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SR-510-003 (3) --- . 10-8 JUl 2 8 1992 California . 5/ CJ- 06) 3 GS:SES:TD:RG:srre Council Meeting: July 28, 1992 Santa Monica, ~UG 4 'i992 To: Mayor and city council ~ CJ ./ -.J From: city staff subject: Recommendation to Hold Final Public Hearing and Formally Adopt the city of Santa Monica's Source Reduction and Recycling Element and Household Hazardous Waste Element and To support The California Materials Exchange (CALMAX) program INTRODUCTION This report recommends the holding of a final public hearing and that City council formally adopt the City's Source Reduction and Recycling Element (SRRE) and Household Hazardous Waste Element (HHWE) which are required to be submitted to the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) under the purview of Assembly Bill 939. A preliminary public hearing on the draft documents was held on November 12, 1991. These elements have been designed to continue the city's commitment to enhancing the environment by meeting the state-mandated diversion goals of AB 939 with a fully integrated solid waste management program. The final SRRE and HHWE documents were distributed for public review in advance of this public hearing as required. Review copies have been available to members of the public at Santa Monica libraries and at offices in city Hall. 1 I~-B JUL ) .... "t'''''I....,,^ ~ 3 i,,~i AUG 4 1992 . . In addition, it is recommended that the Council adopt a Resolution in support of the California Materials Exchange (CALMAX) program. specific information on this item is discussed at the end of this report. BACKGROUND In 1989, the state Assembly passed legislation, AB 939, to address various problems associated with the collection and disposal of solid waste (AB 939 has been subsequently clarified and strengthened by AB 1820, AB 888, and AB 2707). The solid waste "crisis" which this legislation is intended to address stems from a decreasing amount of available landfill space in the state, environmental concerns related to the conservation and preservation of natural resources, and the presence of hazardous household products in the waste stream. AB 939 stipulates that every jurisdiction in California is responsible for all the solid waste which is generated within its boundaries. The legislation mandates that 25 percent of this solid waste must be diverted from landfills by 1995 (short term) and that 50 percent must be diverted by the year 2000 (medium term). Any juriSdiction which does not meet these diversion requirements may be subject to a fine of $10,000 for each day of non-compliance, i.e., for each day that the 25 percent or 50 percent diversion requirement is not met. 2 . . The first milestone which has been established by the state towards compliance with AB 939 and the accompanying legislation is the completion of two separate documents: the Source Reduction and Recycling Element (SRRE) and the Household Hazardous Waste Element (HHWE). The SRRE explains in detail how much farther the City of Santa Monica must go to achieve its waste diversion goals and what programs/policies will be implemented to ensure that the goals are reached. The HHWE describes the household hazardous waste problem in Santa Monica and proposes an action plan for reducing the magnitude of the problem between now and the year 2000. Unlike the city's regular solid waste, state legislation does not mandate a specific percentage reduction in the volume of household hazardous waste which is landfilled, although the primary purpose of the HHWE is to identify programs and policies which can achieve both source reduction and diversion of household hazardous waste. AB 939 created a new state agency, the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB), which is responsible for the review and approval of all SRRE and HHWE documents. The City of Santa Monica's submission of both documents has also been coordinated within the L.A County Integrated Waste Management Task Force's Master Plan schedule which is the local jurisdictional entity responsible for formal submission of these documents to the CIWMB. Following Council review and approval of the plans and acceptance by the CIWMB, the city will be required to submit an annual report 3 . . which summarizes progress toward implementation of the adopted plan and achievement of the diversion requirements. PUBLIC REVIEW AND COMMENT Extensive notification and dissemination of information, complying with the extensive public review and comment process which is required by the legislation, has been accomplished throughout the preparation of these documents. As noted, the final elements have been disseminated in advance of this hearing and notice given. Also, in advance of the preliminary public hearing on the draft documents in November / 1991, over fifty copies of the draft documents were distributed to the City Council, members of the Task Force on the Environment I state and County agencies, numerous