2000 Accomplishments and Priorities

California Integrated Waste Management Board

The six-member California Integrated Waste Management Board is responsible for protecting the public's health and safety and the environment through management of the estimated 56 million tons of solid waste generated in California each year.

Accomplishments During the Second Half of 2000

1. Strategic Planning. The Board developed a structure and process for updating the 1997 Strategic Plan, and has scheduled a public workshop for stakeholder input in mid-February 2001. 
2. Facility Compliance Loan Program: The Budget Act of 1999 authorized $1.44 million and the FY 2000/2001 Budget Bill included an additional $1.44 million for interest-free loans to assist owners and/or operators of solid waste facilities with environmental compliance. In June of 2000, staff sent a Notice of Funding Availability to approximately 1,500 interested parties, including LEAs, landfill operators, landowners, and local governments. The FCLP received fourteen applications requesting funds amounting to over $5 million. The Loan Program Review Panel members completed analysis of the loan applications and provided scores using the Board-approved FCLP Scoring Criteria. Five of the fourteen applications were disqualified as unable to meet the basic criteria of the program. The remaining nine applications request a total of over $4 million.

At the December 12, 2000 Board meeting, loans were approved for the following projects (for a total of approximately $1.09 million):

• Black Butte Landfill
• Tehama County/Red Bluff Sanitary Landfill
• City of Santa Cruz Sanitary Landfill

The remaining five applications will be considered at the Board’s January 23, 2001 meeting.

3. Closed Illegal and Abandoned (CIA) Site Program. The CIA Site Enforcement Program is being implemented as approved. This program is designed to enhance the identification, assessment, enforcement, and cleanup of CIA sites.
4. Interactive Permit Toolbox. Staff has accomplished the following activities in the development of an on-line, interactive permitting tool to assist stakeholders who are applying for or processing a Solid Waste Facility Permit:

• Successful presentation of permit toolbox model at LEA Roundtables and LEA Conference.
• Completion of partial Web site for LEA trial at LEA Conference Web-demo booth.
• Finalized Web site file directory structure, and menu layout structure.

5. Sustainable Building. Governor Davis signed Executive Order D-16-00 on August 2, 2000 that established a sustainable building goal to site, design, deconstruct, construct, renovate, operate and maintain buildings that are models of energy, water and materials efficiency, while providing healthy, productive and comfortable indoor environments and long-term benefits. The Green Building Task Force is spearheading efforts to customize the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system for state construction. Also, the Board joined the Collaborative for High Performance Schools and participated in efforts that received one of the Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Awards.
6. Buy-Recycled Campaign: At the June 20-21, 2000 meeting the Board decided not to award a contract for the proposed public awareness campaign. This decision was reached as a result of last-minute changes in the FY 2000-01 budget that eliminated funding flexibility that would have allowed the Board to allocate additional funding to the proposed contract for advertising in successive years.
7. Waste Tire Program.

• SB 876 (Escutia). The Governor, on September 29, 2000, signed SB 876, which restructures the Board’s waste tire management program and increases the fee from $0.25 to $1.00 per tire.
• Filbin Tire Site. To date, the Board’s contractor has removed over 15,000 tons of tires and debris material from the Filbin Tire Site in Westley. This includes 4731 tons of partially burned tires and other residue removed since August. DTSC and MELP and its contractor have removed another 10,000 tons of contaminated soil and oily residue from Ponds #1, 3, and 4. Winterization of the site was completed; grading roads and drainage, strengthening pond walls, and creating storm water diversion and holding capacity. The Board has expended over $3 million to date on this site.
• Royster Tire Fire Site in Tracy. The Board approved expenditure of up to $364,000. The Board’s contractor, NORCAL, is quenching the last smoldering pockets of burning tires. Testing and site characterization work will determine the extent of contamination.

8. State Agency Integrated Waste Management Plans (IWMP). AB 75 (Strom-Martin) requires a 25 percent reduction in State government waste sent to landfills by January 1, 2002 and 50 percent by January 1, 2004, and the development of a plan (IWMP) explaining how this will be achieved. The Board’s primary focus in the implementation of AB 75 has been on the review and approval of the IWMPs submitted by State agencies, CSU colleges, and community colleges. Approximately 430 plans have been received as of late 2000. To date, one hundred and fifty plans have been evaluated and approved by the Board.
9. Biennial Review of Jurisdictions’ Progress in Implementing Diversion Programs. At least every two years the Board reviews the Source Reduction and Recycling Element (SRRE) and Household Hazardous Waste Management Element (HHWE) of each jurisdiction’s Integrated Waste Management Plan. Sixty-five jurisdictions that failed to implement their 1995/1996 SRRE and/or HHWE were put on compliance schedules in 1999 to implement those elements. By the end of December 2000, 25 of the jurisdictions had met the requirements of their compliance schedules, and the Board had completed and approved 396 of the 448 1997/1998 biennial reviews.
10. Integrated Education Strategy. The Board developed and began implementation of a nationally acclaimed curriculum and education program.

