BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 525
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Date of Hearing: April 4, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
Wesley Chesbro, Chair
AB 525 (Gordon) - As Introduced: February 15, 2011
SUBJECT : Solid waste: tire recycling
SUMMARY : Allows CalRecycle to award grants from the California
Tire Recycling Management Fund to cities, counties, and other
local government agencies for the funding of public works
projects that use waste tires.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Requires, pursuant to the California Tire Recycling Act (Act),
the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery
(CalRecycle) to administer a tire recycling program that
promotes and develops alternatives to the landfill disposal of
used whole tires. The tire recycling program may include,
among other things, the awarding of grants, subsidies, and
loans to businesses or other enterprises, and public entities,
involved in activities that result in reduced landfill
disposal or stockpiling of used whole tires. Activities
eligible for funding may include the manufacturing of products
made from used tires such as rubberized asphalt and crash
barriers.
2)Requires CalRecycle to adopt a five-year plan, which must be
updated every two years, to establish goals and priorities for
the tire recycling program. Every two years, CalRecycle is
required to submit the adopted five-year plan to the
Legislature.
3)The tire recycling program under the Act is funded by the
California Tire Recycling Management Fund (Fund). The Fund is
supported by the California tire fee, which is a $1.75 per
tire charge imposed on a person who purchases a new tire.
THIS BILL :
1)Allows CalRecycle, as part of the tire recycling program, to
award grants to cities, counties, and other local government
agencies for the funding of public works projects that use
waste tires. The provisions in the Act regarding local
AB 525
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government public works projects will sunset on June 30, 2015.
2)Requires CalRecycle, as part of the five year plan and until
June 30, 2015, to describe the grant program's effectiveness
to encourage the use of waste tires, including, but not
limited to, rubberized asphalt concrete technology, in public
works projects.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS :
1)Background : According to CalRecycle, since passage of the Act
in 1989, California has dramatically increased the number of
waste tires diverted from landfill disposal and sent to
beneficial end uses. CalRecycle estimates that in 2009,
Californians generated 41.3 million waste tires. The
beneficial use of 30 million of these tires represents a
recycling rate of 72.7 percent in 2009.
2)Extending June 30, 2010 Sunset Date : The bill revives a
similar statute that was added by SB 1346 (Kuehl) in 2002,
extended by SB 369 (Simitian) in 2006, and sunset on June 30,
2010. Reviving this statute is important because recycled
tires have a myriad of uses for public works projects. For
example, tires can be used for road paving, street
resurfacing, sidewalks, weed abatement, vibration-damping
material in light-rail systems, overpass fill, levee slurry
walls, retaining wall fill, roadway base fill, and bridge
abutment fill. Use of recycled tires for public works
projects can also lead to significant cost savings and added
benefits. In particular for road paving, use of recycled
tires can provide improvements of increased skid resistance,
reduced road noise, and improved riding qualities.
Under existing law, CalRecycle can award grants to public
entities involved in activities and applications that result
in reduced landfill disposal of used whole tires and reduced
illegal disposal or stockpiling of used whole tires. Without
the bill, CalRecycle can use this authority to award grants to
local government agencies for the funding of public works
projects. The purpose of the bill, however, is to
specifically authorize the funding of public works projects
and to ensure that there is at least a minimum level of
funding.
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3)Suggested Amendments : The bill requires that to the extent
possible, the funds appropriated for these public works
projects "shall not be less than __ percent" of the amount of
funds appropriated for market development and new technology
activities for waste tires. The statute that sunset on June
30, 2010 provided a 16 percent standard for this requirement.
The author may wish to consider amending the bill to include
the 16 percent standard unless there are compelling reasons to
adopt a different percentage.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Californians Against Waste
California Resource Recovery Association
California State Association of Counties
City of Lakewood
CRM Company
Regional Council of Rural Counties
Opposition
Rubber Manufacturers Association
Analysis Prepared by : Mario DeBernardo / NAT. RES. / (916)
319-2092