BILL ANALYSIS Ó SB 909 Page 1 Date of Hearing: July 6, 2011 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Felipe Fuentes, Chair SB 909 (La Malfa) - As Amended: April 13, 2011 Policy Committee: Environmental Safety Vote: 9-0 Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: Yes Reimbursable: No SUMMARY This bill extends, from June 1, 2012, to June 1, 2017, the sunset date on statute providing alternative disposal mechanisms for treated wood waste, and makes other technical changes. FISCAL EFFECT Negligible state costs. COMMENTS 1)Rationale . The author contends extending the sunset date on the treated wood waste statute continues to provide statutory guidance on proper disposal. The author further contends the alternative disposal mechanisms authorized by the statute make disposal of treated wood waste more convenient and less costly, thereby increasing the likelihood of proper disposal. 2)Background. According to regulations of the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), treated wood waste is wood treated with a chemical preservative for purposes of protecting the wood against attacks from insects, microorganisms, fungi, and harmful other environmental conditions and the chemical preservative is registered pursuant to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. Many of the substances used to treat such wood are known to be harmful to human health and the environment, under certain circumstances. AB 1353 (Matthews, Chapter 597, Statutes of 2004), which includes a sunset date of June 1, 2012, requires treated wood waste be disposed of in certain types of hazardous waste SB 909 Page 2 landfills or a composite-lined portion of a solid waste landfill unit. AB 1353, and regulations adopted by DTSC pursuant to statute, provides handling and disposal standards less stringent than similar standards for other hazardous wastes. AB 1353 requires the DTSC, by June 1, 2011, to prepare and post on its website a report that makes a determination regarding the implementation and compliance rate with statutory requirements. 3)Support. This bill is supported by the Western Wood Preservers Institute (sponsor) and a long list of industry organizations. 4)There is no registered opposition to this bill. Analysis Prepared by : Jay Dickenson / APPR. / (916) 319-2081