infoCycling, January 2000

In this issue:

• On the Web

• Grants Available

• Disposal Reporting Hearing

• Legislation Update

• Successful Programs Implemented

• Environmental Education

• Editor's Note

On the Web...Easy access to WasteLine and InfoCycling

WasteLine on the Web--A Customer Service Tool

WasteLine's main goal is to provide customers with useful, reliable, current information about California's solid waste stream. Some services WasteLine provides are:

• Custom reports from the disposal reporting system (DRS) and planning annual report information system (PARIS) databases.

• Solid waste information for cities, counties, regions, and statewide.

• Help in understanding the diversion rate measurement system and the Board-approved adjustment method.

For additional specialized reports or information, please e-mail WasteLine staff at wasteline@ciwmb.ca.gov, or call (916) 341-6675. Someone should contact you by the next business day. WasteLine will be available on our Web site in early February at www.ciwmb.ca.gov/LGCentral/WasteLine/.

infoCycling on the Web--The newsletter for local Government

infoCycling provides information on time- and cost-reducing tools that can assist you in evaluating your current diversion performance. Past issues of infoCycling were downloadable from our Web site, in Microsoft Word (.doc) format. However, starting with the October 1999 issue, this quarterly newsletter can now be viewed on line. You may also choose to download this and future versions in Adobe Acrobat format (.pdf).

On our infoCycling page, we have provided links for you to access the newsletter online, to download it, or download viewers if you need them (e.g., if you do not have Microsoft Office programs but want to download infoCycling in that format).

Other Web Pages Planned

Expect new and revised Web pages to be featured in upcoming issues of infoCycling! We are looking forward to providing you with Web pages on these and other topics in 2000: goal measurement, the uniform disposal characterization method, uniform material type definitions, biomass diversion credit toward the 50 percent goal, transformation diversion credit toward the 50 percent goal, and conducting a diversion study.

If you have questions about current or anticipated Web pages on the Board’s local government Web site, please contact Larry Stephens at (916) 341-6241 or lstephen@ciwmb.ca.gov.

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$1.3 million in new grants available

New grants in the amount of $1.3 million will be available for jurisdictions to apply for in late March of 2000. For additional information and grant applications, check the Board's Web site at www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Grants/, or contact the staff person listed below in March 2000.

• $250,000 for Recycled—Content Building Products in School Construction
  Contact: Rebecca Smith—(916) 341-6620, rsmith@ciwmb.ca.gov

• $200,000 for Deconstruction Grants for Local Governments
  Contact: Francisco Gutterres—(916) 341-6493, fgutterr@ciwmb.ca.gov

• $350,000 for Green Building Design and Construction Project Grants
  Contact: Rebecca Smith—(916)  341-6620, rsmith@ciwmb.ca.gov

• $500,000 for Sustainable Building Grants for Low/Moderate Income Housing
  Contact: Rebecca Smith—(916)  341-6620, rsmith@ciwmb.ca.gov

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Board holds hearing on disposal reporting

On November 17, 1999, the Board held a special hearing on the disposal reporting system. The purpose of the hearing was to obtain input on disposal reporting issues and successful solutions from representatives of local government, the waste industry, and the public.

With four complete years of reported disposal data, the Board and local governments have acquired a better picture of disposal activities in California. We know that waste flow varies from week to week and year to year, and from one facility to another. We also know that wastes from a jurisdiction may go to many landfills and to different landfills at different times, and a waste collector may haul refuse to many landfills in many counties.

Since disposal numbers are used by jurisdictions when calculating diversion rates, accuracy of disposal numbers is critical. To assure jurisdictions succeed in accurately representing their diversion program success, more work needs to be done in the areas of obtaining accurate data and information.

To help meet this need, the Board invited four panels to discuss issues and solutions for specific topics. Representatives from local government, the waste industry, consulting firms, and environmental groups were invited to participate as panelists. The panels covered the following topic areas, where data accuracy has been an issue:

• Self-haul—Residential and commercial waste delivered by someone other than a franchise hauler; may be an issue with identifying jurisdiction of origin.

• Specific system data gaps—Tons exported from California; landfills without scales; regional resolution of errors in allocation to jurisdictions; lack of information from all participants in the waste management system.

• Allocation to jurisdictions—Frequency of surveys; allocation of tons processed at material recovery facilities; host jurisdiction issues.

• Special waste types—Base year versus current reporting of Class II waste (as defined by regional water quality control boards); construction and demolition waste and inerts; alternative daily cover use and tracking.

Audience members were also invited to comment and provide input.

The Board is reviewing the comments from the hearing and will use them when considering any future modifications to the disposal reporting system.

A summary of the comments from the hearing will be provided to attendees, jurisdictions, and interested parties in early 2000.

