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2020-10-13 - AGENDA REPORTS - LACO CIVIL GRAND JURY RESPONSE TO CUTTING DOWN ON (2)
O Agenda Item: 4 P CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA REPORT CONSENT CALENDAR CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:1 DATE: October 13, 2020 SUBJECT: RESPONSE TO LOS ANGELES COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY REPORT: A DIET FOR LANDFILLS: CUTTING DOWN ON FOOD WASTE DEPARTMENT: Neighborhood Services PRESENTER: Darin Seegmiller RECOMMENDED ACTION City Council approve a response to the Los Angeles County 2019-20 Civil Grand Jury Report: A DIET FOR LANDFILLS: Cutting Down on Food Waste. BACKGROUND Each year the civil grand jury in each county is authorized to study the operations or functions of the county and cities within the county. They can choose any topic within the scope of local governmental operations. In the past, topics have included code enforcement, use of golf courses and park space, and budget reserve policies. Once the civil grand jury has completed their investigations, they issue a draft report with recommendations. If any of the recommendations are directed to cities, those cities are required to issue a response to the recommendations, indicating whether they agree with the recommendations and whether they plan to implement them. On July 8, 2020, the 2019-20 Los Angeles County Civil Grand Jury sent a report to Mayor Cameron Smyth entitled: A DIET FOR LANDFILLS: Cutting Down on Food Waste. This report was also sent to the Los Angeles County (County) Board of Supervisors; Chief Executive Officer Sachi Hamai; County Department of Public Works; County Chief Sustainability Office; County Department of Probation; County Department of Public Health; Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services; Pasadena Public Health Department; County Department of Environmental Health; Internal Services Department; County Parks and Recreation Department; mayors from each of the 88 cities; superintendents from each of the 80 school districts; and the Los Angeles County Office of Education. In the report, the Grand Jury Committee (Committee) states that food does not belong in the Page 1 Packet Pg. 87 O garbage and that when edible, it can and should be consumed. Additionally, the report indicates that food waste is the largest portion of the organic waste stream that ends up in the landfills every year. Organic waste includes green/yard waste, non -hazardous wood waste, and food - soiled paper. The Committee also finds that diverting organic waste from landfills will significantly reduce methane gas emissions, which has a negative impact on public health and contributes to climate change. Since 2014, the State of California has passed two major laws requiring both commercial and residential food waste to be prevented from going to the landfill, AB1826 (Chesbro) and SB1383 (Lara). At the end of the report, the Committee makes 14 recommendations which include outreach programs, food waste drop-off centers, financial incentives, and other ideas to encourage the public to participate in organics recycling. Of the 14 recommendations, the City of Santa Clarita is only required to respond to four of them. The proposed response to the Los Angeles County Civil Grand Jury is attached to this report. ALTERNATIVE ACTION Other action as determined by the City Council. FISCAL IMPACT None ATTACHMENTS Los Angeles County Civil Grand Jury Letter Proposed Response to Los Angeles County Civil Grand Jury A DIET FOR LANDFILLS Cutting Down on Food Waste (available in the City Clerk's Reading File) 2018 March Countywide Organics Plan (available in the City Clerk's Reading File) Page 2 Packet Pg. 88 4.a County of Los Angeles Civil Grand Jury Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center 210 West Temple Street 111 Floor, Room 11-506 Los Angeles CA 90012 Telephone (213) 628-7914 FAX (442) 247-3890 http://www.grandjury.co.1a.ca.us July 8, 2020 Mayor Cameron Smyth City of Santa Clarita 23920 W. Valencia Blvd. # 300 Santa Clarita, CA 91355 Re: A DIET FOR LANDFILLS: Cutting Down on Food Waste Pre-release of a report by the 2019-2020 Los Angeles County Civil Grand Jury NOTE: DO NOT DISCLOSE ANY REPORT CONTENTS PRIOR TO JLTLY 31, 2020 Dear Mayor Smyth: California Penal Code Section 933.05(f) states: "A grand jury shall provide the affected agency a copy of the portion of the grand jury report relating to that person or entity two working days prior to its public release and after approval of the presiding judge. No officer, agency, department, or governing body of a public agency shall disclose any contents of the report prior to the public release of the final report." The enclosed report will be released to the public on July 31, 2020. A response to all Recommendations in a Civil Grand Jury report is required by California Penal Code Sections 933(c), 933.05(a), and 933.05(b) within ninety (90) days following the release of the report to the public, and no later than Friday, October 30, 2020. Attached are the requirements contained in California Penal Code Section 933.05. Please send responses to: Presiding Judge Los Angeles Superior Court Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center 210 West Temple Street, 111h Floor, Room 11-506 Los Angeles, CA 90012 civil rg andjury(&lacourt.org Sincerely, J. a`Ai"iiiiUl %' Judith Krimmel, Foreperson 2019-2020 Los Angeles County Civil Grand Jury Enclosure: How to respond to recommendations in this report. Packet Pg. 89 4.a Section 933.05. Responses to findings (a) For purposes of subdivision (b) of Section 933, as to each grand jury finding, the responding person or entity shall indicate one of the following: (1) The respondent agrees with the finding. (2) The respondent disagrees wholly or partially with the finding, in which case the response shall specify the portion of the finding that is disputed and shall include an explanation of the reasons therefor. (b) For purposes of subdivision (b) of Section 933, as to each grand jury recommendation, the responding person or entity shall report one of the following actions: (1) The recommendation has been implemented, with a summary regarding the implemented action. (2) The recommendation has not yet been implemented, but will be implemented in the future, with a timeframe for implementation. (3) The recommendation requires further analysis, with an explanation and the scope and parameters of an analysis or study, and a timeframe for the matter to be prepared for discussion by the officer or head of the agency or department being investigated or reviewed, including the governing body of the public agency when applicable. This timeframe shall not exceed six months from the date of publication of the grand jury report. (4) The recommendation will not be implemented because it is not warranted or is not reasonable, with an explanation therefor. (c) However, if a finding or recommendation of the grand jury addresses budgetary or personnel matters of a county agency or department headed by an elected officer, both the agency or department head and the board of supervisors shall respond if requested by the grand jury, but the response of the board of supervisors shall address only those budgetary or personnel matters over which it has some decision making authority. The response of the elected agency or department head shall address all aspects of the findings or recommendations affecting his or her agency or department. (d) A grand jury may request a subject person or entity to come before the grand jury for the purpose of reading and discussing the findings of the grand jury report that relates to that person or entity in order to verify the accuracy of the findings prior to their release. (e) During an investigation, the grand jury shall meet with the subject of that investigation regarding the investigation, unless the court, either on its own determination or upon request of the foreperson of the grand jury, determines that such a meeting would be detrimental. (f) A grand jury shall provide to the affected agency a copy of the portion of the grand jury report relating to that person or entity two working days prior to its public release and after the approval of the presiding judge. No officer, agency, department, or governing body of a public agency shall disclose any contents of the report prior to the public release of the final report. Packet Pg. 90 4.b October 20, 2020 Presiding Judge Los Angeles Superior Court Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center 210 West Temple Street, llth Floor, Room 11-506 Los Angeles, CA 90012 Re: Response to 2019-20 Grand Jury Report, "A DIET FOR LANDFILLS: Cutting Down on Food Waste" This letter is the formal response of the City of Santa Clarita to the July 31, 2020 Los Angeles County Grand Jury Report entitled "A DIET FOR LANDFILLS: Cutting Down on Food Waste" The current Grand Jury has done an admirable job profiling the solid waste status in Los Angeles County. Since the passage of AB1826 and SB1383, City of Santa Clarita staff have been working towards compliance with these laws despite not having the finalized regulations or model tools approved by the State Office of Administrative Law from CalRecycle. As requested by the Grand Jury, the City of Santa Clarita respectfully submits the following responses to the Findings and Recommendations 1.1, 1.3, 1.8, and 1.14 identified for a response in the A DIET FOR LANDFILLS: Cutting Down on Food Waste report. Recommendation 1.1: Partially Disagree. In compliance with the requirements for the above -mentioned laws passed by the California State Legislature, all organics generators will be required to obtain recycling services, compost on site, or donate food waste to charity. A drop-off center would not only be redundant, but would potentially be susceptible to contamination and release more greenhouse gases in transportation to the drop-off center. In terms of composting, there are concerns about the duration of time that the food waste and/or compost sits in the LA Compost community hubs. There are also concerns that the composting process may not be properly managed to reduce bacterial contamination, such as E. coli. Compost created from contaminated food waste may still contain bacteria after the composting process is complete. If contaminated food waste is applied to land used to grow food, the harvested food may contain bacteria that will in turn harm consumers. There are more environmentally safe, financially feasible methods than composting. Jurisdictions that have denser populations, with limited budgets and limited open land may not be able to dedicate their efforts to composting. There are other more effective and efficient technologies to handle organic waste such as anaerobic digestion and biomass conversion. These methods produce marketable products, such as renewable natural gas, transportation fuel, or electricity. Packet Pg. 91 4.b Should a community entity wish to provide a drop-off center to the residents of Santa Clarita and provide protections from contamination, staff would be available to aid with planning and logistics of siting such a center. Recommendation 1.3: Agree. Currently, the City of Santa Clarita, in cooperation with the Residential Franchise Hauler Waste Management, offers an incentive program to residents for reduced volumes of waste disposal. The "Super Saver" program offers a 20 percent discount for residents who use a cart that is one third the size of a standard waste cart. Since a significant portion of waste stream that goes to the landfill from residential sources is organic, the organic waste will then be recycled in a different cart, thus reducing the need for a large cart to dispose of trash. City Staff will provide extensive outreach to promote the incentive program. Commercial customers that are required to have organics recycling services, would see an offset in their trash rate as the organic materials would be shifted