BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: AB 2355
SENATOR MARK DESAULNIER, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: levine
VERSION: 6/11/14
Analysis by: Eric Thronson FISCAL: yes
Hearing date: June 17, 2014
SUBJECT:
Recycled materials standards for streets and highways
DESCRIPTION:
This bill requires every local agency responsible for any street
or highway to either adopt the California Department of
Transportation's standards for recycled road construction
materials or discuss why it is not adopting these standards.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law requires the California Department of
Transportation (Caltrans) to develop standards for recycled
paving materials and other materials used in road construction.
From these standards, existing law requires Caltrans to modify
its bid specifications relating to the purchase of road
construction materials in order to define in what condition
recycled materials must be for use in projects on the state
highway system.
Existing law generally requires Caltrans to ensure that not less
than 50% of the asphalt it purchases every year includes a
certain amount of crumb rubber from recycled tires. Existing
law does not specify, however, that Caltrans purchase any
particular level or amount of any other recycled material.
This bill requires a local agency responsible for any street or
highway, by January 1, 2017, to either:
Adopt Caltrans' standards for recycled road construction
materials
Discuss at a regularly scheduled public hearing why the local
agency's governing body is not adopting these standards
COMMENTS:
AB 2355 (LEVINE) Page 2
1.Purpose . According to the author, this bill is intended to
increase the number of cities and counties using recycled
materials in road construction. The author believes that if
cities and counties have to formally consider adopting
Caltrans' standards for recycled materials, the discussion
itself will necessarily include the benefits of using recycled
materials, and thus, this bill will lead to greater use of
recycled materials by local agencies.
2.What's the deal with standards ? Caltrans has developed
quality standards for various types of materials in order for
those materials to be utilized in the construction,
rehabilitation, and maintenance of the state highway system.
Without these standards, it would be difficult for Caltrans to
utilize recycled materials, because it would be unclear
whether or not the material is of the quality necessary to
properly maintain the roadway. While the standards do not
require Caltrans to use minimum amounts of various types of
recycled materials, making these materials available for use
necessarily leads to increased utilization, because recycled
materials are often less expensive than new aggregate. This
bill, while not setting required minimums for local agencies,
is expected to lead to the same result - specifically,
increased use of recycled materials for local street and road
construction and maintenance.
3.Standardized standards . Supporters of this bill suggest one
advantage of encouraging local agencies to adopt Caltrans'
standards for recycled materials is that, by avoiding multiple
standards, this bill will lead to efficiencies and cost
savings for suppliers, contractors, and local governments. If
various governmental entities have varying levels of
acceptability standards for recycled materials, it makes it
more difficult for suppliers of aggregate and other materials
to meet demands. It also makes it more difficult for
contractors to bid on projects. This bill can help resolve
this challenge by leveling the standards for everyone based on
Caltrans' adopted standards.
Assembly Votes:
Floor: 78-0
Appr: 17-0
Trans:13-0
LGov: 9-0
AB 2355 (LEVINE) Page 3
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the committee before noon on
Wednesday, June 11,
2014.)
SUPPORT: BoDean Company
California Asphalt Pavement Association
California Chapter of American Fence Corporation
California Construction and Industrial Materials
Association
California Construction Trucking Association
California Fence Contractors' Association
California Resource Recovery Association
Californians Against Waste
Cemex Construction Materials Pacific LLC
Chandler's Rio Santiago, LLC
Chandler's Sand and Gravel
DeSilva Gates Construction
Flasher Barricade Association
George Reed Inc. General Engineering Contractor
Granite Construction Incorporated
Granite Rock Company
Hanson Aggregates
Lehigh Hanson
Livingston's Concrete Service, Inc.
Maitri Road Recycling
Marin Builders Association
Marin County Hazardous and Solid Waste Management
JPA
P.W. Gillibrand Co., Inc.
Sespe Consulting
Specialty Minerals, Inc.
Syar Industries, Inc.
Teichert Materials
Union Roofing Contractors Association
Vulcan Materials
Werner Corporation
OPPOSED: None received.