BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 589|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524 | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 589
Author: Lowenthal (D), et al
Amended: 6/17/11
Vote: 21
SENATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE : 7-0, 5/2/11
AYES: Simitian, Strickland, Blakeslee, Hancock, Kehoe,
Lowenthal, Pavley
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
SUBJECT : Household hazardous waste
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill clarifies that hazardous waste
facilities that accept only universal wastes do not have to
have a hazardous waste facility permit as long as they are
managing those wastes in accordance with applicable laws
and regulations.
ANALYSIS : Existing law requires hazardous waste
facilities to operate under hazardous waste facilities
permits issued by the Department of Toxic Substances
Control and exempts from this requirement a recycle-only
household hazardous waste collection facility if the
facility meets certain requirements, including that the
public agency, or its contractor, that intends to operate a
household hazardous waste collection facility, submit a
certification regarding the operation of the facility to
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the certified unified program agency.
Comments
According to the author's office, California's Universal
Waste Rule allows individuals and businesses to transport,
handle and recycle certain common hazardous wastes, termed
universal wastes, in a manner that differs from the
requirements for most hazardous wastes. The more relaxed
requirements for managing universal wastes were adopted to
ensure that they are managed safely and are not disposed of
in the trash. This bill clarifies that as long as those
requirements are followed, the facility is not required to
have a hazardous waste facility permit.
Fluorescent lamps . According to the author's office,
current laws and regulations to reduce energy consumption
have been successful at spurring technological advances in
lighting. The use of fluorescent lamps has many
environmental benefits: they save energy, last much longer
than incandescent lamps, reduce dependency on fossil fuels,
and decrease production of greenhouse gases. However, even
"green" lamps contain a small amount of mercury, a potent
neurotoxin. Since 2006, California households have not
been able to legally dispose of fluorescent lamps in the
trash. Fluorescent lamps and other mercury-containing
devices are banned from landfills in California.
Previous/Related Legislation
AB 1109 (Huffman) Chapter 534, Statutes of 2007, The
California Lighting Efficiency and Toxics Reduction Act
requires the Department of Toxic and Substance Control, in
coordination with the Department of Resource Recycling and
Recovery to convene a task force to consider and make
recommendations, on or before September 1, 2008, on methods
of collection, recycling, education, outreach, labeling,
and designations for end-of-life residential fluorescent
lamps, which are considered hazardous waste upon disposal.
One of the items that enjoyed broad consensus among
members of the Task Force is that collection, recycling,
and public education elements should be administered by an
independent third-party organization (TPO), unless the
local utility opted to administer the program. The TPO is
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responsible for education and outreach programs, as well as
collection, transportation, and recycling of lamps. The
TPO also collects data from retailers and/or manufacturers
on lamp sales in California and from retailers and
recyclers on the quantity of lamps collected for recycling
in the state.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/15/11)
OSRAM Sylvania, Inc.
DLW:do 5/17/11 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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