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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 08211990 - IO.12 I.0.-12 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Contra FROM: INTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEECosta August 13 , 1990 .0. a County DATE: SUBJECT; REPORT ON THE PROPOSED FORMATION OF A TASK FORCE ON COMPOST SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS: 1 . Create a Task Force on Compost as a technically oriented group which can advise both the Integrated Waste Management Task Force and the Board of Supervisors on issues regarding composting as a method of recycling and reducing the volume of solid waste which must be disposed of to landfills. 2. The Task Force on Compost should be composed of the following types of organizations: A. Representatives of industries which produce products from organic material, such as Proctor and Gamble. B. University and extension service experts. C. Waste collection service and disposal facilities' operators. D. A representative from each operator of a transfer station in the County. E. Agricultural organizations. F. Public service organizations. G. Park/recreation, land development, and other potential user groups. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT:YeS YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR -RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD CO MITTEE APPROVE OTHER I �� 011k 6zmr��_ SIGNATURE(S): SUNNE WRIG�cP�a TOM OWERS ACTION OF BOARD ON August 21, 1990 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER X DEFERRED decision to September 18, 1990 on proposed establishment of a Task Force on Compost; and REFERRED the matter to the Integrated Waste Management Task Force for review. VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT III, I V AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THEDATE SHOWN. CC: Catherine Kutsuris, CDD ATTESTED ^�'� T'• 1990 County Administrator PHIL BAT ELOR.CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BY � ,DEPUTY IM382 (10/88) H. A representative from the County Integrated Waste Management Task Force. 3 . The Task Force on Compost should be staffed by the Community Development Department. The Community Development Director should be directed to return to our Committee on September 24, 1990 with the proposed composition of such a Task Force. The report should also outline a proposed role and charge for the Task Force, based on the outline included in Mr. Zahn' s memorandum to our Committee dated June 11, 1990. This role should include advising the Board of Supervisors and Integrated Waste Management Task Force on the development of the Source Reduction and Recycling Element of the AB 939 Plan for the unincorporated area of the County. BACKGROUND: The Board of Supervisors on April 17, 1990, approved a recommendation originated by the Plastics Recycling Task Force that a Task Force on Compost be established and that the matter be referred to staff, the Environmental Affairs Committee, Internal Operations Committee and Solid Waste Commission for comments. The Environmental Affairs Committee concluded that a Task Force on Compost should assist the AB 939 process. The Solid Waste Commission recommended that the Board of Supervisors delegate the role of the Task Force on Compost to the Integrated Waste Management Task Force. Our Committee recognizes that a referral to the Integrated Waste Management Task Force might be appropriate if the County had sufficient time to allow the Task Force to address this issue as well as all of the other AB 939 issues. However, staff to the Integrated Waste Management Task Force admitted that the Task Force could not begin to adequately address the composting issue within the next twelve months. We are therefore recommending that the Board of Supervisors establish a separate Task Force in order to speed up the work on this subject. At this point, we are simply asking that the Board agree to establish such a Task Force and ask the Community Development Department staff to return to our Committee with specific suggestions for appointments to the Committee and a charge to the Committee. Attached as additional background information is Mr. Zahn' s memorandum of June 11, 1990. • CONTRA COSTA COUNTY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO: Internal Operations Committee DATE: June 11, 1990 Supervisor Sunne Wright McPeak Supervisor Tom Powers FROM: Charles A. Zahn Assistant Director SUBJECT: Staff Report on Board of Supervisors' Proposal to Establish a Task Force on Compost ALTERNATIVES In the context that a) Contra Costa County and the cities are obligated by AB 939 to develop Source Reduction and Recycling Elements (as components of County Integrated Waste Management Plans) between January 1, and July 1, 1991; b) that composting must be a significant means of recycling in these plans and, c) that the local Integrated Waste Management Plans are already being prepared under the guidance of the .Integrated Waste Management Task Force established by the Board of Supervisors, the Board's primary alternatives for establishing a Task Force for Compost appear to be: 1. Establish a Task Force on Compost with a Countywide scope of interest. To avoid duplication of effort, a task_ force with this role should assist the County Integrated Waste Management Task Force (IWMTF) . In this capacity it, would advise County government in the preparation of AB 939 plan components for the unincorporated area as well as advise the cities. Its creation would require the County IWMTF's concurrence and cooperation. The Board's proposal has not been referred to the County IWMTF -- which did not hold its first meeting until May 16th. 1 If the Board wishes to establish a task force addressing composting throughout the County, the Board should arrange (through staff) for the matter to be placed on the County IWMTF's agenda for consideration, and a Board representative should present it to the task force. This might be done in time for the task force's July 2Dth meeting. lA:. 2. Delegate the Task Force on Compost role to the County Integrated Waste Management Task Force. The Board of Supervisors could defer to the County IWMTF, or more positively, ask the County IWMTF to consider and report on specific composting matters. If the Board wishes to pursue this alternative, it should advise the County IWMTF of its intention, develop a proposal by, say August, and have a Board representative present it to the AB 939 Task Force. 