• Web Site and Curriculum Development. Through a unified and coordinated effort, the Board has further developed the interactive Web site for the Closing the Loop (CTL) elementary curriculum. Story decision lists and activities, flow diagrams and script have been completed. CTL and Earth Resources samplers have been completed, providing sample lessons for the curricula. Samplers are used for marketing purposes, and are also placed on the Board’s Web site to be available to teachers. Documents that correlate each lesson to the new standards for language arts, math, science, and social studies, showing teachers that they can meet the new standards using the Board’s curricula, have also been completed.
• Border Efforts. Board staff began work with contacts in Mexico. Water education, hazardous and household hazardous waste, and pollution prevention were identified as topics of greatest importance. Board staff has compiled an anthology of lessons that will include these topics, with materials to be translated into Spanish.

11. State of Landfills Study. The Board began the study process by initiating an outreach effort to alert and educate RWQCBs, Air Districts, LEAs, and MSW landfill owners/operators about the purpose of the pending study and the need for their cooperation.

Board staff developed a general press release for distribution by the study's contractor, GeoSyntec Consultants. The first phase of the study includes a comprehensive inventory of existing MSW landfills, assessing their environmental performance across the media of air, water, and gas. GeoSyntec estimates that under this first phase they have reviewed MSW landfill records at approximately 25 percent of the LEAs, 50 percent of the RWQCBs, and 20 percent of the air districts.

12. Information/Knowledge Management. The Board is continuing to build upon its initial efforts providing information from numerous databases in one centralized location. An example is the California Waste Stream Profiles, providing an easy to use and access Internet location for summary data from numerous databases on solid waste issues in California. Additionally, an effort is underway to review and build Quality Assurance and Control protocols for existing and new data. These efforts are expected to continue to improve the Board’s ability to quickly respond to both internal and external clients with accurate and useful information.
13. Solid Waste Cleanup Program. The Board approved nine projects (two matching grants, two illegal disposal site grants, and five Board-managed cleanups) for funding under the Solid Waste Cleanup Program. Board costs were estimated to be approximately $2 million, with an additional $1.9 million in monetary or service contributions from local governments and responsible parties. In addition, six Board-managed projects were completed during the second half of 2000.
14. Solid Waste Facility Permit Process and Issue Workshops. Solid Waste Facility Permit Process and Issue Workshops were held to:

• Provide Board Members with baseline information of the solid waste facility permit process.
• Provide a comprehensive response to Board Members questions and concerns relative to the permit process.
• Provide an opportunity for policy discussions separate from permit actions.
• Begin the process of evaluating current policies, regulations, and statutes for consistency with current Board objectives; for effectiveness; and to identify areas requiring improvement.

The Board directed staff to review the Long Term Violation Policy and the Permit Enforcement Policy relative to permit processing and to make recommendations to the Board.

15. Recycling Market Development Zone (RMDZ) Loan Funding. The RMDZ loan program approved approximately $6.5 million in loans to businesses involved in recycling.
16. School Playground Safety and Recycling Act Grants. At its November 2000 meeting, the Board awarded $1,995,000 to 90 applicants for the Playground Safety and Recycling Act Grant Program. This grant program provides funds to school districts to upgrade older playgrounds to meet new safety standards using recycled content equipment and surfacing. Up to $25,000 was available per applicant providing a 50% match.
17. Used Oil Program Grants. In September the Board awarded $12.2 million and approved changes to streamline the Block Grant program. In October and November, the Board awarded grants to 20 non-profit organizations for a total of $3.5 million to support local used oil collection programs

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Priorities for the First Half of 2001

