BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1045
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Date of Hearing: April 29, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
1045 (Irwin) - As Amended April 20, 2015
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable:
No
SUMMARY:
This bill requires the California Environmental Protection
Agency (CalEPA) to establish policies to encourage recycling of
organic waste, and to coordinate the oversight and regulation of
AB 1045
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organic waste recycling facilities. Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires CalEPA to coordinate with CalRecycle, to develop and
implement policies to divert organic waste from landfills by
promoting the use of agricultural, forestry, and urban organic
waste as feedstock for compost and by promoting the
appropriate use of that compost throughout the state.
2)Requires CalEPA to work with California Department of Food and
Agriculture (CDFA) to establish policies to reduce at least
five million metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per
year through the development and application of compost on
working lands, as specified
3) Requires CalEPA to convene CalRecycle, the State Water
Resources Control Board (SWRCB), and the Air Resources Board
(ARB) to ensure proper coordination of agency regulations and
goals.
FISCAL EFFECT:
1)Potential increased costs of less than $150,000 for CalRecycle
to develop and implement policies to divert organic waste.
2)Absorbable costs for CalEPA to coordinate and implement the
requirements of the bill, through its Interagency Workgroup on
Composting
3)Absorbable costs for SWRCB, ARB and CDFA.
COMMENTS:
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1)Purpose. According to the author, there are multiple agencies
involved in the policy making regarding the feedstock,
transportation, development, and ultimate usage of compost.
This bill establishes a statewide policy to promote the
development and deployment of compost to help agriculture and
the rural economy, meet the state's diversion goals and reduce
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
2)Background. Three entities within CalEPA are involved in
regulating compost facilities. ARB and local air districts
oversee air emissions, SWRCB and regional water quality
control boards regulate wastewater discharges and CalRecycle
requires compost facilities to be permitted and regulates
general facility operations.
According to CalEPA, the Interagency Workgroup on Composting
was established to achieve the reduction of at least five
million metric tons of GHG emissions per year through the
development of compost on working lands.
This bill will ensure CalEPA coordinates among its boards and
commissions and with CDFA to achieve these goals.
3)Organic Waste and GHG Emissions. Recycling organic waste
provides significant GHG reductions over landfilling.
Composting and other organics processing technologies,
including anaerobic digestion, reduce GHGs by avoiding the
emissions that would be generated by the material's
decomposition in a landfill. Landfill gas is generated by the
decomposition of organic materials such as food, paper, wood,
and yard waste.
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Fifty percent of landfill gas is methane, a GHG that is 21
times more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide.
While most modern landfills have systems in place to capture
methane, significant amounts continue to escape into the
atmosphere. According to ARB's GHG inventory, approximately 7
million tons of CO2 equivalent are released annually by
landfills. That number is expected to increase to 8.5 million
tons of CO2 equivalent by 2020.
Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916)
319-2081