BILL ANALYSIS �
------------------------------------------------------------
|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 913|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524 | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
------------------------------------------------------------
THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 913
Author: Feuer (D), et al.
Amended: 6/13/11 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE : 5-1, 6/20/11
AYES: Simitian, Blakeslee, Hancock, Kehoe, Lowenthal
NOES: Strickland
NO VOTE RECORDED: Pavley
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 56-20, 5/19/11 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Hazardous waste
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires the Department of Toxic
Substances Control to develop a California Green Business
Program and specifies requirements for that program.
ANALYSIS : The existing Hazardous Waste Source Reduction
and Management Review Act of 1989 requires the Department
of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to establish a program
for hazardous waste source reduction, including requiring
specified generators of hazardous waste to maintain certain
plans and reports with regard to hazardous waste reduction
practices. DTSC is required to provide source reduction
training and resources to various regional and local
CONTINUED
AB 913
Page
2
government assistance programs to identify and apply source
reduction methods.
This bill:
1. Requires, as part of implementing the source reduction
program, DTSC to develop a California Green Business
Program (Program) that provides for the support and
assistance to local government programs that provide for
the voluntary certification of small businesses that
adopt environmentally preferable business practices,
including, but not limited to, increased energy
efficiency, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, promotion
of water conservation, and reduced waste generation.
2. Requires the Program to do all of the following:
A. Assist the network of statewide local government
programs in implementing guidelines and structures
that establish and promote a level of consistency
among green business programs across the state;
B. Support, through staffing and contracts, the
development and maintenance of a statewide database
to register small businesses granted green business
certification, or its equivalent, and track
measurable pollution reductions and cost savings;
C. Solicit participation of additional local programs
and facilitate the startup of new local programs;
and,
D. Develop pursuant to a local government program,
technical guidance on pollution prevention measures,
conduct industry studies and pilot projects, and
provide policy coordination for participating local
programs.
Comments
Need for this bill . The author contends, "Seemingly modest
improvements in energy efficiency, pollution preventing and
CONTINUED
AB 913
Page
3
other environmental upgrades at small businesses can have
significant environmental benefits when multiplied
statewide. Efficiency upgrades and other environmental
best practices can also save businesses money. Small
businesses, however, do not have the same resources
available to large businesses to design and implement best
environmental practices. Green business certification
programs give businesses a consolidated process to adopt
environmentally preferable business practices. In addition
to helping small businesses adopt
environmentally-preferable practices, green business
programs reduce government enforcement costs by requiring
compliance with all federal, State and local environmental
regulations and encourage a coordinated and cohesive
approach to environmental regulation."
California Green Business Program . According to DTSC, the
current Program is a statewide network of local government
programs that certify small businesses as "green." These
local-level agencies coordinate with other programs in
their jurisdictions to assist small businesses with
regulatory compliance and in implementing multi-media
pollution prevention and waste reduction measures to
achieve measureable pollution reductions, energy savings,
water conservation and sustainability. Businesses
certified by this program make changes in product
formulations, recycle waste, and use less water and energy.
DTSC serves as a statewide program contact and
coordinator. DTSC also develops technical guidance on
pollution prevention measures, conducts industry studies
and pilot projects, manages a database used to register and
track measurable pollution reductions and cost savings,
provides policy coordination and assists in establishing
new programs throughout the state.
DTSC's current work efforts focus in three main areas: (1)
assisting the network in adapting its guidelines and
structure to facilitate growth and achieve measureable
outcomes; (2) support, through staffing and contracts, the
development and maintenance of the database used for
metrics collection and local program support; and, (3)
solicit and facilitate the startup of new local programs.
DTSC states that there are currently 14 counties and two
city-led programs that have certified over 2,600
CONTINUED
AB 913
Page
4
businesses.
The author asserts that, while a good start, the current
Program is limited in scope and function. He argues,
"Green business programs are severely resource constrained
and barely have enough money to fund their own programs.
There's a bottle-neck of businesses that are waiting to
apply in some municipalities with programs. Many
businesses would like to apply to programs but are in
industries where standards have not been developed yet.
Many municipalities do not have green business programs and
would like to establish them, but need guidance and do not
have adequate staff resources." This bill is intended to
build upon the current Green Business Program by promoting
standardization; helping local governments build new
programs; and providing program coordinators with technical
guidance on updating and designing standards.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, minor,
absorbable costs to DTSC to undertake the activities
required by this bill, all of which, DTSC contends, it
already does.
SUPPORT : (Verified 7/8/11)
Accurate Auto Body
Association of Bay Area Governments
Barbara Chan Consulting
Big Air Heating and Air Conditioning
Blue Heron Catering
Braver Designs
Breast Cancer Fund
Breathing Room
Brentwood Hand Car Wash
California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative
Casa Verde Pediatrics
City of Berkeley Vice Mayor, Linda Maio
Clean Water Action
Contra Costa Clean Water Program
County of Monterey Health Department
County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors
CONTINUED
AB 913
Page
5
County of Santa Cruz Department of Public Works
DRAGA design
Ecology Action
Emeryville Chamber of Commerce
Environmental and Public Health Consulting
Environmental Defense Fund
Garaventa Enterprises
Give Something Back Office Supplies
Green Wheelin' LLC
High Spirits Event Planning
HMR Associates
ImageX
Lekos Dye and Finishing, Inc.
Nan Phelps Photography
No Trace Shedding
Orinda Motors Inc.
Pinky's Klassy Kar Wash
Progressive Wealth Management
San Francisco Green Business Program (San Francisco
Department of the Environment)
Social Ventures Inc.
Stanford Group
Stanford's Restaurant
Sustainable Earth Initiative
Veterinary Medical Specialists
Vital Nutrition and Wellness
WinWinWeb, LLC (dba Everything Grows Interior Landscaping)
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 56-20, 5/19/11
AYES: Achadjian, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall, Bill
Berryhill, Block, Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford,
Brownley, Buchanan, Butler, Charles Calderon, Campos,
Carter, Cedillo, Chesbro, Davis, Dickinson, Eng, Feuer,
Fletcher, Fong, Fuentes, Galgiani, Gatto, Gordon, Hall,
Hayashi, Roger Hern�ndez, Hill, Huber, Hueso, Huffman,
Lara, Bonnie Lowenthal, Mendoza, Miller, Mitchell,
Monning, Olsen, Pan, Perea, V. Manuel P�rez, Portantino,
Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Swanson, Torres, Valadao,
Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada, John A. P�rez
NOES: Conway, Cook, Donnelly, Beth Gaines, Garrick, Grove,
Hagman, Halderman, Harkey, Jeffries, Jones, Knight,
Logue, Mansoor, Morrell, Nestande, Nielsen, Norby, Silva,
Wagner
CONTINUED
AB 913
Page
6
NO VOTE RECORDED: Alejo, Furutani, Gorell, Ma
DLW:kc 7/11/11 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
**** END ****
CONTINUED