB Publication #442-02-011) summarizes one of these reports and is available by mail from the Board’s Publications Clearinghouse at www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Publications/.
• Worked with the City of Sacramento on the “North Natomas Landscape Plant Guidelines” to reduce green waste and prevent water pollution as part of a Pollution Prevention Incentives for States (PPIS) grant from the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Board also initiated a public outreach campaign on utilizing resource-efficient landscaping practices to protect water quality in the detention basins of the area.
• Participated in working groups on manure and biosolids management issues regarding nonpoint source pollution.
• Participated in an interagency coordinating committee to promote statewide consistency in implementing the Nonpoint Source Pollution Program Plan and encouraging the watershed approach in addressing nonpoint source pollution.
• Made presentations at Pesticide Applicators Professional Association (PAPA) seminars in Northern California on resource-efficient landscaping practices that reduce green waste, conserve water, and minimize nonpoint source pollution.

Biodiesel Fuel
Disposal of fats, oils, and grease is a waste of valuable resources, and it reduces landfill capacity. The use of biodiesel fuel reduces emissions of carbon monoxide, particulates, total hydrocarbons, and sulfates. In 2002, the Board funded a study examining the feasibility of converting grease trap waste generated at Yosemite National Park into biodiesel fuel for use in the park’s fleet of buses and other vehicles. The Board and the Air Resources Board (ARB) have developed an emissions testing plan for these vehicles that could involve the use of ARB testing equipment.

Organics Regulatory Issues
In 2002, the Board remained actively engaged in many key regulatory issues related to organic materials management. The Board responded to the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) proposed rule (PR) 1133 on composting. The Board coordinated compost facility emissions testing with industry; this proved essential in rule development. These efforts helped achieve a regulatory position with alternative control strategies in PR 1133 that protect the multimedia interests of both air quality and waste management. These efforts also maintain California diversion efforts to meet the Integrated Waste Management Act requirements. The Board is conducting additional tests and working with SCAQMD and industry to develop more cost-affordable ways to reduce air emissions through best management practices.

Continuing its lead role on organics regulatory issues, the Board worked with herbicide manufacturers, the composting industry, and the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) on the issue of persistent herbicides in compost. The Board and DPR cooperated with compost operators in 2002 to gather information about the potential effects of clopyralid on California compost markets. DPR is examining the information and will be pursuing regulatory changes to limit clopyralid use on lawn and turf. The Board and DPR continue to monitor long-lasting herbicide residues in compost to ensure that their use does not adversely impact diversion of organic materials in California.

The Board is also involved with the Sudden Oak Death Syndrome (SODS) issue in northern California. Staff participated in various task forces to make sure disposal and movement of organic materials are not interrupted and that markets for processed materials remain viable. The Board funded research to determine the effectiveness of composting as a method for disposing/treating SODS-contaminated material.

Landfill Study
The Board has completed an extensive databank on more than 240 existing facilities and posted it on online. The databank includes the physical features of each facility, the environmental protection systems in place, and their compliance with environmental requirements.

This follows a unique, cross-media study of municipal solid waste landfills in the state commissioned by the Board in 2000 to determine if existing regulations protect the environment in the short- and long-terms. The study is the most comprehensive inventory ever undertaken of California landfills. It involves multiple regulatory agencies and measures the overall environmental effects of solid waste disposal in California. A key objective of the report is to have a complete picture of current landfill performance.

The landfill study data is used to help analyze facility performance. A more detailed analysis of the design and operation of more than 50 landfills will also be completed later in 2003. This analysis will include sites that handled waste before federal regulatory changes in 1993, and it will assess the effectiveness of current regulations in controlling environmental impacts over time. Based upon these analyses, the study will recommend ways to improve landfill operations and ensure greater environmental protection.

The Board’s contractor, completed a review of regulations of other states and countries. The contractor also examined emerging waste disposal technologies that could lead to reforms in the way California manages the nearly 38 million tons of waste it landfills each year. The status of the study is available on the Board’s Web site.

Environmental Protection Indicators
The Environmental Protection Indicators for California (EPIC) project is a collaborative effort of the Cal/EPA, the Resources Agency, the Department of Health Services, and an external advisory group consisting of representatives from business, public interest groups, academia, and local government. Led by Cal/EPA’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, the project is responsible for developing and maintaining a set of “environmental indicators” for California that serve as a barometer of the state’s overall health. The Board has been involved with the EPIC project since 2001. The Board played a major part during the development phase and will continue its participation during the maintenance phase of the project.

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