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How do I find my jurisdiction's diversion rate?
There are two convenient ways to find a jurisdiction's performance. The Jurisdiction Diversion Rate Summary gives the
diversion rate performance and biennial review status for jurisdictions from 1995 to
present. California Waste Stream Profiles gives
diversion rates, disposal data, population, and other pertinent information about any
California jurisdiction.
How can I compare the diversion rate, biennial review status and program
implementation data for every jurisdiction in a county, in a region, or
statewide?
Easy! Just use the Board's new Countywide,
Regionwide
and Statewide Jurisdiction Diversion Progress Report, which provides both
summary and detailed information and can be customized by report year, by
diversion rate range or by biennial review status.
My jurisdiction isn't going to make its 50 percent
diversion goal. Are we going to be fined?
Not necessarily. The Board considers every jurisdiction's unique situation when
evaluating diversion performance. The Board looks closely at each jurisdiction's
efforts to implement its solid
waste planning documents, to implement waste reduction and diversion programs, and
even looks at its finances to find evidence of a "good faith" effort to meet the 50
percent diversion goal (Public Resources Code [PRC] Section
41850 (b) and (d)). Please see the enforcement
guidelines to learn about the criteria the Board uses when conducting
performance evaluations and considering fines.
My jurisdiction has improved its diversion
performance, but won't make 50 percent by 2000. How do I apply for an extension or
an alternative diversion requirement?
The Board has developed specific instructions for
jurisdictions needing a time extension or an alternative diversion requirement. To
qualify, jurisdictions must fill out an application, justify the need, and appear before the
Board. Close coordination with your representative from the Board's
local assistance staff is important.
What happens after the year 2000? Do jurisdictions still
have to file annual reports and divert 50 percent of their waste in 2001 and
beyond?
On Sept. 25, 2000, Governor Davis signed SB 2202 which extends the 50 percent diversion mandate for all California jurisdictions
for all reporting years after 2000. The
law makes a number of other amendments to the Integrated Waste Management Act.
Existing law requires each jurisdiction to file an annual report with the
Board by
August 1 of every year following the approval of its planning documents.
My jurisdiction already filed its annual report. Why
do we need a biennial review?
The annual report is a jurisdiction's self-evaluation of its performance (PRC
Section 41821). The biennial review
is the Board's evaluation of the jurisdiction's performance (PRC
Section 41825). The Board may come to a different conclusion than the
jurisdiction, based on its evaluation of all the evidence.
My jurisdiction has a negative diversion rate. How
is that possible?
Negative diversion rates, which occur when waste disposal exceeds waste generation, are
most often caused by inaccurate base-year numbers. Although disasters, new industries, and
disposal reporting problems may all cause the diversion rate calculation to go awry, an
inaccurate base year is the most likely cause for a negative
diversion rate. The best way to correct a base-year problem is to perform a new generation study and
apply for a new base year.
Can't we just correct our old base year?
Only if your base year is less than three years old. The Board no longer accepts
applications to correct base years older than 1997 due to the inherent
inaccuracies in data that old (see the
Board's policy).
List of Questions
Why is there so much variation between my
jurisdiction's maximum and minimum diversion rates?
Diversion rate calculations adjust a jurisdiction's base-year generation
using changes in population,
employment, and
inflation-adjusted
taxable sales. Some factors are available for an individual city; others
are only available countywide, statewide, or for a standard metropolitan area. A jurisdiction's diversion rate may increase or decrease based upon different
combinations of these factors. In cases where economic conditions vary greatly between the
jurisdiction and an economic or demographic reporting area—for instance a fast-growing
city in a slow-growing county--the range between maximum and minimum diversion rates
expands.
Where do the adjustment factors for a
jurisdiction come from, and how do I look at the ones for my jurisdiction?
The Board gets adjustment factor data from other State and federal agencies which collect demographic and
economic data. Our adjustment method factors
page explains it all. To locate the numbers for any jurisdiction, just go to our Default Adjustment Factors query page.
How do I find the base year for a jurisdiction?
Use the Jurisdiction Diversion Rate Summary.
After selecting your jurisdiction, click on the biennial review status or the
diversion rate calculator and it will show the base year.
How do I count transformation in the year 2000?