to the recycling services. The reduction in the frequency of trash pick-ups would then lower trash rates. Recommendation 1.8: Agree. The County of Los Angeles should modify contracts with the food vendors companies that are inside County facilities. The City of Santa Clarita at this time has a single, newly acquired facility, that will employ a food vendor company. A contract with the food vendor can address food waste separation and recycling. In addition, City staff expect to require food waste recycling at public events such as the Cowboy Poetry Festival and Concerts in the Park, as well as privately run festivals operated on City property that provide onsite food services. For City facilities that have kitchens where catering or cooking takes place, it is anticipated that the Commercial Franchise Hauler will provide recycling services for the food waste. Recommendation 1.14: Agree. The City of Santa Clarita submitted a formal plan to CalRecycle in February 2020 that addresses many of the suggestions/options in the 2018 Countywide Organics Waste Management Plan. The State of California recently released draft model franchise amendments and ordinances as guidance for municipalities to adopt. These regulations and model amendments have not yet been approved by the Office of Administrative Law. City staff are working with our Franchised Haulers to address the suggestions provided by the 2018 County Plan. I support the need to increase capacity, site and build new facilities to handle organic waste in the County of Los Angeles. Respectfully Submitted, Cameron Smyth Mayor Packet Pg. 92 4.b cc: City Council Ken Striplin, City Manager Joseph Montes, City Attorney Packet Pg. 93 A DIET FOR LANDFILLS: Cutting Down on Food Waste rol 2019-2020 Los Angeles County Civil Grand Jury I A DIET FOR LANDFILLS: Cutting Down on Food Waste EXECUTIVE SUMMARY "Cutting food waste is a delicious way ofsaving money, helping to feed the world and protect the planet. " --Tristram Stuart, Environmentalist] Food does not belong in the garbage. When edible, it can and should be consumed (Appendix 1 and 2). Food waste is the largest portion of the "organic waste" stream taken to landfills every year, instead of being separated and recycled for secondary use.2 Diverting organic waste from landfills will significantly reduce methane gas emissions, which have a negative impact on public health and contribute to climate change.3 This Committee investigated how Los Angeles County (County) disposes of its waste, and more specifically, how it addresses one of its own diversion goals: reducing waste sent to landfills by 80% by the year 2025,4 with a 75% reduction in the organic waste sent there.5 Organic waste --which also includes green/yard waste, nonhazardous wood waste, and food -soiled paper6--makes up the largest portion of the garbage going to landfills.7 The State of California has mandated that all commercially -generated organic waste must be diverted from landfills, and recycled.' According to the County sustainability plan:9 "Most important to the growth of organics recycling is proper source separation of waste. Any contaminated waste streams provide difficulties to waste management and oftentimes deem waste non -recyclable. It is critical that all LA County residents are educated on waste separation." i https://www.azguotes.coin/quote/1504986 (accessed 4/20/20) 2 2018 Countywide Organic Waste Management Plan Annual Report (published December 2019), hops://pw.lacoun ov/gpd/swims/News/swims-more-links.aspx?id-4# Page 8 (accessed on 4/16/20) s https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/reducing-iinpact-wasted-food-feeding-soil-and-composting (accessed 4/14/20) 'https://dpw.lacounty.gov/epd/Roadinap/PDF/annual_report 2019.pdfPage 1 (accessed 10/22/19) s "Los Angeles Countywide Sustainability Plan", hops://ourcouniyla.lacounty_gov/strategies/strategy-9d?goal=836 ibid https://www.salon.coin/2018/12/15/alreadv-a-climate-change-leader-califomia-takes-on-food-waste partner/ s https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Recycle/Coininercial/Organics/ 9 "Our Count}' Los Angeles Countywide Sustainability Plan, hops://ourcouniyla.lacounty_gov/strategies/strategy-9d?goal=836 This separation of organic waste is an important component in sustaining an effective recycling program. Once organic waste is properly separated (both from the rest of the garbage, and by whether it's green or food waste), it can be processed through composting or anaerobic digestion.10 Within the County, the latest estimate shows that 1.9 million tons of food waste is being sent to landfills each year,I I with a per day estimate of 4,000 to 6,000 tons.12 In order for that to change, this Committee found that an adequate framework at the grassroots level is needed. We discovered a labyrinth of ways that food waste continues to end up in landfills, with many roadblocks standing in the way of fully implementing the State mandate. In addition, those residents, schools, and businesses committed to appropriate food waste separation and recycling are often left to their own devices, unless their waste hauler or jurisdiction offers this service. The Committee identified several opportunities for supportive public policies that can incentivize and create avenues to increase food waste recycling and organic waste diversion rates. 018 Countywide Orp,gw is W(isle M(mage.me nt Phin Annu(d Rej)or l (Ye.>e.>, f(acalnole.> 11) 10 ibid. Compost: The product, rich in nutrients, results from the decomposition of organic material. Anaerobic Digestion: Organic matter, such as food waste or sewage, is broken down to produce biogas and biofertilizer. https://ourcountvla.lacountv.gov/strategies/strategy-9d?goal-836 and https://ourcountvla.lacountv.gov/wp- content/uploads/2019/07/OurCounty-Final-Plan.pdf Page 206 (Appendix M " hops://pw.lacoun ov/epd/swims/News/swims-more-links.aspx?id-4# 2018 Countywide Organic Waste Management Plan Annual Report, Page 9 12 hops://www.s�4vtribune.coin/2016/07/30/your-food-waste-is-clogging-up-califomias-landfills-heres-how-recycling-could-fix-it/ (accessed 9/12/19) BACKGROUND "People put their trash out, and I like to joke that they think the trash fairies picked it up ... they don't know where it went ... they just want it gone. " --waste management experts3 Critical mass in the need for more effective waste management has been building for years in the County. The year 2019 provided this Committee with two urgent reasons to make changes when it comes to food waste separating and recycling. 