cities in the region, City Departments, the Neighborhood Support Center and the Chamber of Commerce. Further, City staff held a community meeting on October 28/ 1991 at the Ken Edwards Center. This meeting was advertised in the Outlook and through flyers posted at several locations in the City. Comments that were received during the preliminary draft review process of these elements were addressed and incorporated into the documents as deemed appropriate. These documents were also provided to the Los Angeles County Solid Waste Management Committee, as required. They congratulated the city for its timely preparation of the SRRE document and provided comments limited to issues of regional concern such as cooperation 4 . . with other jurisdictions, disposal capacity, diverted materials, and funding. The Solid Waste Management Committee did not review or comment on the HHWE since they were of the opinion that adequate specific guidelines do not exist for review. After review, the California Integrated Waste Management Board found the HHWE to be "adequate and well presented" and, other than requesting that the appropriate CEQA documents be circulated through the state Clearinghouse for Agency review, had no additional comments. DISCUSSION Source Reduction and Recvcling Element The city of Santa Monica currently generates approximately 129,000 tons of solid waste per year. Commercial and industrial waste comprise 68 percent (88,000 tons) of this total and residential waste comprises 32 percent (41,OOO tons). The draft SRRE indicates that about 22,000 tons of total municipal solid waste are diverted from landfills each year through various City-sponsored and private source reduction and recycling efforts. This amount does not include the very significant amounts of concrete and asphalt that are ground up and recycled by the City/Blue Diamond partnership. Of the remaining 107,000 tons which end up in landfills, City crews collect about 70,000 tons and several private refuse haulers who operate in the City collect the balance of 37,000 tons. Since some 5 . . of these private haulers (pay a fee) dump their loads at the City's refuse transfer station, 84,000 tons are transported by the city each year from the transfer station to three major landfills in Los Angeles County. The remaining 23,000 tons are transported to various landfills in the area by the private refuse haulers. City transfer trailer trucks currently make approximately fifteen daily trips to the landfills from the City's refuse transfer station, with each round trip averaging sixty miles. Through a combination of City-sponsored recycling programs, private recycling programs and source reduction activities, approximately 17 percent of the City's total waste stream (22,000 tons per year) is presently diverted from landfills. Of this total, 10,445 tons are diverted from commercial and industrial establishments and 11,192 tons are diverted from residential occupancies. Santa Monica residents are therefore currently achieving a 27 percent diversion of the residential wastestream. The main emphasis for future recycling and source reduction efforts, as outlined in the SRRE, is therefore directed at the commercial/industrial sector. The draft SRRE contains the following major sections: Goals and Objectives solid Waste Generation Analysis Source Reduction Component Recycling Component composting Component 6 . . special Waste Component Education and Public Information Component Disposal Facility Capacity Component Funding Component Integration Component Each one of these required sections presents a substantial amount of baseline data on present city efforts and comprehensively details the steps which may be taken by the City to move from the present status to achievement of a 25 percent and 50 percent solid waste diversion. To achieve results in the commercial/industrial sector, it will be necessary to require detailed information from each of the 14 or more private refuse collection firms, concerning their baseline data and their plans for achieving the 1995 and 2000 goals. Literally hundreds of possible actions are listed in the SRRE, not all of which can receive the same priority focus by the city due to logistical and financial resource limitations. As the internal and external environment which affects the ability of the City to implement programs continues to change over the next few years, it is important that the entire range of policy options available to the City be considered. An essential function of the SRRE is to comprehensively delineate this menu of options, even though some of them may not be ultimately implemented. Based on present conditions, the following specific programs are believed to present 7 . . the most promise for aChieving the required solid waste diversion. Many will require planning and actions by each of the private haulers in addition to the city. The following programs have been or are proposed to be implemented by 1995: Source Reduction o Implement a fee-for-volume refuse billing system to provide monetary incentives for reducing the volume of solid waste to all categories of city customers o Provide technical assistance to businesses on alternative production techniques or revised purchasing policies which can achieve a significant reduction in the amount of solid waste Recycling o Increase the categories of materials which are collected by the city's recycling program o Increase City recycling services to the commercial sector o Increase recycling services to the mUlti-family sector o Require private refuse haulers to provide recycling services and document achievement of required diversion rates o Construct a materials recovery facility (MRF) composting o Promote backyard composting o Establish a green waste drop-off center o provide separate green waste collection for residential customers 8 . . Household Hazardous Waste Element The problem of hazardous household waste (HHW) is increasingly recognized as a troubling component of the municipal waste stream. In Santa Monica, it is estimated that approximately 1,400 tons of HHW is generated each year by the City's residents. This averages about 61 pounds per year per household or four percent of the total residential solid waste stream and slightly more than one percent of the City's total municipal solid waste. Santa Monica's commitment to HHW management is demonstrated by its current permanent HHW collection facility located at the City Yard, one of the few such facilities in the United states. Approximately 120 tons are collected at the HIDi facility each year, or eight percent of the total HHW in the city's waste stream. Approximately 65-70% of all materials collected are paint and much of this is being recycled and used by a variety of groups. Al though this collection figure appears low, it actually represents a very significant diversion rate when compared to the limited or non- existent programs in other jurisdictions, and also represents a substantial on-going financial investment by the city. The ultimate success of the City's HHW programs, however, is not proposed to be measured by the amount of materials which are diverted but rather by an overall reduction in the total amount of hazardous materials which are purchased and used by households in the City. The Household Hazardous Waste Element therefore presents the following hierarchy for the City'S program efforts: 9 . . o Through pUblic education and information, to promote the use of safer substitutes, management of hazardous materials and generation of household hazardous waste including programs improve household reduce the total o Eliminate, to the maximum extent possible, the illegal dumping of HEW which endangers public health and safety, threatens the City's water supplies and causes ecological damage to Santa Monica Bay o continue to reduce or eliminate entry of HHW into the solid waste stream to protect the integrity of landfills and reduce potential hazards to the environment, the general pUblic and City waste collection personnel o Continue efforts to recycle and reuse most of the materials recovered through the City's HHW collection programs o Through operation of the city's HHW facility and other diversion programs, continue to increase the amount of city HHW diverted by 1995 ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION A Final Initial study and a proposed Negative Declaration have been prepared for the project. The Initial study examined the impacts of the proposed project on the environment and determined that a Negative Declaration should be approved for the project. SUPPORT OF CALIFORNIA MATERIALS EXCHANGE (CALMAX) PROGRAM This staff report also recommends that Council adopt a resolution supporting participation in the California Materials Exchange (CALMAX) Program. This new program is sponsored by the California Integrated Waste Management Board and is designed to help communities increase materials reuse and foster economic 10 . . development. CALMAX publishes a bi-monthly Materials Listing catalog which allows businesses and agencies to advertise unneeded materials as well as materials that they require. Advertising is free and catalogs are distributed free. Exchanges of materials are worked out between the interested businesses which helps them to avoid disposal costs and find new and inexpensive sources for materials. CALMAX offers Santa Monica the opportunity to encourage active resource conservation and AB 939 compliance efforts among businesses in Santa Monica. BUDGET/FISCAL IMPACT There are no budget or fiscal impacts associated with the adoption of the report recommendation. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council hold a public hearing on the final Source Reduction and Recycling Element and the final Household Hazardous Waste Element, hear any public comments, and adopt the Negative Declaration determination and the final documents as per the attached Resolution. In addition, it is recommended that the city Council adopt the attached resolution supporting the California Materials Exchange (CALMAX) program. 