For more information about the disposal reporting system or the hearing, please contact Denise Hume at (916) 341-6242 or dhume@ciwmb.ca.gov.

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Legislation update:

AB 75 Changes--State Agency and Community Service District

AB 75 (Strom-Martin, 1999) took effect on January 1, 2000. This bill added new provisions to the Public Resources Code (PRC), mandating that State agencies develop and implement an integrated waste management plan (IWMP); it also mandated that community service districts providing solid waste services report disposal and diversion information to the city, county, or regional agency in which the community service district is located.

State Agency Requirements

AB 75 requires each State agency or large State facility (State universities, community colleges, prisons within the Department of Corrections, facilities of the Department of Transportation, and any other agencies identified by the Board) to develop an integrated waste management plan by July 1, 2000; to divert at least 25 percent of its solid waste from landfills or transformation facilities by January 1, 2002; and to divert 50 percent by January 1, 2004.

Specifically, several of the new PRC sections (40148, 40196.3, and 42920-42926) require State agencies to:

• Develop and submit an IWMP to the Board by July 15, 2000.

• Divert at least 25 percent of their solid waste from landfills or transformation facilities by January 1, 2002, and divert 50 percent by January 1, 2004. This definition also requires that large State facilities such as prisons and State and community colleges submit an annual report on the previous year’s diversion amounts and activities by April 1 of each subsequent year; the first annual report is due April 1, 2002.

• Use the model IWMP, developed by the Board, if the State agency has not submitted a plan by January 1, 2001, or if the plan submitted was not approved by the Board.

• Notify the Board if they are unable to comply with the requirements and to request alternative requirements or time extensions. The Board then determines whether to grant the alternative requirements or time extensions or whether to require the State agency to resubmit its notification within a certain period of time.

Additionally, AB 75 requires the Board to:

• Develop and adopt a model State agency IWMP by February 15, 2000.

• Develop and adopt requirements by February 15, 2000, relative to adequate space for collecting, storing, and loading recyclable materials in State buildings.

• Complete the review of the State agency IWMPs by January 1, 2001.

• Establish and implement a waste reduction award program for State agencies and large State facilities that develop, adopt, and implement an innovative and effective plan.

• AB 75 allows the Board to establish an alternative to the 50 percent diversion requirement for State agencies that meet specified criteria.

For more information on State agency requirements, please contact Phillip Moralez in the Board’s Public Education and Programs Implementation Branch at (916) 341-6215, or pmoralez@ciwmb.ca.gov. For more information, visit the Board's Project Recycle Web site.

Community Service District Requirements

AB 75 added to existing law a requirement (PRC Section 41821.2) that community service districts provide solid waste handling services or implement diversion programs to give the city, county, or regional agency in which the community service district is located, information on the programs implemented by the district and the amount of waste disposed and diverted within the district.

The Board may adopt regulations pertaining to the format of the information to be provided and deadlines for supplying this information to the city, county, or regional agency so that it may be incorporated into the annual report submitted to the Board.

Furthermore, the Board is working with the Legislature to clarify whether community service districts need to participate in existing measurement and reporting systems.

For general information about community service districts, access the California Government Code Web site at www.leginfo.ca.gov/. Click on "California Law," check "Government Code," and then click on "Search."

For more information on how provisions of AB 75 affect your local jurisdiction, please call or e-mail your local assistance staff county contact, or call for assistance at (916) 341-6199.

SB 515 Changes--Rural Area/City Definitions, Regional Agencies, NDFEs, Inert Waste

SB 515 (Chesbro, 1999) took effect on January 1, 2000. SB 515 removed the requirement that the California Integrated Waste Management Board adopt regulations that define "rural area." Instead, "rural area" is defined as those cities and counties located in agricultural or mountainous areas of the state and located outside the Department of Finance’s "Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas."

The bill also revised the definition of "rural city" and allows a regional agency to be eligible for a reduction in planning requirements if certain conditions are met.

SB 515 removed the requirement that the nondisposal facility element be appended to the source reduction and recycling element. This bill exempted use, disposal, or placement of inert waste at surface mine-land reclamation sites, as specified, from the current integrated waste management fee ($1.34 per ton).

The changes which may affect you include the following five areas.

Rural Area Definition

Changes to PRC Section 40184 include removing the requirements that the Board develop regulations to define "rural area," including criteria for being distant from markets. Statute now defines "rural area" as cities and counties located in agricultural or mountainous areas of the state and located outside the Department of Finance’s Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas.

This change assists cities and counties located outside the Department of Finance’s Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas and located in an agricultural or mountainous area, since they have fewer opportunities to market their materials.