1. Recycle Markets Collapse, Sending More Waste to Landfills • In 2017, China announced it would no longer accept most of the mixed paper and plastics shipped from the United States and other countries.14 • Chinese officials pointed to "contamination"15 as one of the reasons they were not willing to take America's shipments.16 All of a sudden, more material is being landfilled instead of recycled, negatively impacting the County's diversion rates.17 • A City of Los Angeles official told this Committee that the result of the China policy change is this: previously, the City received $1 million per year for the recyclable materials it collected; now, the City pays $5 million per year in order to have it processed.18 • Landfills in the County will eventually reach capacity (Appendix 3). • County officials are looking to organics recycling as a solution.19 2. State Mandates Big_Changes in Organics Recycling in Organics Recyc, ling • The mission of the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) includes increasing "the diversion of organic materials s Per Committee interview on 1/7/20 a China National Sword Policy, https://dpw.lacounty.�4ov/epd/Roadinap/PDF/annual report 2019.pdf Page 1 (accessed 10/22/19) "Recycling contamination is a significant issue. Contamination happens when items are placed in the incorrect system/bin. If recyclables are placed in the appropriate recycling bin, but contain food remnants, the food can contaminate the bin and its contents. Therefore, all the bin's content would need to be landfilled." Roadmap to a Sustainable Waste Management Future Annual Progress Report 2019 hops://dpw.lacoun ov/epd/Roadinap/PDF/annual_report 2019.pdf Page 6 16 hops://e360.yale.edu/features/piling-np-how-chinas-ban-on-importing-waste-has-stalled-global-recycling (accessed 2/20/20) " Roadrnap to a Sustainable Waste Management Future Annual Progress Report 2019 hops://dpw.lacoun ov/epd/Roadinap/PDF/annual_ report 2019.pdf Executive Summary, Page 1 s Interview was conducted on 2/27/20 v Roadrnap to a Sustainable Waste Management Future Annual Progress Report 2019 hops://dpw.lacoun ov/epd/Roadinap/PDF/annual report 2019.pdf Page 1 away from landfills and toward the production of value-added products such as compost, fertilizers, and biofuels."20 • Assembly Bill 1826 (Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling) required the following, as of January 1, 2019:21 all businesses and multi -family dwellings with five units or more, generating four or more cubic yards of solid waste per week,22 must separate and recycle their organic materials. • As of January 1, 2020, Assembly Bill 1594 requires green waste to be diverted from landfills for recycling in order to meet diversion goals.23 Otherwise, green waste in landfills would be considered "disposal." Landfills use green waste as Alternative Daily Cover,24 part of operating a landfill. • Failure to comply will subject the jurisdiction (whether County or a city) to fines of up to $10,000 per day.25 METHODOLOGY 1. Visited the following: ✓ landfills ✓ anaerobic digesters ✓ Materials Recovery Facilities (MRF, pronounced "murfs") ✓ compost facilities 2. Interviewed waste management experts, including: ✓ County Department of Public Works officials ✓ municipal public works officials ✓ state officials ✓ federal officials ✓ waste haulers ✓ engineers ✓ academicians ✓ atmospheric scientists ✓ food policy experts ✓ business owners ✓ large facility managers 20 https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Organics/ 21 https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/recycle/coininercial/organics/ 22 Waste of about 24 large trash bags: https://wasteindustries.coin/cormnercial/dinupster/4yardtrash 23 https://www.cawrecycles.org/ab-1594-willialus-colupostable-organics-manageinent 24 https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/LGCentralBasics/ADCBasic 25 https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/LGCentral/ReportingBiennial/ 4 ✓ teachers and public education officials ✓ non-profit organizations dealing with edible food recovery 3. Conducted in -person interviews, site visits, phone interviews, and research into a number of the 88 cities in the County to assess food waste collection services available to businesses, residents or both 4. Conducted on -site visits to the trash areas of some buildings in the County that generate a large amount of food waste 5. Researched cities in the United States and in other countries that are separating and recycling food waste RESULTS OF INVESTIGATION "In the year 2019, waste management should be more of a priority. We have the conversion technologies available: anaerobic digestion, thermal conversion, etc.... there isn't any reason to throw anything in a landfill. " --County waste management expert26 Landfills • Landfills are complex operations, with liners, rainwater collection, ground monitoring, and gas collection27 (Appendix 4 "Anatomy of a Landfill" ).28 • "Landfills in California are the biggest belchers of methane," the potent Greenhouse Gas (GHG) that contributes to climate change, according to a 2019 study by research scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA.29 Researchers used an airborne imaging spectrometer to show that 41 percent of emissions in the atmosphere came from landfills, while the dairy, oil & gas industries contributed 26 percent each.30 • Methane, as described in the Countywide Sustainability Plan, "... is released ... by the decay of organic waste in landfills."31 26 Per Committee interview 11/19/19 2' https://www.sfsvana.