11 . . Attachments: A. Source Reduction and Recycling Element B. Household Hazardous Waste Element C. Resolution Adopting SRRE and HHWE D. Resolution Establishing A Materials Reuse and Business Outreach Program In Support of the CALMAX Program Prepared by: stan scholl, Director of General services Jim Buell, Maintenance Manager Craig Perkins, Environmental Programs Manager Tom Dever, Solid Waste Superintendent Brian Johnson, Environmental Programs Coordinator Jon Root, Waste Reduction Coordinator Richard Gonzalez, Sr. Administrative Analyst 12 . . . ~/O-~03 RESOLUTION NO. 8451 (CCS) city of Santa Monica A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ADOPTING THE SOURCE REDUCTION AND RECYCLING ELEMENT AND THE HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE ELEMENT IN COMPLIANCE WITH AB 939 AND RELATED LEGISLATION WHEREAS, the California State Assembly passed AB 939 and related legislation to address various problems associated with the collection and disposal of solid waste including the decreasing amount of available landfill space in the state, environmental concerns related to the conservation and preservation of natural resources, and the presence of hazardous household products in the waste stream; and, WHEREAS, AB 939 stipulates that every jurisdiction in California is responsible for all the solid waste which is generated within its boundaries; and, WHEREAS, AB 939 mandates that 25 percent of this solid waste must be diverted from landfills by 1995 and that 50 percent must be diverted by the year 2000, and further specifies that any jurisdiction which does not neet these diversion requirements nay be subject to a fine of $10,000 for each day of non-compliance; and, WHEREAS, the legislation has required the preparation and completion of two separate documents: the Source Reduction and Recycling Element (SRRE) and the Household Hazardous Waste Element (HHWE); and, . . WHEREAS, the City of santa Monica prepared a draft SRRE and a draft HHWE in 1991 in compliance with the legislative mandates, circulated copies to numerous interested parties including members of the City Council, members of the City's Task Force On The Environment, state and County agencies, numerous cities in the region, City departments, the Neighborhood Support Center and the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce; and, WHEREAS, as part of the extensive public review and comment process, a community meeting was held on October 28, 1991 at a local community center and a preliminary public hearing was held by the City Council on November 12, 1991; and, WHEREAS, Santa Monica's Source Reduction and Recycling and Household Hazardous Waste elements have been designed to continue the City's commitment to the environment by meeting the state-mandated diversion goals of AB 939 with a fully integrated solid waste management program; and, WHEREAS, the SRRE explains in detail how much farther the city of Santa Monica must go to achieve its waste diversion goals and what programs/policies will be implemented to ensure that the goals are reached, and the HmvE describes the household hazardous waste problem in Santa Monica and proposes an action plan for reducing the magnitude of the problem between now and the year 2000; and, WHEREAS, a Final Initial Study was prepared for the SRRE and HHWE proj ect which examined the potential impacts of the proposed project on the environment and determined that a Negative Declaration be approved for the project; and, . . ~mEREAS, the Initial study was circulated through the state Clearinghouse for agency review in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA); and, WHEREAS, a final public hearing was held on July 28, 1992 on the final versions of the Elements, at which time public testimony was invited and received. NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA DOES RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS: section 1. The city council of the City of Santa Monica does hereby adopt the Final Source Reduction and Recycling Element and the Final Household Hazardous Waste Element in compliance with AB 939 and related legislation. Section 2. The city council certifies that the SRRE and the HHWE project was reviewed in accordance with state and city CEQA regulations and guidelines and adopts a Negative Declaration finding no significant environmental impacts associated with the project. section 3. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution, and thenceforth and thereafter the same shall be in full force and effect. APPROVED AS TO FORM: '"\ . ..j. L........ . -?r,,~-~""!""'~~ ~l.