BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 221
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 1, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
Wesley Chesbro, Chair
AB 221 (Quirk-Silva) - As Introduced: February 4, 2013
SUBJECT : Recycled concrete
SUMMARY : Updates legislative findings and declarations to state
the benefits of recycling concrete and updates the definition of
recycled concrete to reference compliance with the California
Green Building Standards Code (GBSC).
EXISTING LAW:
1)Defines recycled concrete to mean reclaimed concrete material
used in concrete mixtures in accordance with the most current
edition of the Greenbook Standard Specifications for Public
Works, including mix designs or aggregate gradations of
reclaimed concrete material that are in accordance with
American Concrete Institute, American Society of Testing and
Materials, International Building Code, International
Residential Code, Uniform Building Code, or Department of
Transportation (CalTrans) Standard Specifications.
2)Exempts reclaimed concrete material in compliance with ASTM-94
specifications.
3)Authorizes the use of recycled concrete if a user has been
fully informed, either orally or in writing and by delivery
receipt at delivery acceptance, that the concrete may contain
recycled materials.
4)Prohibits recycled concrete from being offered, provided, or
sold to CalTrans or the Department of General Services (DGS)
for any use, including but not limited to, any project under
its affiliation, contract authority, or oversight
responsibility, unless specifically requested and approved by
the department.
THIS BILL :
1)States legislative findings and declarations relating to the
environmental and economic benefits of recycling concrete,
such as reducing waste, promoting conservation, and maximizing
AB 221
Page 2
the efficient use of natural resources.
2)Updates the definition of recycled concrete to include mix
designs or aggregate gradations of reclaimed concrete material
that are in accordance with the specifications of the
California Building Code (CBC) and Green Building Standards
Code (GBSC).
3)Corrects obsolete statutory references to the Uniform Building
Code.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown.
AB 221
Page 3
COMMENTS :
1)Background . Concrete is one of the most popular construction
materials used in a variety of applications and settings. Not
all concrete, however, is utilized in projects; about two to
seven percent of returned concrete (wet, unused concrete that
remains in the truck) returns unused to batch plants.
According to a 2008 Statewide Waste Characterization Study by
the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery
(CalRecycle), all forms of concrete represent 1.2 percent, or
approximately 483,367 tons, of the state's waste disposal
stream.
The disposal of returned concrete can pose significant
environmental and economic costs. Demand for new concrete
drives mining operations for gravel, stone, and other natural
resources used in mix designs. Managing returned concrete
imposes handling, transportation and storage costs, which
contribute to increased greenhouse gas emissions. Returned
concrete material also often ends up in landfills, taking up
unnecessary space.
2)Concrete recycling . CalRecycle, along with private industry,
encourage the recycling of returned concrete to address the
environmental and economic costs of disposal. Returned
hardened concrete is increasingly being crushed for future use
as aggregate for new concrete or as base material. According
to the author, "While all re-uses and recycling of concrete
options are beneficial for the conservation of natural
resources, the re-use of returned plastic (wet) concrete
provides the opportunity to optimize both resource
conservation and the embodied energy of the original concrete
batch."
This bill is intended to encourage the use of returned plastic
concrete by authorizing compliance with CBC and GBSC.
Additionally, the author states that "AB 221 will help achieve
current AB 32 goals by encouraging the recycling of concrete
by adding code reference to the GBSC in the statute. This
links the concrete recycling provisions in the GBSC to the
current statute and ensures that link remains as the GBSC
expands."
3)Suggested amendments . The committee may wish to amend the
bill to replace the term "plastic concrete" with "fresh
AB 221
Page 4
concrete" to clarify that this term refers to unused wet
concrete left over in cement trucks.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
California Construction and Industrial Materials Association
(CalCIMA) (Sponsor)
California Construction Trucking Association
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
(AFSCME), AFL-CIO
California Nevada Cement Association
California Construction Trucking Association
AB 221
Page 5
National Ready Mixed Concrete Co.
Syar Industries and Syar Concrete LLC
Werner Corporation
7/11 Materials, Inc.
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Melissa Sayoc / NAT. RES. / (916)
319-2092