SACRAMENTO – Governor Brown has signed Assembly Bill 1045 by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) which requires the California Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Food and Agriculture to coordinate the regulation and oversight of organic waste recycling facilities and establish policies to encourage more recycling of organic waste.
“The state has several goals related to the recycling of organic waste and the use of compost, including diverting waste from landfills, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, sequestering carbon, and reducing water consumption,” said Assemblymember Irwin. “To reach these goals, we need to cut down on the red tape associated with the production of compost.”
Multiple state departments and agencies are involved in the regulation and oversight of organic waste recycling. Currently, the State Water Resources Control Board, Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, the California Air Resources Board, and Environmental Protection Agency all a play a role in regulating organic waste recycling. This bill aims to reduce overlap of state agencies and departments to encourage more recycling of organic waste.
“Recycling food scraps and yard trimmings not only creates jobs and reduces the need for landfills, but also benefits the state’s water quality, reduces air emissions, and supports sustainable agriculture,” said Nick Lapis of Californians Against Waste. “However, for far too long, the state’s regulatory agencies have worked in silos, and occasionally at cross-purposes when it comes to recycling this organic waste. Assemblymember Irwin’s AB 1045 will help break down these silos, and guide the state’s efforts to recover this valuable material.”
This year Governor Brown announced the Healthy Soils Initiative (HSI) to ensure that California remains an agricultural leader and that California’s soils remain healthy and productive into the future. The initiative calls for the permitting of 100 new compost facilities and increased interagency coordination to promote actions necessary to implement the initiative. AB 1045 is complementary to the HSI as it mandates that departments involved in organic waste recycling work together to coordinate permitting requirements.
AB 1045 received bipartisan support in the Legislature and was supported by industry groups and environmental organizations. The bill will become law on January 1, 2016.
Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin represents California’s 44th Assembly District.
CONTACT: Morgan Culbertson, (805) 822-9694