Rural City Definition

PRC Section 40183 formerly required a rural city to have, among other specific conditions, a waste generation rate of less than 100 cubic yards per day or 60 tons per day. The definition of a rural city was amended to require a current waste disposal rate of less than 100 cubic yards per day or 60 tons per day, and to require that the city must be located in a rural area. Changing from generation to disposal of less than 100 cubic yards per day or 60 tons per day is consistent with the disposal reporting system. Cities may now determine if they meet rural criteria for tons disposed by using their disposal number reported in the disposal reporting system.

Streamlined Plans for More Regional Agencies

Previously, regional agencies where every member qualified as rural (city or county) could receive reductions in diversion goals and planning requirements (streamlined plans). A city or county could ask for a diversion goal of less then 25 percent and 50 percent if all members of the regional agency were rural.

PRC Section 40973 was amended to establish another category of regional agencies that are allowed to petition the Board to obtain only reduced planning requirements.

To qualify, the regional agency members must be cities (any size) located in a rural county (total county population of less than 200,000), and in a rural area (outside a Department of Finance Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area); and the regional agency must include the unincorporated portion of a county.

Nondisposal Facility Element Changes

Statute (PRC Sections 41730-41731) formerly required that the nondisposal facility element (NDFE) be appended to the source reduction and recycling element (SRRE) at the time of the five-year revision.

SB 515 removed the requirement that jurisdictions incorporate the NDFE into the SRRE.

This change was made because of problems with timely permitting of diversion facilities (material recovery/transfer processing, and composting). If diversion facilities are not included in the NDFE, they cannot be found in conformance with waste management plans, causing problems with permitting. Since it takes less time to amend an NDFE than a SRRE, this change streamlines the permitting process.

Inert Waste

This bill establishes a short-term exemption from paying the current integrated waste management fee of $1.34 per ton for placement of inert waste at surface mine-land reclamation sites that meet certain conditions (PRC Section 48007). The exemption from the fee lasts until January 1, 2002.

If you have any questions on how SB 515 may affect you, please call or e-mail your local assistance staff county contact, or call (916) 341-6199 for assistance.

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Jurisdictions implement successful programs

Tehama County Waste Assessments

The Tehama County Sanitary Landfill Agency conducted a series of waste assessments for a broad range of businesses in Tehama County using a waste assessment team (team). Robert Kohn, Solid Waste Director of the Tehama County Sanitary Landfill Agency, provided us with the team’s implementation steps and the results of its waste assessment program.

Getting Started

At the introductory meetings the team gave a letter of introduction and an assessment summary page to the businesses. The letter explained the purpose of the assessments, which was to reduce the waste stream through source reduction, recycling, or other diversion activities, while at the same time reducing disposal costs to the business.

The assessment summary page asked general questions regarding business operations and waste management activities. These questions helped the team to better understand how the business operates and how the waste stream could be reduced.

Waste Assessment Approach

The team developed a simplified approach to the waste assessments. Two people from the team were assigned the assessment responsibilities. One person concentrated on existing services, quantities, and types of material disposed or recycled, while the other person recorded the type of equipment used and focused more on the office environment.

This approach required the team to have a thorough knowledge of available services and local markets for reusable and recyclable materials. Having experience in all phases of solid waste management was also helpful.

With this knowledge, and the assistance of the California Integrated Waste Management Board, the waste assessments were conducted quickly and effectively.

Assessment Proves Helpful to Two Businesses

As assessments were completed, the team noticed that one lumber company’s waste material could be useful to another lumber company.

The material? Cardboard corner protectors used in strapping lumber for shipment. One company received the corners with shipments, then disposed of them, while the other company bought the corners for shipping its manufactured products. Now, these two companies exchange the cardboard corners and in the process reduce waste, conserve resources, and save money.

Assessment Results

The waste assessments produced positive results at every facility, from small office settings to large manufacturing businesses. The potential savings to these businesses ranged from $30 per month, by removing mixed paper from the waste stream, to over $16,000 annually by diverting wood waste to a biomass facility.

Waste Assessment Follow-Up

The team assembled a final summary report providing recommendations on how to reduce waste and disposal costs. In addition, to assure the businesses needs were met and the businesses were making honest efforts to consider alternatives presented in the waste assessment final report, the team conducted follow-up visits.

These waste assessments helped foster a strong working relationship between the business community and solid waste staff. Tehama County now expects to achieve 50 percent diversion in 2000.

For more information about this program, contact Kyle Pogue in the Board’s local assistance staff at (916) 341-6267 or kpogue@ciwmb.ca.gov. If you would like information on setting up a diversion program in your area, please call or e-mail your local assistance staff county contact, or (916) 341-6199 for assistance.

City of Carson and others develop a unique waste reduction program

The City of Carson was among the 1998 winners honored by the State of California and the Local Government Technical Advisory Committee (LGTAC) with a Trash Cutter Award.

The Board and LGTAC presented Trash Cutter awards to 10 cities and counties for their efforts in developing the best recycling and waste reduction programs in the state. These 10 cities and counties each received an award in one of 11 categories.

