BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 2877
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 28, 2004 

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                   Judy Chu, Chair

              AB 2877 (Aghazarian) - As Introduced:  February 20, 2004 

          Policy Committee:                              Environmental  
          Safety & Toxic Materials                      Vote: 7-0  
          (Consent)

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          Yes    Reimbursable:              No

           SUMMARY  

          This bill re-establishes, until January 1, 2008, the authority,  
          which lapsed January 1, 2003,  for the Department of Toxic  
          Substances Control (DTSC) to adopt regulations establishing  
          alternative management standards for the following hazardous  
          wastes: 

          1)Electronic hazardous wastes;
          2)Hazardous waste batteries;
          3)Hazardous wastes containing mercury;
          4)Hazardous waste lamps; and
          5)Lead-painted wood debris that is a hazardous waste.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          1)Negligible, if any, costs to the DTSC to re-establish  
            authority to adopt regulations within the department's overall  
            regulatory structure.  (Hazardous Waste Control Account  
            (HWCA).)

          2)Potential minor costs and savings to the DTSC to the extent  
            this re-established authority is used by the department to  
            adopt regulations that provide alternative management  
            standards for additional hazardous wastes.  (HWCA.)

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  .  The author argues the DTSC's authority to adopt  
            regulations that establish alternative management standards  
            for the above specified hazardous wastes should be  








                                                                  AB 2877
                                                                  Page  2

            re-established to allow the department to adopt regulations on  
            additional hazardous waste streams, as appropriate.  These  
            alternatives encourage and facilitate safe collection,  
            recycling, and/or disposal of the specified hazardous wastes  
            without sacrificing protections for public health and the  
            environment.
           
          2)Background  .  The DTSC was granted broad authority to develop  
            alternative management standards for hazardous wastes by AB  
            2776 (Miller) - Chapter 999, Statutes of 1996.  This authority  
            was narrowed to the five specific hazardous wastes by SB 470  
            (Sher) - Chapter 605, Statutes of 2001. 

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Steve Archibald / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081