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Anatomy of a Landfill.pdf (click on Anatomy of a Landfill; accessed on 5/13/20) 28 The illustration was a poster the Committee saw displayed in the lobby area of the Environmental Health Protection Branch of the County Public Health Department on 2/19/20 29 https://www.sciencenews.org/article/califomia-landfills-are-belching-high-levels-climate-wanning-methane (accessed 1/14/20), study published in the magazine Nature, Nov. 6, 2019 so ibid hgps://ourcountyla.lacoun ov/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/OurCountv-Final-Plan.pdf Page 213 (Appendix M (accessed 9/13/19) • Landfill managers showed us their onsite gas -to -energy system, which captures methane and converts it into electricity that can be used by the facility or sold. Several landfill operators expressed concern that their gas -to -energy operation depends on the organic waste brought to the landfill. • Gas capture at landfills creates electricity and revenue for the landfill operator, but also has economic and environmental disadvantages.32 State officials report that even the best -managed landfills only capture 50% to 80% of the methane gas generated.33 • Even closed landfills in the County may need to be managed for decades.34 The South Coast Air Quality Management District held community meetings in the fall of 2019 to alert residents in East Los Angeles about Cogen Landfill, closed in 1959, which was now, 60 years later, showing elevated gas emissions.35 The County is planning to build a system for managing the remaining methane gas emissions.36 • Per CalRecycle: "Diverting organic waste from landfills to compost facilities and anaerobic digestion facilities, along with implementing food recovery programs, will significantly reduce methane emissions from landfills, many of which are located in or near disadvantaged communities. Reducing these emissions will have beneficial impacts on climate and public health and will result in avoided social costs. Social costs estimate the health and environmental damage that is avoided by reducing GHGs [Greenhouse Gases], as opposed to representing the cost of achieving the GHG reductions."37 • According to County officials, the demand for organic waste processing capacity is currently being handled by existing facilities located both in and out of the County.38 However, looking to the future, County officials said there is a shortfall when it comes to food waste recycling infrastructure, in particular, 32 https://www.wastedive.coin/news/disputed-ground-the-future-of-landfill-gas-to-energy/557706/ " CalRecycle, "Proposed Regulation for Short -Lived Climate Pollutants: Organic Waste Methane Emissions" Page 11 (document provided to Committee by County official on 12/2/19) hops://www.�400�4le.coin/url?client—intemal-elernent- cse&cx=017557373779849962485:erv3s56�ka0&g https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/docs/cr/laws/ruleinaking/slcp/iinpactassessme nt.pdf&sa—U&ved-2ahUKEwjzkd7nj_3pAhWkJzOIHOo2D18OEjABeROICRAB&usaAOvVaw3wpNngocnTPeO9PaPSWsbG 4 hqps://pw.lacounty.gov/pmdl/eastemhilllandfill/ (accessed 2/20/20) ss https://pw.lacounty.gov/pmdl/eastemhilllandfill/docs/City-Terrace-Cormnunity-Meeting-10.29.19.pdf 36 ibid 37 CalRecycle, "Proposed Regulation for Short -Lived Climate Pollutants: Organic Waste Methane Emissions" Page 37 (document provided to Committee by County official on 12/2/19) https://www.google.coin/url?client—intemal-elernent- cse&cx=017557373779849962485:erv3s56gka0&q hops://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/docs/cr/laws/ruleinaking/slcp/impactassessme nt.pdf&sa—U&ved-2ahUKEwiPOpqbrnv3pAhX2CzoIIIWASARRoEjAAeRoIBRAB&usaAOvVawOp_Lv9liayvzUCkKgB45u P 38 https://pw.lacounty.gov/epd/sv,4ms/ShowDoc.aspx?id-8693&hp—yes&type—PDE 2018 Countywide Organic Waste Management Plan Annual Report, Page 1 and more facilities need to be built in Los Angeles County, rather than continuing to rely on out -of -County sources as has been the custom.39 • Landfills we visited had a constant flow of trucks bringing in waste from throughout the County; "tipping fees" were displayed at each front gate, letting the waste hauler know the cost per ton for the material that was being brought for disposal.40 A 2019 study by Harvard Law School41 pointed out that banning organics from landfills can lead to a reduction in landfill hauling and tipping COStS.42 Where solid waste goes in Los Angeles Counjy43 Waste Hwlercollects Aranrf'I ,92tion Landfill buries sofid wste solid Waste at ems loads ont© t \%%M�Rmn� In accordancewith Iht6cl�e oiui� cun`l s�l�, Discards Federal, state, an l=�t have �i the � ,ct u��rds M t rllal!s Recovery faciptysepamtes Transformation (Wastetofmgy) C %)r%tk% Facilky f4eftyciestrrays solid wa ein of tie^ c un es R t d t . Onter hqh-tcam perature in ari tc tcorrltOr° � @Rr� t rcjsur ce ses enVtro0rrrvNlt4lyppnd rnviurter faiVe l tw (Rss ql . Waste Hauler 0 The County Department of Public Works serves the 125 unincorporated areas, and has contracts with 30 authorized waste haulers, including such companies 9 ibid 40 https://www.lacsd.org/services/solidwaste/tipping fees.asp ai https://wastedfood.cetonline.org/wn-content/unloads/2019/07/Harvard-Law-School-ELPC-Center-for-EcoTechnologv-CET- Organic-Waste-Bans-Toolkit.pdf. Pages 20-21 (accessed 11/4/19) '2 ibid " hgps://dpw.lacoun ov/epd/swims/Help/faq.aspx About Solid Waste, #2, "Where does our solid waste go?" as Athens Services,44 NASA Services'45 Waste Management46 and Waste Resources.47 0 Some waste -hauling companies own or operate landfills in the County or in nearby counties and take material to that landfill. 