Summary.
AB 222 (Adams) would allow controversial and environmentally-unproven waste-to-energy technologies to count as “recycling” under the state’s landmark recycling law (even though they destroy resources) and to count as “renewable” under the state’s renewable energy law (even though they generate electricity from fossil sources and recyclable materials). With proposed amendments, the bill would also eliminate existing environmental protections in statute that prohibit a solid waste conversion facility from emitting air and water pollution.
Position and Status.
CAW opposes. AB 222 has been stopped for the year because it was not able to pass the Senate Environmental Quality Committee before a key legislative deadline. It previously passed the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee, as well as the Assembly Policy and Fiscal Committees.
Description.
So called "conversion technology" facilities do not recycle in the traditional sense. Unlike a glass recycler, for instance, which takes post consumer collected glass bottles and recycles them back into bottles; most CT facilities are designed to turn materials into fuels which by their nature can only be used once and then the resource is destroyed.
Despite the lack of experience with these technologies, this bill would allow these "black box" technologies classified as recycling and therefore count toward diversion under AB 939. It would also eliminate environmental safeguards requiring these facilities to have no emissions.
CAW strongly believes there is no basis for counting these technologies as recycling at this time. Diversion credit is the ultimate incentive, providing a virtual state mandate for these facilities.
AB 222 would also allow electricity generated from readily recyclable wastes to count as renewable energy towards the state’s renewable energy law. This undercuts the planned greenhouse gas reductions from the state’s renewable energy efforts and significantly harms the development of true renewables, like solar and wind.
CAW Staff Contacts.
Scott Smithline (916) 443-5422
Supporters.
adaptiveARC
Agricultural Council of California
Alternative Resources, Inc.
American Council on Renewable Energy/Biomass Coordinating Council
Athens Services
Balboa Pacific Corporation
Blue Line Transfer, Inc.
Biomass Coordinating Council
California Association of Professional Employees
California Chamber of Commerce
California Energy Commission
California Farm Bureau Federation
California Manufacturers and Technology Association
California Refuse Recycling Council
California State Association of Counties
California State Association of Electrical Workers
California State Pipe Trades Council
Card Construction
Cities of Azusa, Bell, Glendale (Public Works Dept.), Hawthorne, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Pico Rivera, San Diego (Environmental Services Dept.), and Vernon
Clean Cities Coalition
Clements Environmental
Commercial Industrial Waste Applications, Inc.
Consolidated Disposal Service
County Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County
Department of the Navy
Desert Valley Disposal Services
Enerkem
Fulcrum BioEnergy, Inc.
Global Energy, Inc.
ICM, Inc.
INEOS Bio
Inland Empire Disposal Association
Innovative Logistics Solutions, Inc.
International Environmental Solutions
International Union of Operating Engineers
Interstate Waste Technologies
League of California Cities
Long Beach Coalition for a Safe Environment
Los Angeles County Solid Waste Management Committee/Integrated Waste Management Task Force
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Marin Resource Recovery
Marin Sanitary Service
Mid State Solid Waste & Recycling
Miller De Wulf Corporation
New Planet Energy, LLC
North Valley Coalition of Concerned Citizens, Inc.
Orange County Board of Supervisors
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Palm Springs Disposal Services
Pena's Disposal, Inc.
Phoenix Biomass Energy, Inc.
Rainbow Disposal Co., Inc.
Redwood City Planning Commission
Regional Council of Rural Counties
Remediation Earth, Inc.
Republic Services, Inc.
Sacramento Municipal Utility District
San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors
San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership
San Luis Obispo County Integrated Waste Management Authority
Sempra Energy
Solid Waste Association of North America
Solid Waste Association of Orange County
Southern California Edison
Sustainable Conservation
Ternion Bio Industries
ThermoChem Recovery International, Inc. (TRI)
Theroux Environmental
UCLA Recycling and Municipal Solid Waste Management Certificate Training Program
Valley Industry & Commerce Association
Waste to Energy, LLC
Western States Council of Sheet Metal Workers
Yolo County Board of Supervisors
Opposition.
Californians Against Waste
Alameda County Waste Management Authority and Recycling Board (StopWaste.org)
American Lung Association
Breathe California
California League of Conservation Voters
California Resource Recovery Association
Center for Biological Diversity
Central Valley Air Quality Coalition; Legislative Cmt
Clean Water Action
Coalition for Clean Air
Environment California
Environmental Defense Fund
Global Anti-Incinerator Alliance
Greenaction
Natural Resources Defense Council
Northern California Recycling Association
Planning and Conservation League
City and County of San Francisco, Dept of the Environment
Sierra Club California
Current Language, Analyses and Votes.