~r~~\ fT~' .' " .,. ., f 1 \ ~ ROBERT M. MYERS ~ city Attorney ab939.rso . . Adopted and approved this 4th day of August, 1992. I hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution No. 845l(CCS) was duly adopted by the city council of the City of Santa Monica at a meeting thereof held on August 4, 1992 by the following Council vote: Ayes: Councilmembers: Abdo I Genser, Holbrook, Katz, Olsen, Vazquez, Zane Noes: Councilmembers: None Abstain: Councilmembers: None Absent: Councilmembers: None ATTEST: /~ r" i: t-t:2lh/ b it7~ --- -..:.- Ci ty Clerk / f . . 5/0-0cD3 RESOLUTION NO. 8452(CCS) (CITY COUNCIL SERIES) A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA TO ESTABLISH A MATERIALS REUSE AND BUSINESS OUTREACH POLICY WHEREAS, the volume of material disposed of at the region's landfills has been increasing each year, and WHEREAS, much of the material that enters the waste stream can be reused, recycled, or incorporated into the manufacture of new products, and WHEREAS, City of Santa Monica's participation in and promotion of materials reuse programs can significantly reduce the volume of material entering the waste stream thereby extending the life expectancy of landfills and reducing expenses, and WHEREAS, California State Law requires cities and counties to reduce the volume of material entering landfills by 25% by 1995 and 50% by the year 2000, and WHEREAS, reuse of materials represents an efficient and energy saving technique for reducing the volumes of materials going to the landfill, and WHEREAS, by reusing materials previously discarded or making such material available for reuse, businesses can save money through avoided disposal costs and help stimulate markets for excess materials, and WHEREAS, CALMAX, the California Materials Exchange, is a free statewide service designed to increase reuse of materials, save landfill space, and help businesses find markets for excess or surplus materials. NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA DOES RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. The City council of the City of Santa Monica will cooperate to the greatest extent feasible with businesses in the community to develop strategies for increasing the reuse of materials at all levels of business and local government activity. Section 2. The City businesses in the community participating in a material to these businesses. of Santa Monica will identify the which hold the greatest potential for reuse program and will promote CALMAX ; . . Section 3. All appropriate city departments shall work cooperatively to further the purpose of this resolution and that the city shall incorporate the goals of CALMAX into its economic development process to help stimulate the market for excess and surplus mater~als. section 4. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution, and thenceforth and thereafter the same shall be in full force and effect. APPROVED AS TO FORM: ~t- ~ . "-- . -r::- ROBERT M. MYERS U City Attorney resoref ,f . . Adopted and approved this 4th day of August, 1992. I hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution No. 8452 (CCS) was duly adopted by the City council of the City of Santa Monica at a meeting thereof held on August 4, 1992 by the following Council vote: Ayes: Councilmembers: Abdo, Genser, Holbrook, Katz I Olsen, Vazquez, Zane Noes: Councilmembers: None Abstain: Councilmembers: None Absent: Councilmembers: None ATTEST: h //1'LJ/ J~?~ ? )Jo/~ <-- city...... Clerk / . . 5'"/O-CtOs DATE . ITEM # Wfef2 ELE tetr FILED IN CITY CLERK'S OFFICE . . 5>lO-o 03 DATE , ITEM # .. 50u rc~ FILED IN CITY CLERK'S OFFICE 't~ Mr . . 5/0-.00.3 Santa Monica, California JUL 9-c. GS:SS:TD:JR:sm:alley:word,refuse Council Meeting: July 7, 1992 ,.. ~.n ~,...... i .~~f.. "" ./ FROM: Mayor and city council City Staff TO: SUBJECT: Collection Location for Recyclables INTRODUCTION This report presents information regarding the collection location of recycling containers in the City of Santa Monica's recycling program. The conclusion reached by staff is that greater benefits are realized by both residents and city crews when keeping refuse and recycling collections together in the same location. BACKGROUND In July 1991, the Solid Waste Management Division made several fundamental changes in its refuse and recycling operations. These changes included switching from twice weekly, manual refuse collection to once weekly, semi-automated collection~ changing from a flat fee billing rate to a variable fee billing rate in order to encourage waste reduction ~ increasing recycling collections from once every two weeks to once weekly; and expanding collection. the number of households receiving recycling At the time of implementation, City Council directed staff to consolidate recycling collections in the same location where - I - q-c- _ _ _ _!