CA AB 2902

Title: Organic waste: reduction regulations: exemptions.
Author: Brian Dwain Dahle

Summary
AB 2902, as amended, Wood. Organic waste: reduction regulations: exemptions. (1) Existing law requires the State Air Resources Board to complete, approve, and implement a comprehensive strategy to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants in the state to reduce statewide methane emissions by 40% below 2013 levels by 2030. Existing law requires methane emissions reduction goals to include specified targets to reduce the landfill disposal of organics. Existing law requires the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, in consultation with the state board, to adopt regulations that achieve those targets for reducing organic waste in landfills, as provided. The department’s organic waste regulations provide different organic waste procurement targets for local jurisdictions based on population and provide waivers and exemptions from collection and procurement requirements for rural, low-population, and high-elevation jurisdictions. Existing law provides that the exemption for rural jurisdictions is valid until December 31, 2026, as specified.This bill would extend the rural jurisdiction exemption until January 1, 2037, except as provided, and would require the department to adopt regulations to establish a process to renew the exemption after that date for periods of up to 10 years. The bill would require, commencing January 1, 2027, those jurisdictions to take specific actions to help reduce, divert, or recycle organic waste. The bill would require the department to exclude residents included in department-issued low population or elevation waivers from the population in determining a local jurisdiction’s organic waste procurement target. The bill would require a jurisdiction that no longer qualifies for a rural exemption due to an increase in population to have 3 years from the date of that population increase to comply with the organic waste collection services and procurement requirements, as specified. The bill also would authorize nonexempt counties that generate less than 200,000 tons of solid waste annually to request the department’s approval of a different organic waste diversion and recycling program. The bill would authorize a nonexempt jurisdiction to request a waiver from the department from a requirement to separate and recover food waste and food-soiled paper if there are significant public safety issues associated with food waste collection as a result of local bear populations, as provided.(2) Existing law requires the department, in consultation with the state board, to analyze the progress made in achieving the reduction targets for the amounts of organic waste disposed of in landfills and authorizes the department to provide incentives to facilitate progress toward the reduction targets, as provided.This bill would require the department’s organic waste regulations to evaluate ways to incentivize carbon farming, and would require the department to develop training and technical assistance materials to assist local governments in expanding community composting operations, to create a model ordinance and franchise provisions that exempt small-scale community composting operations from specific regulatory and exclusivity provisions, and to evaluate ways to maximize the local benefits of edible food recovery programs and explore circumstances in which recovered food may be more suitable for use in local animal feed operations.This bill would authorize the department, in conjunction with the California Pollution Control Financing Authority and the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank, to provide information to the owners and operators of landfill and composting operations that may be a potential source of methane emissions about financing that may fund facility improvements to increase the capture, or reduce the escape, of methane emissions.

Status
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.

Bill Documents
CA AB 2902 - 04/10/24 - Amended Assembly
04/10/24 - CA AB 2902 (04/10/24 - Amended Assembly)