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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 04012014 - C.21RECOMMENDATION(S): ADOPT Resolution 2014/102, supporting the concept of the San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail, as recommended by the Legislation Committee. FISCAL IMPACT: No fiscal impact from the adoption of the Resolution of Support. Funding may be available by the Water Trail program through a grant process for eligible public agencies and non-profits for Water Trail site enhancement projects. The Water Trail Grant Program is administered by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) on behalf of the Water Trail. Applications will be accepted continuously until funding is exhausted. BACKGROUND: The Water Trail is a nine-county, growing network of launching and landing sites for non-motorized small boat users to safely enjoy the historic, scenic, and environmental richness of San Francisco Bay (http://sfbaywatertrail.org/). The Water Trail is a relatively new regional trail to join the Bay Area. ABAG is seeking resolutions of support from counties and shoreline cities endorsing the Water Trail concept. In Contra Costa County there are 16 potential sites and one designated site in Contra Costa County (sites join the Water Trail through a designation process; ABAG currently has six designated sites). The San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail (Water Trail) is a growing network of launching and landing sites that allow people in non-motorized small boats (NMSBs) to safely enjoy the natural, historic, cultural, and scenic richness of San Francisco Bay through single and multiple-day trips on the Bay. This regional trail has the potential to enhance APPROVE OTHER RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE Action of Board On: 04/01/2014 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER Clerks Notes: VOTE OF SUPERVISORS AYE:John Gioia, District I Supervisor Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor Contact: L. DeLaney, 925-335-1097 I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown. ATTESTED: April 1, 2014 David Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors By: June McHuen, Deputy cc: C. 21 To:Board of Supervisors From:LEGISLATION COMMITTEE Date:April 1, 2014 Contra Costa County Subject:Support for the San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail FOR MORE INFORMATION – Contact Angela Manetti, Office of Senator Alex Padilla (916) 651-4020 SB 270 – PADILLA Single-Use Bag Phase Out (as amended February 6, 2014) Summary SB 270 would phase out single-use plastic bags in California grocery stores, convenience stores, liquor stores, and pharmacies. Background Each year in California, more than 13 billion single-use plastic bags are handed out by retailers. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, 88% of plastic bags and sacks are not recycled. In California, only 3% are recycled, according to CalRecycle. Plastic bags cause litter, slow sorting and jam machinery at recycling centers costing California more than $25 million dollars each year to collect and bury the plastic bag waste. According to a study commissioned by the US Marine Debris Monitoring Program, plastic bags remain one of the top items found consistently during annual beach cleanups. Plastic bags are also harmful to the environment killing thousands of birds, turtles and other species. Most plastics do not degrade. Although they represent only 2.2% of waste stream in California, plastic waste is the predominate form of marine debris. Plastics are estimated to compose 60-80% of all marine debris and 90% of all floating debris worldwide. Plastics not only entangle marine life, they are also ingested by marine life and birds. Most plastic marine debris exists as small plastic particles due to excessive UV radiation exposure and subsequent photo-degradation. The Convention on Biological Diversity reports a total of 663 species have been affected by plastic marine pollution through entanglement or ingestion. The California Coastal Commission reports that “birds, fish and mammals often mistake plastic for food. Some birds even feed it to their young. With plastic filling their stomachs, animals have a false feeling of being full, and may die of starvation. Sea turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, one of their favorite foods. Even grey whales have been found dead with plastic bags and sheeting in their stomachs.” The Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego found evidence of plastic waste in more than 9% of the stomachs of fish collected in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre and estimate that fish who reside in the intermediate ocean depths ingest 12,000- to 24,000 tons of plastic per year. