TO: Honorable Board of Directors
FROM: Steven Lederer - Manager Upper Valley Waste Management Agency
REPORT BY: Amanda Griffis - Environmental Resource Specialist
SUBJECT: California Integrated Waste Management Act
RECOMMENDATION
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CALIFORNIA INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT ACT
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION: Staff to provide an update on the status of activities relevant to the Act.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
WASTE REDUCTION, RECYCLING, HAZARDOUS WASTE PROGRAMS UPDATE
Hazardous Waste Collections - Upper Valley Waste Management Agency (UVWMA) held a hazardous waste (HW), electronic waste (e-waste) and paper shredding event on Saturday November 4. A HW event for businesses was held on Friday November 3. UVWMA’s HW collections contractor, Clean Earth, collected HW dropped off by the public. Upper Valley Disposal & Recycling (UVD&R) collected e-waste, a subcontractor of UVD&R provided paper shredding. E-waste collection and paper shredding was provided at no additional cost, due to the franchise agreement with UVD&R. UVWMA staff have received and paid for the invoice for this event, the cost totaled $29,133.50. Included in the cost is mobilization of Clean Earth for the temporary event and disposal of collected hazardous wastes.
One business made an appointment and paid for disposal of hazardous materials on Friday, November 3. On Saturday November 4, residents from each of the UVWMA member communities participated in the household HW collection. See Attachment A - 2023 Calistoga Event Data for survey data from the event.
Staff are working to schedule the spring HW collection events for Friday April 26 1:00pm - 4:00pm (business) and Saturday April 27 8:00am - 1:00pm (residential), to take place at the Upper Valley Compost & Recycling Yard. New this year e-waste collection and paper shredding will be provided for residents during the April 27 event. Residents may also pick up compost at no charge during the April 27 event.
Napa Vallejo Waste Management Authority (NVWMA) will be putting the HW collections agreement out to bid in the spring. UVWMA secures a separate contract for HW collections but relies on NVWMA for their HW expertise. NVWMA will include UVWMA services in their RFP. Selecting the same HW services vendor as NVWMA allows for consistent services throughout Napa County. Updates on the new agreement will be provided at a future board meeting.
Sharps and Medications Disposal - SB 212 requires pharmaceutical companies to pay for a statewide medication and sharps take back program. SB 212 was approved by the Office of Administrative Law on January 7, 2021. The regulations were effective immediately. Manufacturers are required to run statewide stewardship programs that provide safe and convenient disposal options for pharmaceutical and home-generated sharps waste at no cost to the consumer. Medication collections will be available in receptacles and via pre-paid mail back options at no cost to consumers. Sharps will be collected via a secure mail back container at no cost to consumers. Secure sharps mail back containers are to be provided at the point of sale or with five days by stewardship programs and containers can also be requested online. More information can be found online at: https://calrecycle.ca.gov/epr/pharmasharps/
In addition to the above-mentioned stewardship programs, up-valley residents may drop-off sharps at Ole Health offices at 1222 Pine St. Suite A, in St. Helena or 911 Washington St. in Calistoga during regular business hours. Clean Earth accepts non-controlled medications and sharps at up-valley hazardous waste collection events. Clover Flat Landfill accepts sharps at no charge during regular business hours. A medication collection bin is located at the St. Helena, Calistoga and Yountville Police Department; non-controlled and controlled medications are accepted. Up valley residents can pick up a free sharps container at; Silverado Pharmacy in Calistoga, Ole Health in St. Helena and Calistoga, Smiths Pharmacy in St. Helena and the PHHWCF in south Napa County.
An unused medications and sharps collection event was held on October 28, 2023. There were six locations countywide: including Calistoga, St Helena and Yountville. In south Napa County, there were collection sites at Kaiser in the City of Napa, the Napa County Sheriff Department office and the American Canyon Police Department. Weights of medications collected: Calistoga 234 lbs., Yountville 47 lbs. and St Helena 261 lbs. 38-gal containers for sharps were provided to each up-valley location. Calistoga, St Helena and Yountville filled a total of 4 containers.
The DEA funds medication disposal costs. Napa County Sheriff staff transported all collected medications from the up-valley sites to the destruction location. UVWMA funded pick up and disposal costs for the sharps collected up valley but were later reimbursed by one of SB 212’s program operators, Inmar.
Beverage Container Recycling Program - UVWMA applies as a regional agency for payments that CalRecycle issues for beverage container recycling programs. Staff uses the $25,000 of funds for beverage container recycling and litter reduction activities. Examples include the purchase of recycling bins for public buildings, community parks, main streets, businesses, schools and public gathering areas, recycling at public and private events, and related publicity and education. UVWMA staff completed the application for the “FY 2023-24” funding cycle in January 2024, the application has been recommended for payment and payment is expected to arrive in the spring. Funds for this cycle can be expended between April 2024 and March 1, 2026.
UVWMA staff have begun researching an additional funding opportunity to provide more locations for CRV redemption. CalRecycle’s Beverage Container Redemption Pilot Project Grant Program’s goal is to support start-up costs for recycling programs, which shall be limited to recycling centers, satellite recycling, reverse-vending machines, or bag drop programs. UVWMA staff are exploring a grant application for CRV reverse vending machines, placed at convenient locations for the public throughout up valley. UVWMA staff will be reaching out to member jurisdiction staff regarding interest in placement of a reverse vending machine on jurisdiction property.
