SR-100-002 (26)
EPWM:CP:BJ:NS:AB1612.doc
Council Meeting: June 21, 2005 Santa Monica, California
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Santa Monica Authorizing
the Mayor to Submit on Behalf of the City Council a Letter of Support for
Assembly Bill 1612, The Cigarette Pollution and Litter Prevention Act of
2005
Introduction
This report recommends that the City Council adopt the attached resolution authorizing
the Mayor to submit a letter to the California Legislature in support of Assembly Bill
1612, the Cigarette Pollution and Litter Prevention Act of 2005 (the Act). If passed, the
Act would create the Cigarette Pollution Prevention and Litter Fund (the Fund). The
Fund would be administered by the State Board of Equalization and would provide
funds to local and state government agencies to offset costs associated with litter
cleanup and help mitigate cigarette pollution.
Background
There are approximately four million smokers in California who annually consume an
estimated 1.2 billion packs of cigarettes, or approximately 22 billion cigarettes. Pollution
and litter from these cigarettes and their remnants pose a significant and growing cost
to taxpayers, public health and the environment. While cigarettes have long been
recognized as a source of air pollution and harm to human health, only recently has
attention begun to focus on discarded cigarettes as a source of water pollution.
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Litter studies have consistently found discarded cigarette filters to be the single most
commonly littered item on beaches, parks and roadways, accounting for over 20% of
items collected. Over the last 20 years of the state’s annual coastal cleanup program,
cigarette butts have been found to be the most commonly littered item, and in recent
years have accounted for nearly 40% of items littered on California beaches.
Cigarettes and other litter discarded on our streets are regularly flushed into the storm
drain system by rain and other run-off into rivers and the ocean via drain inlets and pipe
networks. Litter in waterways degrades water quality, wildlife habitat, and the
recreational enjoyment of rivers, bays, and beaches. There are 1,400 chemical
additives potentially found in cigarettes, of which 60 are known human carcinogens,
including arsenic, formaldehyde, chromium. These chemicals accumulate in cigarette
filters, which are very slow to degrade and which leach the residual chemicals into the
environment. Toxicological data has shown that these chemicals from discarded
cigarette filters are capable of damaging aquatic ecosystems. Nicotine itself is a
powerful insecticide and has been shown to be lethal to species of fish, crustaceans,
zooplankton, and other aquatic organisms.
Discussion
Efforts to reduce and cleanup cigarette pollution and litter are resulting in significant new
costs for public agencies and taxpayers. Public agencies in California are already
spending over one billion dollars annually on litter cleanup. Cigarette litter is a significant
contributor to storm drain trash in California.
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The objective of this legislation is to impose a fee on every purchase of cigarettes
sufficient to offset cigarettes’ fair share of current and future taxpayer costs of cigarette
pollution and litter cleanup, along with efforts to prevent it. It is anticipated that a fee
level in the 10 to 20 cents per pack range will be needed to address the cigarette litter
problem. If 1.2 billion packs of cigarettes are sold in California annually, then a 10 cent
fee would generate approximately $120 million annually.
Budget/Financial Impact
In the event Assembly Bill 1612 is adopted and signed, the City may expect to receive
proceeds from the Fund to reimburse the City for some costs associated with litter
control and abatement. The amount of funds the City would receive cannot be
determined at this time.
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the attached resolution authorizing the
Mayor to submit a letter of support to the State Legislature for AB1612, the Cigarette
Pollution and Litter Prevention Act of 2005.
Prepared by: Craig Perkins, Director, Environmental and Public Works Management
Brian Johnson, Manager, Environmental Programs Division
Neal Shapiro, Senior Administrative Analyst
Attachment: See Adopted Resolution No. 10042 (CCS)
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