Senate Bill No. 970

Introduced by Senator Leyva

February 8, 2016

An act to add Section 42649.88 to the Public Resources Code, relating to solid waste.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 970, as introduced, Leyva. Organic food waste diversion.

Existing law requires the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to identify and recommend actions to address permitting and siting challenges and to encourage the continued viability of the state’s organic waste processing and recycling infrastructure, in partnership with the California Environmental Protection Agency and other specified state and regional agencies. Existing law requires the department to cooperate with local jurisdictions and industry to provide assistance for increasing the feasibility of organic waste recycling and to identify certain state financing mechanisms and state funding incentives and post this information on its Internet Web site.

This bill would require, by June 1, 2017, the department, in consultation with the State Air Resources Board and the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, to develop a pilot program that encourages cost-effective and efficient integrated organic food waste diversion projects.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the
Regional Integrated Organics Diversion and Beneficial Utilization
Act.

SEC. 2.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006
(Division 25.5 (commencing with Section 38500) of the Health
and Safety Code) establishes a policy to reduce emissions of
greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by 2020 and to continue those
reductions of greenhouse gases beyond 2020.

(b) The critical role that short lived climate pollutants (SLCPs)
must play in the state’s climate efforts is recognized in Chapter
4.2 (commencing with Section 39730) of Part 2 of Division 26 of
the Health and Safety Code, which requires the State Air Resources
Board to develop a strategy to reduce the emissions of SLCPs.

(c) California must achieve deep reductions in the emissions of
SLCPs by 2030 to meet potential or actual future greenhouse gas
emissions targets and air quality goals.

(d) Intensified state and global action to reduce the emissions
of SLCPs is the only way to immediately slow global warming
and manage the damaging effects of climate change.

(e) California has clear goals to reduce waste and to divert
organic materials from landfills and put them to beneficial use.
The state has a target to reduce landfilling of solid waste by 75
percent by 2020.

(f) Organic waste constitutes more than one-third of California’s
waste stream. Food waste alone accounts for about five million
tons of landfilled organics each year.

(g) Efforts to divert organics from landfills and develop
infrastructure that makes best use of the material are key elements
of an integrated strategy.

(h) Significant efforts to divert organic materials from landfills
and reduce methane emissions and develop low or negative carbon
transportation fuels should be encouraged by state policies.

(i) As future clean energy investments are planned and
implemented, state officials should ensure targeted investment,
regional cooperation, and public-private partnerships are utilized
to maximize the state’s organics diversion efforts and achieve
cost-effective and environmentally beneficial reductions in the
emissions of greenhouse gases.

SEC. 3.  

Section 42649.88 is added to the Public Resources
Code, to read:

42649.88.  

By June 1, 2017, the department, in consultation
with the State Air Resources Board and the State Energy Resources
Conservation and Development Commission, shall develop a pilot
program that encourages cost-effective and efficient integrated
organic food waste diversion projects. The pilot program shall
give priority to projects that are based on regional cooperation and
provide the following benefits:

(a) Cost-effective utilization of existing anaerobic digestion
capacity at public wastewater agencies.

(b) Making the best use of diverted organics, including the
production of low or negative carbon transportation fuels.

(c) Direct or indirect reduction in the emissions of criteria air
pollutants.

(d) Effective use of public-private partnerships.

(e) Environmental benefits for disadvantaged communities, as
identified pursuant to Section 39711 of the Health and Safety Code.

(f) Local job creation.