CalRecycle - UVWMA have completed an application for the second cycle of CalRecycle’s SB 1383 Local Assistance Grant Program. UVWMA staff prepared a proposed budget for the application. Funds were proposed to be used for: organics capacity planning, multifamily outreach and onboarding, interior compost bins for the business assistance program and organics product (compost) procurement. The funding estimate for UVWMA is $300,000 and funds can be used between award date (potentially March 2024) and April 2026.
UVWMA has been assigned a new CalRecycle Local Assistance and Market Development (LAMD) Contact, LAMD’s serve as a liaison between UVWMA and other CalRecycle program areas as well as provide assistance when requested. Our new LAMD contact is Adrianna Saliot and her email is Adrianna.Saliot@calrecycle.ca.gov
In January, UVWMA provided CalRecycle with an update on MORe (AB 1826) compliance at the request of CalRecycle. Overall UVWMA is 76% compliant with AB 1826, compliance is based on if a business has compost service with UVDS or if it is known that a business self-hauls organic materials.
Also, in January, Napa County received notice from CalRecycle that Napa County’s 5-year CIWMP Review Report has been reviewed and found to meet requirements. It is anticipated it will be considered for approval through CalRecycle’s Materials Management and Local Assistance Deputy Director’s action in February.
Business Assistance Program - UVWMA and UVDS offer free assistance to any business requesting help in improving waste version, it is also available to any business working to become complaint with SB 1383 and is often offered in the initial direct outreach to businesses who are notified they are not compliant with SB 1383. Assistance includes: a walk through to assess needs, UVDS suggested service changes to allow for compliance with SB 1383, recycling and composting interior bins, staff trainings, interior and exterior signs, interior bins stickers and on going support. Businesses may request assistance by calling UVDS at 707-963-7988 or emailing UVWMA at upvalleyrecycles@countyofnapa.org.
SB 1383 Implementation - UVWMA and UVD&R continue work together to reach out individually via phone, email and site visit to non-compliant accounts to provide education and assistance with meeting organics recycling requirements. In January, a letter describing SB 1383 and how to comply with the regulations was sent to all commercial accounts, the letter included a copy of the commercial recycling guide. An example letter is included as Attachment B - SB 1383 Commercial Letter.
Jurisdictions are required to enforce upon non complaint entities beginning in 2024. Sam’s Social Club, within Indian Springs Calistoga, received a SB 1383 Notice of Violation in January due to organics in their trash (landfill) compactor. UVWMA staff do not take enforcement actions but are required to keep records of enforcement actions taken for annual reporting to CalRecycle.
UVWMA and Napa County staff are collaborating on a commercial that will inform/remind residents on placing organic materials in compost carts. The commercials will be 15 and 30 seconds, English and Spanish, and air only in City of Calistoga, City of St Helena, Town of Yountville and selected unincorporated Napa County areas via streaming services on TV’s. The commercial is funded by the first cycle of the CalRecycle SB 1383 local assistance grant.
UVWMA continues to collaborate with Napa County and City of Napa on countywide food recovery efforts, with Napa County taking the lead. UVWMA staff have sent out notifications to all Tier 1 and Tier 2 mandated donors and fielded questions from mandated donors. UVWMA staff are working with Napa County on a MOU to conduct SB 1383 required Tier 1 and Tier 2 inspections that are required by SB 1383.
UVWMA staff are collaborating with Napa County and City of Napa on plans to release funding to expand edible food recovery capacity. This will likely be in the form of a Notice of Funds Available (NOFA) from Napa County, applicants will be required to complete an application, a scoring panel will be established to review, funding recommendations will be made to the Napa County Board of Supervisors and the Board of Supervisors will award funding. Staff expect the NOFA to be released in February 2024 (tentative).
UVWMA plans to procure organic products (compost) on behalf of member jurisdictions to meet 2024 targets. SB 1383 local assistance grant funding will be used to pay for compost purchases.
Zero Waste Event Support - UVWMA staff have created and made available a Request for Zero Waste Event Support application. The purpose of the form is to request from UVWMA a one-time reimbursement of up to $250 for efforts relating to making events that are free and open to the public zero or low waste. Reimbursements for the following items will be considered: temporary recycling and/or compost service, temporary bins for waste sorting stations, clear bags for recycling or compostable bags for compost, compostable service ware and signs for bins. The application was included in the October 2022 agenda packet, requests can be made via email to upvalleyrecycles@countyofnapa.org.
Upper Valley Disposal & Recycling, as well as waste sorting stations. Estimated event attendance was over 500 and the diversion rate was 87%. A photo of the coordinators of the zero-waste portion of the event is included as Attachment C - Up Valley Family Center.
Home Composting Workshops - Workshop co-sponsors, UVWMA, Napa County, City of Napa, and Napa County.
Master Gardeners are working to schedule countywide 2024 workshop dates. The up-valley workshop for 2024 has been scheduled for May 18, 2024, at the up-valley campus. This early scheduling will allow for extra promotion of the event in the Up Valley College spring schedule. The up-valley compost workshop will be a dual workshop again, where attendees choose to either learn about backyard composting or worm composting.
FISCAL & STRATEGIC PLAN IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
No |
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed action is not a project as defined by 14 California Code of Regulations 15378 (State CEQA Guidelines) and therefore CEQA is not applicable.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
None