Beginning January 1, 2000, jurisdictions that deliver solid waste to a Board-permitted
transformation facility (but do not host the facility), may count transformation as
diversion if no biomass
diversion credit is claimed. This credit can count toward a maximum of 10 percent of the jurisdiction's
50 percent diversion goal, the remaining 40 percent must be source reduction,
recycling and composting, as
reported in their Annual Report diversion rate calculations. Material delivered for
transformation, but salvaged before transformation, may be subtracted from waste tonnage
delivered. None of the ash resulting from combustion of the waste is assigned to a
"deliverer" jurisdiction as disposal or diversion. For a more detailed
explanation, please download the Board's agenda
item. (Caution: large file--Microsoft Word 97/2000, 5.8 MB).
My jurisdiction's five-year review is coming up. Do
we have to rewrite our SRRE?
Only if your Local Task Force (LTF) determines that your Source Reduction and Recycling
Element (SRRE) is outdated or inadequate. State law requires jurisdictions to review
their SRRE five years after Board approval of the jurisdiction's original planning documents (PRC
Section 41770).
The outcome of the LTF's SRRE review, whether or not changes are recommended, should
be reported to the county or regional agency and to the Board. In July
2000, the Board sent a memo to all jurisdictions regarding the five-year revision
process. Furthermore, the Board is developing a model SRRE for those jurisdictions
contemplating a major revision. Check with your representative in the
Board's local assistance staff for more information.
What are the benefits of forming a regional agency?
The most tangible benefit is that by combining their reporting obligations,
jurisdictions forming a regional agency
reduce their collective paperwork and regulatory burdens (PRC
Section 40970). Combining many agencies into one decreases the complexity of
disposal reporting and reduces the chances of DRS waste allocation errors. Other
benefits may be even more substantial. For instance, jurisdictions joined in a
regional agency may be more inclined to work together to solve regional problems and build
a viable regional waste reduction infrastructure. Also, regional agencies can offer
economies of scale not available to smaller jurisdictions. Last, but far
from least, some jurisdictions may experience an increased diversion rate as a
result of joining a regional agency.
List of Questions
Does the Board track per-capita waste generated and disposed
for jurisdictions?
Information about per capita disposal can be found in California
Waste Stream Profiles. Due to the complexity of local waste streams and
California’s goal measurement system, determining per-capita generation and disposal is
complicated. Currently, the Board is exploring methods to determine these and other
indicators of jurisdictions’ efforts to reduce the amount of waste generated and
disposed.
How is per-capita waste disposal estimated?
The current method of estimating residential per-capita disposal is to
divide residential disposal by population. The Board estimates residential disposal by
multiplying total disposal (from the Disposal Reporting
System) by the jurisdiction’s base-year residential percentage of generation.
Exercise caution when using this method; some jurisdictions’ base years are ten years
old, and the residential percentages may have changed since then.
Using the Waste Characterization database, we
derive estimates for per-employee disposal by multiplying the total
number of employees in each business group by the disposal rate for that business group.
Then, we add the disposal for all business groups and divide the sum by the total number
of employees in the jurisdiction. For a more detailed explanation of how this is done,
please see Waste Characterization. Another method of estimating per-employee disposal is
by dividing non-residential
waste disposed by the number of employees in the jurisdiction.
The Board estimates
nonresidential disposal by multiplying total disposal (from the Disposal Reporting System) by the jurisdiction’s base
year nonresidential percentage of generation. As above, exercise caution when using this method;
some jurisdictions’ base years are 10 years old and the nonresidential percentages may
have changed.
The Board may also use disposal per $100 taxable sales as an indicator of
nonresidential waste. This works best for jurisdictions which have relatively few
businesses that do not generate taxable sales, but do generate waste. (Examples of these
types of businesses include hospitals, manufacturing and processing industries, and
prisons. In these cases, per employee disposal may be a better indicator in the
nonresidential sector.)
Where do I find out about grants that may be available
for my jurisdiction?
The Board's Web site specifically addresses the many
types of grants which are available.
How can I get a list of the jurisdictions
operating a certain
type of program?
Check our "PARIS" database. The report is called "Statewide Occurrence of Operating Diversion
Programs." Selecting the type of program and the year generates a list of
subcategories and numbers. Selecting the number gives the names of the
jurisdictions operating those programs.
I need help filling out Board forms, understanding the
Integrated Waste Management Act, or implementing programs. Who can help me?
Your local assistance staff representative
can either help you, or find the correct Board staff to respond to your
questions or concerns.
What is the easiest way to find information on Local
Government Central?
You may wish to use our LGCentral search page,
index or
site map.
Local Government Central
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