Local Government Construction and Demolition (C&D) Guide

Onsite Practices

This section of a construction and demolition (C&D) ordinance usually contains a statement that the applicant will meet the required diversion rate. It also details the role of the compliance official and usually states that this official will evaluate and may monitor each project. You may want to include in this section what the compliance official’s allowed review time of a submitted waste management plan (WMP) will be, including onsite visits, and whether failure of the compliance official to complete the review within that time period leads to approval by default. Some jurisdictions have opted to include that information on their website or in literature describing the compliance process.

Some jurisdictions have also included in their “Onsite Practices” section, language specifically related to onsite source separation and salvaging of materials. The Town of Atherton’s is a good example:

“During the term of the demolition or construction project, the contractor shall recycle or divert the required percentages of materials, and keep records thereof in tonnage or in other measurements approved by the Building Department that can be converted to tonnage. The Building department will evaluate and monitor each project to gauge the percentage of materials recycled, salvaged and disposed from the project. The required diversion of a minimum of the required percentages of the demolition and construction debris will be measured separately with respect to the demolition segment and the construction segment of a project where both demolition and construction are involved. To the maximum extent feasible, on-site separation of scrap wood and clean green waste in a designated debris box or boxes shall be arranged, in order to permit chipping and mulching for soil enhancement or land cover purposes. In order to protect chipping and grinding machinery, metal and other materials which cannot be chipped or ground shall not be placed in such boxes. On-site separation shall be undertaken for wallboard to the extent feasible on new construction.”

In addition, some jurisdictions, like the Town of Atherton, also include a section specific to deconstruction, salvage, and recovery in their ordinance, that specifically allows for recovering or salvaging activities. For example:

“Recovered or salvaged designated recyclables and reusable materials may be given away or sold on the premises, or may be removed to reuse warehouse facilities for storage or sale.”

C&D Diversion Guide Home | Reporting>>

Last updated: November 01, 2007