Small Town News

State board pushes new laws before it disassembles

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Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Senate Bill 63, which eliminates the California Integrated Waste Management Board and transfers its responsibilities to the newly formed Natural Resources Agency.

The bill, signed Tuesday, July 28, becomes effective Jan. 1, 2010.

According to Lassen Regional Solid Waste Management Authority manager Tom Valentino, the dissolution of CIWMB shouldn't effect Lassen County too much, but staff is concerned because CIWMB is pushing for more regulations before it no longer exists.

Valentino said the biggest concerns are CIWMB's push for mandatory commercial recycling, which would require every business to have some form of recycling program and increasing the landfill diversion rate to 75 percent. Currently, the diversion rate -- keeping waste out of the landfill -- is 50 percent.

He said there is a lot of discussion as to how big a business would have to be in order to fall under the regulations and what types of recycling would be required beyond cans, bottles and newspapers.

Recycling mandates may fall towards construction and demolition debris and the concern is Lassen County doesn't have a large economy of scale to set up a demolition and recycling system in the area, Valentino said.

Other concerns the authority have include who would be responsible for enforcing the regulations, increased costs to the solid waste agency and more state mandates on businesses.

According to Valentino, CIWMB was formed in 1989 as part of Assembly Bill 939. According to ciwmb.ca.gov, the bill mandated cities, counties and regional waste management organizations implement waste management programs leading to a 50 percent diversion rate by 2000.

The CIWMB is the agency designated to oversee, manage and track California's 92 million tons of waste generated each year.

Valentino said the board has been a political bombshell over the past several years as termed out legislators with no experience in waste management were appointed to the board.



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© 2009 Westwood PinePress Westwood, California. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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