3. Establish a Task Force on Compost with an unincorporated area scope of interest. The Board of Supervisors could establish a Task Force on Compost to advise on the development of the Source Reduction and Recycling Element (AB 939 plan) for the unincorporated area. The . Task Force could provide specialized advice on wastestream components which are prominent in the. unincorporated area wastestream, such as agricultural wastes and, possibly, Delta water hyacinth dredgings. If the Board wishes to establish its own Task- Force on Compost, it could direct staff to propose a composition and work program for Board consideration. BACKGROUND The Board of Supervisors, on April 17, 1990, approved a recommendation originated by the Plastics Recycling Task Force and brought to the Board by Supervisors McPeak and Powers that a Task Force on Compost be established, and that the matter be referred to staff, the Environmental Affairs Committee, and the County Solid Waste Commission for comment. The referral was discussed by the EAC at its May 14 , 1990, meeting but it arrived too late to be scheduled on the County Solid Waste Commission's May agenda. The Environmental Affairs Committee, concluded that a Task Force on Compost should assist the AB 939 process. 2 I TASK FORCE COMPOSITION If your Committee wishes to recommend that the Board establish a Task Force on Compost, staff recommends that it be• a sub-committee of the AB 939 program and that its composition reflect the model used for Plastics Recycling Task Force (which was established prior to AB 939) . A Task Force on Compost could be composed of members of government who have the statutory obligation to comply with AB 939, members who can contribute scientific and technical expertise, and members who can be instrumental in implementing the resulting plan. (The roles are not mutually exclusive; for example, representatives of the solid waste industry would have expertise and the ability to realize plans. ) A Task Force on Compost could include the following representatives: 1. A County Supervisor (and other local elected officials if the task force is Countywide) . 2. University and extension service experts. 3. Waste collection service and disposal facilities' operators. 4. Agricultural organizations. 5. Public service organizations. 6. Park/recreation, land development, and other potential users i groups. Consideration should .be given to appointing a number of members who are not already committed to AB 939 and related work. Staff and some consultant services to the task force could be provided under a combination of the AB 939 program (for planning) and the Recycling Action Plan program recently authorized by the Board. ISSUES Y Whether composting will be formally studied and included in local government plans -- and even put into effect -- in the short-term are not issues. The resource recovery requirements and objectives of Assembly Bill 939, which went into effect on January 1, 1990, have set a process in motion which involves every county and city in the state. Composting will be a practical necessity to meet the AB 939 objectives of reducing the wastestream by 25% by the year 1995 and, particularly, of making a 50% reduction by the year 2000 because of the large proportion of compostable materials in solid waste. Furthermore, the Land Use Permit requirements for the Acme transfer station and 'Iarsh Canyon landfill (and proposed for the 3 Keller Canyon Landfill) obligate those facilities to undertake composting activities -- this year in the case of the Acme transfer station. The Richmond Sanitary Service has also initiated a proposal for a transfer station project which, they have indicated, will involve composting. The basic issues pertaining to composting and appropriate to be addressed by a task force are identified below. They are inter- related. 1. How should composting be phased-in? Currently, we have an inadequate understanding of our wastestream's composition (which is why AB 939 programs begin with composition studies) , of what and how much is compostable. We need to come to grips with processes and costs. And, we need markets and uses for the materials. 2. Who should do the composting? We expect large-scale composting to be done at transfer stations, and some to be done at landfills. Do we want to encourage competing specialized composting facilities? How large roles do we. want (can we expect) backyard, farm, and other on-site operations to perform? 3 . What should be composted? High-quality compost, for example for use in food growing, requires high-quality in-put material. Common base materials such as treated woods, sprayed landscape mate-rials, and contaminated sludges could produce contaminated compost. Lower qualitycompost would have limited landscaping applications. Should wood waste, for which there is a market as a fuel, be directed to composting, which lacks a market, because AB 939 does not give short-term credit for the use of salvaged wood as "fuel?" 4 . Can markets for compost be developed in a reasonable time? Supply outpacing demand is a frequent problem when economic changes are accelerated. The current oversupplies of recycled newsprint and glass are examples. A task force could focus on implementation and market development. CAZ: jal jl50: ioc.mem 4 CONTRA COSTA COUNTY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO: Internal Operations Committee DATE: July 20, 1990 Supervisor Sunne McPeak, Chair Supervisor Tom Powers F FROM: Solid Waste Commission S" SUBJECT: Recommendation on Compost Task Force On April 17, 1990, the Board of Supervisors referred the issue of the formation of a Task Force on Compost to the Internal Operations Committee, Environmental Affairs Committee and Solid Waste Commission (SWC) . The SWC discussed this referral and recommends that the Board delegate the Task Force on Compost role to the County Integrated Waste Management Task Force. The Commissioners believe that this alternative would most efficiently serve the County's needs by having all recycling and source _reduction planning efforts under one body. RV:jal jl54 : ioc.mem