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, reducing the use of an item is one of the most effective ways to save our natural resources and protect the environment. To date, many local jurisdictions in California have enacted ordinances. The ordinances vary with some requiring a charge for paper carry-out bags and others banning both single-use plastic and paper FOR MORE INFORMATION – Contact Angela Manetti, Office of Senator Alex Padilla (916) 651-4020 carryout bags. These ordinances have both eliminated the costs associated with plastic bags as well as substantially reduced the volume and costs associated with paper bags in communities. For example, San Francisco, Los Angeles County, San Jose, and San Luis Obispo County are already experiencing the benefits of reducing the use of plastic bags. After just one year of implementation of its bag ordinance, the City of San Jose is reporting 50% cleaner creeks. Los Angeles County is reporting a 95% reduction of all single-use bags distributed, including a 30% reduction of paper bags. Existing Law Section 42254 and 42257 of the Public Resources Code requires large grocery stores to establish a plastic bag recycling program and sunsets on January 1, 2020. Current California law is silent on the reduction of single-use plastic bags. This Bill This bill would:  prohibit large grocery stores, on and after July 1, 2015, from providing a single-use carryout bag (i.e., paper, plastic, or other material) to a customer at the point-of-sale.  prohibit convenience and liquor stores, on and after July 1, 2016, from providing a single-use carryout bag (i.e., paper, plastic, or other material) to a customer at the point-of-sale.  authorize a store, on and after July 1, 2015, to provide a reusable grocery bag (i.e., cloth or durable plastic) to a customer, which may be made available for purchase.  authorize a store to make a recyclable paper bag available for purchase for a minimum of ten cents ($0.10).  specify standards and certification process for reusable grocery bags.  allow ordinances adopted prior to September 1, 2014 to continue to be enforced.  prohibit any local agency from enforcing an ordinance related to single-use carryout bags after January 1, 2015.  make loans and grants available for single-use plastic bag manufacturers who transition their manufacturing to reusable grocery bags  require as a condition of receiving a loan or grant that the manufacturer retain and retrain existing employee for the manufacturing of reusable grocery bags Support 7th Generation Advisors All One Ocean California Coastkeeper Alliance Californians Against Waste City of Concord County of Santa Clara Environment California Friends Committee on Legislation in CA Heal the Bay Natural Resources Defense Council Plasticbaglaws.org Surfrider Foundation Team Marine The Five Gyres Institute Zero Waste San Diego (updated 3/26/14) Bay Area communities’ connections to the Bay and create new linkages to existing shoreline open spaces and other regional trails. The Water Trail was created by the California legislature with the passage of the San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail Act (AB 1296, Hancock) in 2005 based upon the vision of the non-profit Bay Access, Inc. The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), in coordination with other agencies and organizations, prepared the San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail Plan in 2007. The California State Coastal Conservancy (Conservancy) certified the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) and adopted the Enhanced Water Trail Plan in 2011. The Water Trail Act designated the Coastal Conservancy as the lead for implementation of the Water Trail. The governance structure for the Water Trail Plan is a collaborative partnership between the Conservancy, Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), BCDC, and California Department of Boating and Waterways (Cal Boating). These four organizations make up the Project Management Team (PMT) and have decision-making authority. The Advisory Committee (AC) represents different stakeholder interests and provides guidance and expertise to the PMT on trail designation and other implementation issues. For more information about the Water Trail, please contact: Galli Basson Water Trail Planner San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail Association of Bay Area Governments (510) 464-7936 101 Eighth Street Oakland, CA 94607 BACKGROUND: (CONT'D) http://www.sfbaywatertrail.org/ At its February 24, 2014, meeting, the Legislation Committee recommended a position of “Support” to the Board of Supervisors on the Bay Area Water Trail. The Committee asked staff to follow-up on how the Water Trail might be aligning its efforts with the Great California Delta Trail (http://www.delta.ca.gov/trail.htm ) as well as the San Francisco Bay Trail. The Committee wanted to ensure that linkages/alignment of efforts were in development. Ms. Basson responded that coordination efforts are underway with the Delta Commission, beginning last year to talk about coordinating efforts with the Great California Delta Trail. There will be some areas where the two trails overlap, mainly in the Carquinez Strait. The Great CA Delta Trail is both a land and water based trail, and sometimes overlaps with the Bay Trail. The Great CA Delta Trail is at an earlier stage of implementation than the SF Bay Area Water Trail, and staff will be collaborating and assisting each other as opportunities arise and the two trails progress. In addition, Laura Thompson, Bay Trail Project Manager, is the supervisor of Ms. Basson, and is also a member of the Water Trail Project Management Team. Ms. Basson indicated that they coordinate very closely with the Bay Trail to align the efforts and linkages, and to maximize public funds when possible to serve both trails. Also, the Legislation Committee recommended that cities incorporate the Bay Area Water Trail in their General Plan updates or waterfront plans if they are a potential or designated site. ATTACHMENTS Resolution No. 2014/102 FOR MORE INFORMATION – Contact Angela Manetti, Office of Senator Alex Padilla (916) 651-4020 SB 270 – PADILLA Single-Use Bag Phase Out (as amended February 6, 2014) Summary SB 270 would phase out single-use plastic bags in California grocery stores, convenience stores, liquor stores, and pharmacies. Background Each year in California, more than 13 billion single-use plastic bags are handed out by retailers. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, 88% of plastic bags and sacks are not recycled. In California, only 3% are recycled, according to CalRecycle. Plastic bags cause litter, slow sorting and jam machinery at recycling centers costing California more than $25 million dollars each year to collect and bury the plastic bag waste. According to a study commissioned by the US Marine Debris Monitoring Program, plastic bags remain one of the top items found consistently during annual beach cleanups. Plastic bags are also harmful to the environment killing thousands of birds, turtles and other species. Most plastics do not degrade. Although they represent only 2.2% of waste stream in California, plastic waste is the predominate form of marine debris. Plastics are estimated to compose 60-80% of all marine debris and 90% of all floating debris worldwide. Plastics not only entangle marine life, they are also ingested by marine life and birds. Most plastic marine debris exists as small plastic particles due to excessive UV radiation exposure and subsequent photo-degradation. The Convention on Biological Diversity reports a total of 663 species have been affected by plastic marine pollution through entanglement or ingestion. The California Coastal Commission reports that “birds, fish and mammals often mistake plastic for food. Some birds even feed it to their young. With plastic filling their stomachs, animals have a false feeling of being full, and may die of starvation. Sea turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, one of their favorite foods. Even grey whales have been found dead with plastic bags and sheeting in their stomachs.” The Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego found evidence of plastic waste in more than 9% of the stomachs of fish collected in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre and estimate that fish who reside in the intermediate ocean depths ingest 12,000- to 24,000 tons of plastic per year. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, reducing the use of an item is one of the most effective ways to save our natural resources and protect the environment. To date, many local jurisdictions in California have enacted ordinances. The ordinances vary with some requiring a charge for paper carry-out bags and others banning both single-use plastic and paper FOR MORE INFORMATION – Contact Angela Manetti, Office of Senator Alex Padilla (916) 651-4020 carryout bags. These ordinances have both eliminated the costs associated with plastic bags as well as substantially reduced the volume and costs associated with paper bags in communities. For example, San Francisco, Los Angeles County, San Jose, and San Luis Obispo County are already experiencing the benefits of reducing the use of plastic bags. After just one year of implementation of its bag ordinance, the City of San Jose is reporting 50% cleaner creeks. Los Angeles County is reporting a 95% reduction of all single-use bags distributed, including a 30% reduction of paper bags. Existing Law Section 42254 and 42257 of the Public Resources Code requires large grocery stores to establish a plastic bag recycling program and sunsets on January 1, 2020. Current California law is silent on the reduction of single-use plastic bags. This Bill This bill would:  prohibit large grocery stores, on and after July 1, 2015, from providing a single-use carryout bag (i.e., paper, plastic, or other material) to a customer at the point-of-sale.  prohibit convenience and liquor stores, on and after July 1, 2016, from providing a single-use carryout bag (i.e., paper, plastic, or other material) to a customer at the point-of-sale.  authorize a store, on and after July 1, 2015, to provide a reusable grocery bag (i.e., cloth or durable plastic) to a customer, which may be made available for purchase.  authorize a store to make a recyclable paper bag available for purchase for a minimum of ten cents ($0.10).  specify standards and certification process for reusable grocery bags.  allow ordinances adopted prior to September 1, 2014 to continue to be enforced.  prohibit any local agency from enforcing an ordinance related to single-use carryout bags after January 1, 2015.  make loans and grants available for single-use plastic bag manufacturers who transition their manufacturing to reusable grocery bags  require as a condition of receiving a loan or grant that the manufacturer retain and retrain existing employee for the manufacturing of reusable grocery bags Support 7th Generation Advisors All One Ocean California Coastkeeper Alliance Californians Against Waste City of Concord County of Santa Clara Environment California Friends Committee on Legislation in CA Heal the Bay Natural Resources Defense Council Plasticbaglaws.org Surfrider Foundation Team Marine The Five Gyres Institute Zero Waste San Diego (updated 3/26/14)