1. Long Term Violation Policy. In July 1994, the Board adopted a policy and procedure to consider in determining concurrence in or objection to a proposed solid waste facility permit when a state minimum standard violation exists. In particular the procedure applies to long-term violations with no threat to the environment, public health and safety. At the November 2000 meeting, the Board directed staff to review this policy and prepare a report for their consideration containing recommendations on policy options, with particular focus on the meaning of the phrases: “threat to the environment and public health” and “the operator do what could be done to correct the violation.” This report is expected in the first half of 2001.
2. Permit Enforcement Policy. In November 1990, the Board adopted a Permit Enforcement Policy clarifying that permits have limits and that exceeding them is a violation requiring an enforcement action. The policy only applies to permit violations. The policy was established to allow a Local Enforcement Agency (LEA) to address outdated permits by writing a Notice and Order requiring the operator to apply for a revision to the permit while allowing a facility to continue to operate outside the terms and conditions of the existing permit. On August 9, 2000, the Board directed staff to form a workgroup to discuss whether the Board needs to continue this policy. Additionally, the Board directed staff to come back with a proposal for changing this policy if necessary. Staff have formed a workgroup consisting of representatives from Board Members’ offices, Board staff, industry, environmental groups and LEAs. Recommendations are expected to be presented to the Board in the first half of 2001.
3. Regulations for Solid Wastes Disposed at Class 1 Hazardous Waste Disposal Facilities. Statute requires that facilities accepting both hazardous waste and other solid waste must obtain a solid waste facility permit and a hazardous waste facility permit. Board staff were directed to develop regulations to place hazardous waste disposal facilities accepting nonhazardous, nonputrescible waste into the registration tier. In January 2000, the Board directed staff to develop emergency regulations, and subsequently, permanent regulations to place those particular wastes into the Board’s regulatory tier system -- at a minimum, the registration tier. At the Board’s May 2000 meeting, the Board adopted the emergency regulations, which took effect October 1, 2000. Staff have prepared the package for permanent regulations and this issue is to be considered by the Board in early 2001.
4. Biennial Diversion Programs Review. Board staff plans to complete 50 of the 52 remaining 1997/1998 SRRE/HHWE biennial reviews by May 2001. All but two of the 40 jurisdictions that will still be on a compliance schedule for implementing their SRRE/HHWE after December 2000 will come before the Board by the end of May 2001; the results of those jurisdictions’ 1997/1998 biennial reviews will also be considered at that time. The other two jurisdictions will remain on a compliance schedule during 2001 for program implementation. The Board also expects the first applications for time extensions for meeting the 50% diversion requirement to be submitted as part of each jurisdiction’s 2000 Annual Report.
5. Integrated Education Strategy. Board staff will be focused on the following priority environmental education efforts:

• California Science Teachers Association Web Partnership. Board staff will develop the scope of work for the California Science Teachers Association Web partnership. The partnership will produce case studies on environmental themes that can be downloaded by secondary teachers. Top science teachers will be working with Cal/EPA technical staff to develop the case studies; the first pilot case study will be a waste management issue.
• Border Education. The Border Education effort will continue to translate the anthology of lessons for Closing the Loop and other curricula into Spanish. In addition, a central workshop will be held at the University of Baja in May.
• State Plan for Environmental Education. State Superintendent Eastin’s Environmental Education Steering Committee has joined the Golden State Environmental Education Consortium to produce a state plan for Environmental Education. Eleven listening sessions will be held around the state in the spring to obtain input from constituents about a focus for Environmental Education, priorities and future directions. Superintendent Eastin will host a follow-up summit on Environmental Education in June to finalize the plan.

6. Biomass Conversion Technologies. The Board plans to explore biomass conversion technologies (such as hydrolysis and gasification) and related issues by holding a major statewide conference in Spring/Summer 2001. It also will continue participating in an informal State interagency biomass task force and will prepare the annual Cal/EPA report to the Legislature on the implementation of cost-shifting strategies for the biomass industry.
7. Strategic Plan. The Board is currently evaluating data gathered through various efforts to identify any gaps in the information. Planning is also underway for stakeholder meetings to validate our assessment data and obtain additional input. The focus is on developing a high level policy-oriented strategic plan for Board adoption at the May 2001 Board meeting.
8. Waste Tire Program. The Board anticipates the following tire site activities in the first half of 2001:

• Filbin Tire Fire Site. The Board will continue to remove debris from the Filbin Tire Fire Site in Westley. Characterization of the extent of the contamination from oil and ash residues will commence in the spring or summer, depending on funding availability. Once characterization is completed, a remediation plan will be developed.
• Royster Tire Fire Site. The Board will continue to characterize the extent of the contamination from oil and ash residues at the Royster Tire Fire Site in Tracy, and will develop a plan to remediate the site.
• Five-Year Plan. To implement SB 876, Board staff will develop the Five-Year Plan for submittal to the Legislature in the spring of 2001. The draft plan will be brought to the Board for consideration at its February meeting. 

9. Electronic Wastes. Special Waste Division staff is part of an interdivisional team to address the issues surrounding recycling and proper management of electronic wastes. The huge number of computers and televisions that will become obsolete in the next few years make this an increasingly high priority. Cal/EPA and U.S.EPA are also working on this issue.
10. Paint/Antifreeze Management Plan. Staff is working on a plan to address used paint and antifreeze management issues. A Task Force consisting of representatives from local government and industry was convened to investigate the problem and develop recommendations. A matrix of potential options was presented to the Board in August and final recommendations will be presented in January 2001.
11. Recycling Market Development Zone (RMDZ) Loan Funding. The remaining $3.5 million in the RMDZ subaccount will be approved for loans in the first half of 2001. To secure additional long term funding for the program, the Board established a Loan Program Leveraging Working Group composed of various stakeholders. An agenda item will be taken to the Board on short-term program funding options in January 2001.

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