SB 498, as amended, Lara. Solid waste: biomass conversion.
The California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989, which is administered by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, requires each city, county, and regional agency, if any, to develop a source reduction and recycling element of an integrated waste management plan. With certain exceptions, the source reduction and recycling element of that plan is required to divert 50% of all solid waste, through source reduction, recycling, and composting activities. Existing law allows the 50% diversion requirement to include not more than 10% through transformation or “biomass conversion,” as defined, if specified conditions are met. The act defines various terms, including “biomass conversion,” for the purposes of the act.
This bill would revise the definition of the term “biomass conversion” to include, in addition to controlled
combustion,begin delete any otherend deletebegin insert the use ofend insert conversion technology, as defined.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 40106 of the Public Resources Code is
2amended to read:
(a) “Biomass conversion” means thebegin insert controlled end insert
4 combustion used for producing heat or electricitybegin insert ofend insert, or the use of
5conversionbegin delete technology,end deletebegin insert technology on, the following materialsend insert
6 when separated from other solidbegin delete waste, of the following materials:end delete
7begin insert
waste:end insert
8(1) Agricultural crop residues.
9(2) Bark, lawn, yard, and garden clippings.
10(3) Leaves, silvicultural residue, and tree and brush pruning.
11(4) Wood, wood chips, and wood waste.
12(5) Nonrecyclable pulp or nonrecyclable paper materials.
13(b) “Biomass conversion” does not include the controlled
14combustion of recyclable pulp or recyclable paper materials, or
15materials that contain sewage sludge, industrial sludge, medical
16waste, hazardous waste, or either high-level or low-level
17radioactive waste.
18(c) (1) For purposes of this section, “nonrecyclable pulp or
19nonrecyclable paper materials” means either of the following, as
20determined by the department:
21(A) Paper products or fibrous materials that cannot be
22technically, feasibly, or legally recycled because of the manner in
23which the product or material has been manufactured, treated,
24coated, or constructed.
25(B) Paper products or fibrous materials that have become soiled
26or contaminated and as a result cannot be technically, feasibly, or
27legally recycled.
28(2) For the purposes of this section, “conversion technology”
29means a method capable of converting biomass into marketable
30products
and fuels through a noncombustion thermal, chemical,
31or biological process.
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