BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                SB 230
                                                                       

                      SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
                        Senator S. Joseph Simitian, Chairman
                              2009-2010 Regular Session
                                           
           BILL NO:    SB 230
           AUTHOR:     Cogdill
           AMENDED:    April 13, 2009
           FISCAL:     Yes               HEARING DATE:     April 20, 2009
           URGENCY:    No                CONSULTANT:       Caroll  
           Mortensen
            
           SUBJECT  :    WASTE TIRE HAULER EXEMPTION

            SUMMARY  :    
           
            Existing law  : 

           1)Requires every person who transports waste or used tires to  
             hold a waste and used tire hauler registration, and requires  
             a registered waste and used tire hauler to only transport  
             waste or used tires to a facility that meets the conditions  
             for being permitted, excluded, exempted, or authorized to  
             accept waste and used tires, or to a facility that lawfully  
             accepts waste or used tires for reuse or disposal.

           2)Provides, in Public Resources Code Section 42954, for eight  
             specified exemptions from the tire hauler registration  
             requirements, including those who transport fewer than ten  
             tires at a time and those who are transporting to an amnesty  
             event with the permission of the local agency.

            This bill  adds a provision to the list of exemptions in #2  
           above that allows a local enforcement agent to grant an  
           exemption to a person who is transporting tires that were  
           illegally dumped if a police report has been filed to report  
           the dumping and the tires are going to an approved location.

            COMMENTS  :

            1)Purpose of Bill  .  According to the author, the agriculture  
             community has the need to haul more than the allotted number  
             of tires from one property to another, or to a waste  
             facility.  Under current law, farmers/ranchers, once  









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             registered, are only allowed to haul less than 10 tires on  
             any given day, less than 20 tires on an amnesty day.  The  
             agriculture community often has many tires that are  
             illegally dumped on their property that they cannot dispose  
             of properly because they can't haul them to a waste  
             facility.  This measure provides an opportunity for the  
             agricultures community to manage illegally dumped tires  
             while still provided for tracking and documentation to  
             prevent further illegal dumping. 

            2)Hauler and Manifest Program Background  .  The original waste  
             tire manifest system was created by SB 744 (McCorquodale,  
             Chapter 511, Statutes of 1993) to deal with the growing  
             number of illegal tire piles in the Central Valley.  These  
             typically were not large piles, but many small piles, mainly  
             in agricultural and other rural areas.  SB 744 required  
             documentation of waste tire transactions between the tire  
             generator, tire hauler, and the end-use facility.  A copy of  
             the manifest form was left with each of the respective  
             parties as proof of the tire transaction.  The form was  
             retained at the place of business for three years so it  
             could be reviewed by California Integrated Waste Management  
             Board (CIWMB) staff or authorized representatives if  
             requested.  Unfortunately, since the information was not  
             provided directly to the CIWMB, there was no simple way to  
             track tire movement.

             To close that loophole and to further increase the oversight  
             of tires in California, the Legislature passed SB 876  
             (Escutia, Chapter 838, Statutes of 2000), requiring CIWMB to  
             develop and implement a uniform statewide waste and used  
             tire manifest program.  SB 876 requires every person who  
             transports ten or more waste or used tires to hold a valid  
             tire hauler registration (renewed annually) and use  
             State-issued decals and manifests.  Prior to obtaining  
             registration, prospective haulers are required to post a  
             $10,000 bond (a cost of approximately $150-$300 annually).   
             Registered haulers must possess manifests during the  
             transport of waste or used tires, transport only to legally  
             authorized end-use facilities, and submit the completed  
             manifest form to the CIWMB.  The law also requires that a  
             person who received tires from an unregistered hauler had to  
             report that hauler to the CIWMB by providing the name,  









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             address, phone number, and license plate number of the  
             unlicensed hauler, and the amount of tires.


            3)Illegal Dumping of Tires  .  In 2006, the CIWMB, created the  
             State/Local Illegal Dumping Enforcement Task Force.  It is  
             lead by members representing the California Association of  
             Counties and the League of California Cities as well as  
             participants from the Regional Council of Rural Counties and  
             non-governmental stakeholders concerned about illegal  
             dumping such as the California Farm Bureau Federation,  
             nonprofit environmental groups and private waste haulers.   
             The twenty-four members of the task force circulated a  
             survey they created to determine the cost and impact of  
             illegal dumping.  Thirty-three out of 58 counties who  
             responded revealed an annual cost of over $34 million to  
             local government for abatement.  Waste tires are at the top  
             of the list of items illegally dumped, especially in rural  
             counties.  According to the CIWMB, individual consumers who  
             have no incentive for returning waste tires to dealers are  
             responsible for the majority of illegal dumping taking  
             place.

            4)Previous Legislation  .  In April 2008, the Committee heard SB  
             1663 (Denham), a similar bill.  That bill was amended in  
             committee to remove the provisions relating to the tire  
             hauling and exemptions and replaced with language that would  
             have developed a grant program to assist generators of waste  
             tires with the hauling requirements.  That bill died in the  
             Assembly Appropriations Committee.  SB 230 provides for a  
             different approach than the original version of SB 1663 and  
             addresses the issue in a narrow way that is more  
             appropriate. 

            SOURCE  :        San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors  

           SUPPORT  :       None on file  

           OPPOSITION  :    None on file