0 Most of the 88 cities in the County have a contract with a single waste hauling company; a small number provide their own municipally staffed waste collection services for residential or both residential and commercial.48 0 In 2016, the City of Los Angeles created 11 franchise zones and awarded exclusive contracts to seven waste haulers to handle the waste for commercial and multifamily properties.49 0 Most communities don't offer a food waste collection service; instead, most offer one for yard and garden waste.50 In a throwback to the City of Los Angeles' ranching days, the City offers curbside collection of horse manure to its residential horse owners.51 0 There are more avenues in place for systematic collection of yard/green waste (Appendix 5). 0 Only 4% of the County's organic waste recycling infrastructure is able to accept food waste.52 Transfer Station/Materials Recovery Facility 0 These are facilities that receive unprocessed waste, temporarily store it, and transport it off -site to another facility.53 Some of the facilities also sort and separate, by hand, or by use of machinery, items that can be recycled or composted.54 0 Out of 20 transfer stations in the County, only eight are designated as having capacity to receive separated food waste.55 44 https://athensservices.coin/ 45 http://nasaservices.coin/ https://wvTw.vin.com/us/en/inybusiness 4' www.wasteresources.corn 4' hgps://pw.lacoun ov/epd/swims/News/swims-more-links.aspx?id-4# LA County Countywide Organic Waste Management Plan March 2018, Page 42 4' https://Iabusinessioumal.com/news/2016/dec/09/1-council-approves-huge-trash-franchise-systein/ (accessed 10/20/19) so hgps://pw.lacoun ov/epd/swims/News/swims-more-links.aspx?id-4# LA County Countywide Organic Waste Management Plan March 2018, Page 38 " https://www.lacitysan.or�zsan/faces/home/portal/s-lsh-wwd/s-lsh-wwd-s/s-lsh-wwd-s-c/s-lsh-wwd-s-c- hmc?_ afrLoop=9961970215956670&_afrWindowMode=O&_afrWindowId=null& adf.ctrl- state f6dfvef8p_1#!%40%40%3F_afrWindowId%3Dnull%26_afrLoop%3D9961970215956670%26_afrWindowMode%3DO%2 6 adf.ctrl-state%3Df6dfvef8p 5 (accessed 5/13/20) 52 hitps://pw.lacoun ov/epd/swims/News/swims-more-links.aspx?id-4# LA County Countywide Organic Waste Management Plan March 2018, Page 32, (accessed 5/8/20) " https://dpw.lacounty.gov/epd/Roadinap/PDF/annual report 2019.pdf Roadmap to a Sustainable Waste Management Future Annual Progress Report 2019, Page 50 54 hqps://dpw.lacounty.gov/epd/Roadinap/PDF/annual report_2019.pdf Roadrnap to a Sustainable Waste Management Future Annual Progress Report 2019, Page 48 ss hgps://pw.lacoun ov/epd/swims/News/swims-more-links.aspx?id-4# LA County -Countywide Organic Waste Management Plan March 2018, Table 4A-1 (accessed 5/8/20) Composting Facility 0 There are eight composting facilities and 12 facilities called "chip and grind"; all of them process green waste, not food waste.56 Waste -to -Energy Facility 0 The County lists three facilities as providing Anaerobic Digestion, a process by which organic matter, such as food waste or sewage, is broken down in the absence of oxygen to produce biogas and biofertilizer.57 Only two process food waste: the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant in Carson, and the Kroger Co (Ralphs/Food4Less) facility in Compton which recycles food waste from its own stores (around 300, from Bakersfield to San Diego). This Committee found a patchwork system of managing food waste, whether generated from businesses or residents. A consultant hired by the County to examine the changes needed in order to build a strong organic recycling program identified 11 ways the County can do things differently,58 including: • Getting elected officials more involved in supporting and endorsing change • Reducing amount of food waste at the source (Appendix 6) • Building more capacity at nine anaerobic digestion facilities that can process food waste • Simplifying the permitting process to increase food waste processing • Creating incentives to start diversion; offer subsidies; modify contracts • Adopting ordinances for single family residences and apartment buildings with less than five units, with a process that quantifies, monitors and enforces • Emphasize education and public outreach51 "Los Angeles County is close to the largest agricultural production center in the world and has many viable markets for organic materials ... There is strong statewide policy, financial incentives to assist in the development of facilities, and state incentives for the marketing and sales of the by-products of organic waste recycling (like compost and mulch) ... However, the biggest disincentive may be the status quo, which is less costly to rate -payers and provides for significant revenue for collection and disposal companies."60 56 Ibid, Table 4A-1 " htfps://Pw.lacounty.�4ov/epd/swims/News/swims-more-links.aspx?id-4# 2018 Countywide Organic Waste Management Plan Annual Report, Appendix B, Table 113 58 hgps://pw.lacoun ov/epd/swims/News/swims-more-links.aspx?id-4# LA County -Countywide Organic Waste Management Plan March 2018, Page 39 59 ibid 60 ibid, Page 49 "...at the end of the day, public agencies ultimately control solid waste and how it is handled. Cities and counties are already sending clear signals to their service - provider haulers on what types offacilities and programs they need to meet new legislative mandates. "61 Food Waste Recycling Examples Throughout the County_ • In the unincorporated areas of the County, a few businesses currently subscribe to food waste collection services, including four supermarkets that are enrolled in the County's pilot food waste diversion program.62 • The County's Department of Public Works headquarters in Alhambra serves as a good model for other cafeterias: food waste generated at the employee cafeteria is separated from other trash, composted in special containers outside the cafeteria, with the resulting compost used to provide nutrient -rich cover to the onsite garden (Appendix 7). Good signage and ongoing employee training are vital to this process. • For those businesses separating food waste and having arranged its pickup by their waste hauler, the food waste is taken to the Puente Hills Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). The