BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 221 Page 1 ASSEMBLY THIRD READING AB 221 (Quirk-Silva) As Amended April 29, 2013 Majority vote NATURAL RESOURCES 9-0 APPROPRIATIONS 17-0 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Ayes:|Chesbro, Grove, Bigelow, |Ayes:|Gatto, Harkey, Bigelow, | | |Garcia, Muratsuchi, | |Bocanegra, Bradford, Ian | | |Patterson, Skinner, | |Calderon, Campos, | | |Stone, Williams | |Donnelly, Eggman, Gomez, | | | | |Hall, Holden, Linder, | | | | |Pan, Quirk, Wagner, | | | | |Ammiano | ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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). Specifically, 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 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 GBSC. 3)Corrects obsolete statutory references to the Uniform Building Code (UBC). 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 (ASTM), International Building Code, International Residential Code, UBC, or Department of Transportation AB 221 Page 2 (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. FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, negligible fiscal impact. COMMENTS : 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 2% to 7% 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%, 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. 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 AB 221 Page 3 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." Analysis Prepared by : Melissa Sayoc / NAT. RES. / (916) 319-2092 FN: 0000286