The Board and LGTAC selected winners based on their cost-effective programs in terms of the cost for the amount of waste recycled; amount of residents participating; innovations in ideas or technologies; and usefulness to other jurisdictions evaluating whether similar programs would work for them.

The City of Carson, along with its hauler, USA Waste, developed a unique cooperative waste reduction and recycling program with the University of California, Los Angeles Extension (UCLA) Waste Management and Recycling Program; California State University (CSU), Dominguez Hills; CSU, Fullerton; the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA); and the California Integrated Waste Management Board.

This program includes:

• Assessing and quantifying existing recycling and source reduction practices.

• Assessing and quantifying any additional recycling and source reduction programs that could be reasonably implemented.

• Providing Board business technical assistance literature specific to the business.

• Notifying the hauler and/or third party recyclers of potential recycling opportunities.

• Assisting in implementation of additional diversion programs if asked to do so by the businesses.

• Developing a database of the audit results, which was provided to the Board for evaluating diversion programs.

Results from this program were outstanding, as indicated by a measurable reduction in disposed waste. The program has also helped the City of Carson focus its outreach efforts. The city anticipates reaching 60 percent diversion in 2000.

To continue this program, the City of Carson and USA Waste conducted on-site visits to 50 percent of the businesses serviced by USA Waste. The hauler, USA Waste, provided research stipends to the student interns conducting these visits. In addition, the City of Carson will visit businesses that self-haul.

For more information about this program, information on the other Trash Cutter Award winners, or information on how you can participate in the 2000 Trash Cutter Awards Program, please contact Vickie Adamu at (916) 341-6278 or vadamu@ciwmb.ca.gov.

We encourage you to visit the Trash Cutter Awards Program Web site at www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Trashcutters/!

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Environmental programs help teachers close the loop

A strong commitment to California’s school children has always been a priority at the California Integrated Waste Management Board.

The Board’s Public Education and Assistance Section offers free teacher workshops and resources to California Teachers. Teachers have a choice of award-winning environmental education curricula such as Closing the Loop and Earth Resources—A Case Study: Oil.

Now, the year 2000 proves to be another milestone for the Board’s commitment with the revision of Closing the Loop curriculum and the Board’s adoption of another secondary solid waste management curriculum, Project Learning Tree’s Municipal Solid Waste Module.

Revised Curriculum: Closing the Loop

The revised Closing the Loop entailed a three-year cooperative effort between a group of educators which included teachers, technical advisors from both public and private entities, representatives from the Board, and staff from the California Department of Education.

Under the new title, Closing the Loop: Exploring Resource Conservation and Integrated Waste Management, this curriculum introduces students to integrated waste management through awareness, understanding, and action.

Closing the Loop incorporates project-based learning strategies, which help students participate in improving the environment within their school and community. This edition also aligns with new State standards, identifying what to teach in each subject at each grade level, and also aligns with State content frameworks which delineate specific teaching strategies. In early 2000, look for the revised Closing the Loop in two modules: grades K–3 and grades 4–6.

Newest Curriculum: Municipal Solid Waste Module

The Board’s newest curriculum resource available for teachers is Project Learning Tree’s Municipal Solid Waste Module. Focused primarily on grades 7–12, these eight activities give students the opportunity to learn by doing.

Experiments, research projects, data gathering and analysis, presentations, and case studies serve as methods by which students can investigate municipal solid waste issues. The Board offers workshops and materials free of charge to all teachers who attend.

Student Curriculum Focuses on Used Oil Case Study

Earth Resources—A Case Study: Oil is another curriculum for grades 7–12.   Teachers have the opportunity to participate in an engaging, hands-on workshop involving concepts from earth science, biology, chemistry, and physics centered around oil. Students explore the scientific concepts and environmental issues associated with the processing, use, disposal, and conservation of natural resources, using a case study of motor oil. Teachers who attend this workshop receive a free curriculum, and an extensive supplemental resource kit.

Earth Resources was developed with funding from the Board and support from the California Department of Education and the California Scope, Sequence, and Coordination Project.

Local government representatives coordinate all school support efforts with Board staff. If you have any questions or would like assistance with coordinating an environmental education program for schools, please contact the Board’s Public Education and Assistance Section at (916) 341-6761. Visit the Board's Schools Program Web site at www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Schools/ to learn more.

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Editor's Note

I hope you enjoyed this issue of infoCycling. Please contact me with your suggestions on articles you would like to see included in infoCycling and announcements of events in your jurisdiction. I can be reached at (916) 341-6240 or by e-mail at twebb@ciwmb.ca.gov. Your comments and suggestions on infoCycling are always welcome.
Tracy Webb, Editor

Publication #341-00-001

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Last updated: November 01, 2007