~L___ _i~_IJ,?l . . refuse is collected. This change meant that in some neighborhoods recycling collections would remain at the front curb, while in other neighborhoods with alleys, recyclables would be collected from the alley. Under the previous collection system all recyclables were placed at the front curb regardless of where refuse was collected. Approximately 60% of all households had their recycling location moved from the curb to the alley under the new system. DISCUSSION The new collection system has been in effect for twelve months. Analysis indicates that there are several benefits to the current collection location for recycled goods. First, there is a considerable convenience factor for residents to place their refuse and recycling containers in the same area for collection. Instead of taking some materials to the front and others to the back, all materials can be set-out at the same location. Second, collection efficiency on the part of the City is also realized because crews do not have to carry multiple containers around parked cars or across busy streets. Fewer incidents of missed set-outs have been reported since moving many of the collections to alleys. Third, collector safety is enhanced by collecting the recyclables in alleys. This is of particular concern along certain streets in the city including Ocean Park Boulevard, pico Boulevard and Montana Avenue. Curbside piCk-Up along these heavily traveled streets is dangerous for collectors as well as - 2 - . . motorists who must stop behind the trucks. Collections in these areas are considerably safer from the alley than from the street. A survey of 8 cities was conducted to assess their policies regarding collection point of recyclables (Alhambra, Burbank, Carson, Claremont, Hermosa Beach, Pasadena, Torrance, Rancho Palos Verdes). All cities contacted said that recyclables are collected from the same location as refuse, regardless of whether that is at the curb or in the alley. The primary argument against the alley collection point is that theft is more likely to occur in alleys because scavengers cannot be seen as easily as they can from the street. While staff acknowledges that scavenging is a problem in the recycling program, we do not concur that the problem is the result of locating collections in the alley. During the week of June 15-19, 1992, an analysis was conducted to determine if there is a difference in the volume of recyclables collected from the curbside and alley collection points. During this period, virtually no difference was seen in what had been collected from curbside set-outs and alley set-outs. It should be noted that since the beginning of Santa Monica's recycling program 12 years ago, scavenging has been a problem to varying degrees. The rule of thumb is that as the value of recyclables increases, so too does scavenging. When scrap values deCline, scavenging also declines. In turn, the current depressed economic situation has likely contributed to increased scavenging. During the survey of local cities, most staff - :3 - . . members asserted that the problem of illegal scavenging in their city is difficult to stop and that the location of materials plays little role in deterring scavenging. Despite the fact that scavenging is a problem, collection figures from July 1991 through April 1992 I indicate that 4600 tons of recycled materials were collected compared to 4200 tons during the same period in the prior year. This indicates that a greater amount of material is being recycled this year than in the past due to increased participation and program expansion. During the past twelve months, staff has not received any complaints regarding inconvenience of the new system and has received only six complaints from residents concerned about an increase in illegal scavenging due to the relocation of some recycling collections to the alleys. To help deter scavenging, Recycling staff will continue to respond to complaints from the public during the day by sending the crew supervisor to the particular area where a scavenger has been reported. If the scavenger is found, a warning will be issued to that individual. Staff will also continue to send out warning letters to scavengers when complaints received from the public provide enough information to identify the scavenger. staff is also in the process of installing anti-theft scoops on the inside of the large recycling bins to prevent scavenging. The state of California has recognized the need to prevent illegal scavenging from municipal recycling programs in order to achieve diversion compliance under AB 939. On January 1, 1992, a - 4 - . . new law took effect CAB 1707) which allows cities to recover damages of up to $1000 per violation from illegal scavenging. This new state law may present the City with an opportunity to significantly diminish illegal scavenging. FINANCIAL/BUDGET IMPACTS There are no financial impacts as a result of this staff report, unless changes in collection are directed which make costs greater or increase worker safety costs. RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that no modifications to the recycling collection points be made at this time. Prepared by: stan Scholl, Director of General Services Tom Dever, Solid Waste Superintendent Jon Root, Waste Reduction Coordinator (alley) - 5 -