Committee observed that this was a small pile in a corner of the massive facility (Appendix 8). Food waste material arrives from restaurants, grocery stores, and other businesses from the following cities: Arcadia, Baldwin Park, Gardena, Glendale, Industry, La Verne, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Pomona, San Dimas, and Santa Fe Springs. In addition, some commercial businesses in the unincorporated communities of Hacienda Heights and Rowland Heights have made arrangements to have food waste processed at this facility, according to an official at the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County (the Districts).63 • At the Puente Hills MRF, a bio separator turns the food waste pile into a type of "slurry" that will then be taken to the Districts' wastewater treatment plant in Carson.64 Digesters at the Carson plant use sewage material to turn the food waste slurry into a biogas that provides electricity to the plant, and provides 65 compressed natural gas (CNG) for vehicles that pull up to fuel. 61 ibid, Page 49 62 hgps://dpw.lacoun ov/epd/tf/isw/isw_2019_09.pdf Page 3 (accessed 3/23/20) 6' https://www.lacsd.org/aboutus/default.asp 64 https://www.biocycle.net/2019/ 12/04/sanitation-districts-gear-food-waste-codigestion/ 61 ibid 10 • City of Los Angeles --A City official mentioned several pilot programs that deal specifically with food waste:66 ➢ some food service employees at LAX have been trained to separate food waste from the trash67 ➢ 522 homes in the Westchester area have been given special garbage disposals (In -Sink Pilot) that can break down certain food waste for processing at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant68 ➢ an upcoming pilot planned for 18,000 homes, that will allow food waste to be placed in the green bin for weekly curbside pickup 69 • Manhattan Beach --Since 2015, the city has offered food waste curbside pickup and recycling to all its businesses and residents, at no extra cost to them. ➢ The city contracts with Waste Management for its waste hauling needs. Food waste is taken to the company's CORe food waste recycling facility in Orange and turned into "slurry." ➢ The material is then transported to the wastewater treatment plant in Carson. ➢ Manhattan Beach residents are billed in a Pay -As -You -Throw system,70 where 100% of the cost is dependent on the weight of the grey -color bin, which is for regular trash.n • Culver City --The city uses its own city staff for waste collection,72 and contracts with Athens Services for the food waste that is placed in the green bins, along with yard waste to be recycled at its composting facility in Victorville (American Organics), according to a city official.73 ➢ Once a year, Athens brings Culver City 20 tons of the compost material and the city gives most of it away to residents as a gift for gardens.74 ➢ "It is the best -smelling stuff you can imagine, it is so earthy and high - end as a nutrient for the soil," one city official told us. "Our gardeners love it." 66 Per Committee interview on 2/27/20 6' hops://www.lawa.or�4/en/lawa-sustainabilitv/sustainability-eleinents-material-resource-manageinent (accessed 3/2/20) 68 https://www.lacitysan.or�z/san/faces/home/portal/s-lsh-wwd/s-lsh-wwd-s/s-lsh-wwd-s-o/s-lsh-wwd-s-o- isp;isessionid=2bZOeJ enNeiz3sx4nR 7VAVHCBXLbRQ6WYPusobeifPXTBX7VDe!-839466798!-945519779? adf.ctrl- state=iheptiwke_I&_afrLoop=10334715382636628&_afrWindowMode=O&_afrWindowid=null#!%40%40%3F afrWindowid %3Dnull%26 afrLoop%3DI0334715382636628%26 afrWindowMode%3D0%26 adf.ctr1-state%3Diheptuwke 5 (accessed 3/6/20) 69 hops://www.lacitysan.org/san/faces/wcnav_extema11d/s-lsh-wwd-s-o-cyfwp (accessed 10/6/19) 70 https://patch.corn/califomia/manhattanbeach/city-approves-pay-as-you-throw-trash-rates "https://tbmews.colu/news/inanhattan-beach-food-waste-proarain-recvcled-million-pounds-since/article bcc4a38a-ac25-11e6- a470-1376873e5c29.htm1(accessed 9/25/19) 72 https://wasteadvantageinag.corn/from-metal-to-plastic-culver-city-ca-makes-the-move-to-more-durable-containers/ Committee interview on 10/22/19 " ibid M • Claremont --The city offers its businesses a free food waste recycling program, and hired a new driver to pick up food waste from about 65 businesses that have signed up.75 ➢ The food waste (food scraps, vegetable trimmings, plate scrapings, and spoiled food) is taken to a Burrtec Industries facility in Fontana for recycling.76 ➢ The city is working on expanding the food waste pickup in 2021 to all residents.77 • Redondo Beach --The city contracts with Athens Services for waste disposal,78 which offers businesses a food scrap collection program, where food waste can be placed in the green bin, along with yard waste.79 ➢ "A recycling program can reduce your trash service and save you money," according to the city`s website.80 Food Waste Recycling in the United States and Around the World • As of 2016, at least 198 communities in the United States offer curbside food waste pickup.81 These include cities such as: ✓ Seattle --offers residents and businesses curbside food waste collection ✓ New York City --offers certain businesses curbside food waste collection ✓ San Francisco --in 1996, became the first city in the nation to establish a large-scale food composting program for businesses and residents.82 ✓ Santa Barbara --offers businesses and residents food waste pickup, with a fee reduction if less trash goes to the landfill83 ✓ Portland --offers curbside food waste pickup and yard waste that can be combined in the green bin • Alameda County84 offers food waste curbside collection in all of its 14 cities (including Berkeley and Oakland) and six unincorporated areas85 "s Committee interview with city staff meruber on 1/2/20 76 Per Committee interview on 1/2/20 " hops://business.clareinontchaluber.or�zblo�4/claremont-chaluber-chatter-2371/post/organics-newsletter-article-city-of- clareinont-6317 (accessed 9/13/19) " https://athensservices.coin/residential-services/city-of-redondo-beach/ 