CSAC is encouraging boards of supervisors statewide to adopt a
local resolution requesting action from Governor Gavin Newsom on
a major recycling issue related to Chinese trade import policies.
Local governments are partners with the state in meeting
California’s recycling and waste diversion goals. California has
been largely successful in achieving and making progress towards
these goals and others over recent years.
The new legislative session is officially underway in Sacramento
and legislators are introducing dozens of bills that will touch
on many different topics. The AENR team will start to highlight
key bills that might have an impact on agriculture, environment,
and natural resources issues.
The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) will
hold a public meeting to consider adoption of proposed final
amendments to both the Water Quality Control Plan for Ocean
Waters of California (Ocean Plan), and the forthcoming Water
Quality Control Plan for Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays,
and Estuaries of California (ISWEBE Plan).
These amendments will include a State Wetland Definition
and Procedures for Discharges of Dredged or Fill Material to
Waters of the State.
CARB staff will hold a public workshop about regulatory concepts
to reduce oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions from new on-road
heavy-duty vehicles with gross vehicle weight rating greater than
10,000 pounds. The workshop will include a discussion about
potential revisions to the heavy-duty emission standards and
certification test procedures, certification and warranty
requirements and the Not-to-Exceed heavy-duty in-use testing
program.
The workshop will be held at the following location and time:
During the latest State’s Forest Management Task Force meeting,
Mariposa County Supervisor Rosemarie Smallcombe was featured in a
roundtable of local leaders who shared their views on how to
improve alignment of regulatory programs between multiple
environmental agencies and the best ways to create complimentary
sources of revenue for local forest health projects.
Cal Recycle recently released its Standard Regulatory Impact
Assessment (SRIA) estimating the direct costs of implementing
upcoming SB 1383 organic waste diversion regulations. The SRIA
indicates direct costs of approximately $20.9 billion between
2019 and 2030. These costs include expanding organic waste
management infrastructure, collection and processing costs, and
administrative costs of enforcement, contamination monitoring,
and reporting.
With Governor Brown signing over 1,000 bills into law this year
CSAC is publishing a series of articles to spotlight new laws
that impact counties from each policy area. This week, the report
from the AENR provides information on new laws affecting fire
hazard planning in high fire areas, fire and forest management
resources, drinking water, cannabis, and solid waste management.
Stay tuned for more updates from other policy areas over the next
several weeks.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL
FIRE) announced the availability of up to $155 million for fire
prevention and forest health projects. CAL FIRE is soliciting
applications for projects that will help prevent catastrophic
wildfires and restore forest health while also sequestering
carbon and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The solicitation
for forest health grants opened on October 1 while the opening of
solicitation for fire prevention grants is expected soon. The
grants will be awarded in March 2019.
AB 626, by Assembly Member Eduardo Garcia, would allow for
the direct sale of food by residents in private homes and limit
county public health authority to authorize and monitor these
activities. The bill would create a new category of retail food
facilities called microenterprise home kitchens (MHKs), allowing
home cooks to sell directly to the public through an internet
website or mobile application.
The Legislature has agreed on a plan to allocate approximately
$1.46 billion in Cap & Trade revenues from the Greenhouse Gas
Reduction Fund for FY 18-19. The expenditure plan reflects months
of negotiations between the Legislature, Administration and
advocates. It includes a significant investment in CAL Fire
geared at fire prevention and the reduction of greenhouse gases
(GHG) from catastrophic wildfire.
CSAC has long supported providing an efficient and effective
alternative to disposing of home-generated “sharps” and old
medications in the trash. Syringes, pen needles, and
lancets pose a danger to the environment, public health and
for garbage handlers.
SB 212 (Jackson) would establish a comprehensive
statewide take-back system for sharps and medications.
