BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                    AB 2396


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          Date of Hearing:  April 27, 2016


                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS


                               Lorena Gonzalez, Chair


          AB  
          2396 (McCarty) - As Amended April 13, 2016


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          Urgency:  No  State Mandated Local Program:  NoReimbursable:  No


          SUMMARY:


          This bill requires state agencies to include information  
          relating to commercial recycling and organic waste recycling in  
          their annual reports to the Department of Resources Recycling  
          and Recovery (CalRecycle).  


          FISCAL EFFECT:


          No additional state costs.  State agencies are already required  
          to report annually to CalRecycle on their waste diversion  
          programs. This bill clarifies that mandatory commercial  








                                                                    AB 2396


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          recycling and mandatory organics are a part of the waste  
          diversion programs that agencies must include in their annual  
          reports.


          COMMENTS:


          1)Purpose.  According to the author, this bill provides cleanup  
            for last year's AB 876 and makes another clarifying change to  
            annual waste reporting requirements for state agencies.  

          2)Background. CalRecycle is tasked with diverting at least 75%  
            of solid waste statewide by 2020.  Organic materials make up  
            one-third of the waste stream and food continues to be the  
            greatest single item disposed, making up over 15% of materials  
            landfilled.  



            CalRecycle is also charged with implementing its Strategic  
            Directive 6.1, which calls for reducing organic waste disposal  
            by 50% by 2020.  According to CalRecycle, significant gains in  
            organic waste diversion are necessary to meet the 75% goal and  
            implementing Strategic Directive 6.1.  Recycling technologies  
            for organic waste include composting, anaerobic digestion, and  
            other types of processing that generate renewable fuels,  
            energy, soil amendments, and mulch.  

            Compost and other soil amendments that can be produced from  
            organic materials have been shown to improve soil health by  
            incorporating organic matter, beneficial micro-organisms, and  
            nutrients and reduce the need for chemical pesticides and  
            fertilizers.  These products also conserve water by allowing  
            water to penetrate the soil more quickly, decreasing runoff.



          3)Prior Legislation.  AB 876 (McCarty), Chapter 593, Statutes of  








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            2015, requires local governments to include organic waste  
            recycling facilities in the planning requirements for  
            countywide siting elements.  



          Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081