79 https://www.redondo.org/news/dispIMews.asp?NewsID-2084&TargetID-9 (accessed 10/4/19) 80 ibid " https://www.biocycle.net/2015/01/15/residential-food-waste-collection-in-the-a-s-2/ (accessed Jan. 8, 2020) 82 www.nrdc.org/resources/san-francisco-cQLnposting, published on 10/24/17, (accessed on 10/30/19) 83 hops://www.santabarbaraca.gov/services/recycling/business/bins.asp (accessed 9/27/19) sa https://www.biocycle.net/2015/01/15/residential-food-waste-collection-in-the-a-s-2/ "hops://dusp.mit.edu/sites/dusp.mit.ediVfiles/attachments/project/Municipal%20Curbside%2OCompostables%2OCollection%20% 20What%20Works%20and%20Why_pdf Pages 8, 11, 53-56 12 • Dozens of municipalities have formalized weekly drop-off programs for residential food scraps at central locations, including: ✓ Fort Worth86 ✓ Washington D.C.87 ✓ Buffalo88 ✓ Orlando89 • Sweden banned organic waste from landfills in 2005; less than 1% of household waste goes to landfills; waste -to -energy infrastructure turns food waste and organic waste into biogas that runs more than 200 city buses, as well as garbage collection trucks.90 • South Korea has had a Pay -As -You -Throw type system of charging households for waste collection since 2013.91 Food waste has been banned from landfills since 2005; Seoul's 10 million residents separate their food waste. These policies have led Seoul's food waste to decrease by 10%, or by more than 300 tons a day.92 Schools in Los Angeles County • Every school in the 80 school districts in the County has excess edible food and food scraps going to landfills, and County health officials have developed strategies that can help.93 Cal Recycle also encourages each school district to work with its contracted waste hauling company to implement organics recycling on campus.94 • The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the second-largest school district in the country,95 has a waste hauling contract with Republic Services.96 This Committee could not find a provision for systematic food waste separation/recycling; the only two bins observed at randomly selected schools were a large blue dumpster and a black dumpster in parking lots. 86 https://fortworthtexas.gov/solidwaste/colupost/ " https://zerowaste.dc.gov/page/food-yard-waste-residents#:—:text—Food Waste Drop -Off District residents, How to Compost at Home "https://wasteadvantagemag.coinlbuffalo-ny-offers-food-scrap-recycling-program/#:—:text—The City of Buffalo is,be safely recycled into compost. 89 https://www.orlando.gov/Initiatives/Food-Waste-Drop-Off 90 hgps://www.nvtimes.coin/2018/09/21/climate/sweden-garbage-used-for-fuel.html (accessed 1/15/20) 91 https://www.the�4uardian.coin/lifeandstvle/2014/mar/27/food-waste-around-world (accessed 5/7/20) hgps://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/policies-helped-south-koreas-capital-decrease-food-waste (5/4/20) hqp://publichealth.lacounty_gov/eh/docs/LACFRI_ShareTablesFoodDonationsInSchools.pdf Page 5 94 https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/reducewaste/schools 95 https://achieve.lausd.net/about#:—:text—Second largest in the nation„School District Board of Education. 96 hgps://home.lausd.net/apps/news/article/322535 (accessed 5/10/20) 13 • LAUSD throws away 600 tons of food waste each week, at a cost of at least $100,000.97 In 2017, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law that allows campuses to collect unopened items and untouched fruit and donate them to food banks.98 In addition, there is a program called Share Table (Appendix 6) where unwanted items can be safely offered to those who want them. • In Los Angeles County, an estimated two million people face food insecurity.99 • Education officials interviewed by this Committee spoke about some LAUSD schools, where children as young as preschool -age learn about separating food waste, and teachers and volunteer parents use a compost bin onsite in order to "feed" the school garden.100 However, several education officials stated that many schools do not recycle food waste, and the dumpsters are only for trash and recyclables. • Aside from a school garden increasing healthy eating habits in children,101 the care and maintenance of a garden teaches students about food waste and composting. A County official told this Committee that a garden on every campus would need institutional support from top leadership in order to be sustained.102 • A County health education official expressed frustration that nutrition education is getting short shrift at schools and recounted a health insurance executive stating: "We keep seeing kids with Type II diabetes, who don't know the difference between a protein and a carbohydrate."103 • A survey sent to all school districts by the County Department of Public Health in 2019 to assess food waste on the 2,206 campuses in the County got a 50% response rate, according to a County health official.104 A preliminary look at the results showed a wide variety of recommended strategies being used to reduce food waste: from "Offer vs. Serve," to using the Share Table idea.105 Only 3% of schools reported composting food scraps onsite or offsite, according to the County health official. 9' https://www.latimes.coin/local/lanow/la-lue-edu-school-food-waste-law-20170928-storv.html (accessed 5/10/20) 98 ibid 99 hgps://www.lafoodbank.or�4/about/hun�4er-in-l-a/ (accessed 9/20/19) '00 Committee interview on 2/25/20 10' https://www.heart.org/en/professional/educator/teaching-gardens 102 Committee interview on 2/25/20 '0' ibid 104 Committee interview on 1/3/20 '0' http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/eh/LACFRU 14 • The County Department of Public Works offers free consultations and materials in a School Garden Program,106 and has installed gardens at Fishburn Elementary School in Maywood and McKinley Elementary School in San Gabriel_ to' Obstacles for those who want to recycle food waste • Even when restaurants WANT to separate and recycle food waste, they are thwarted: the waste hauler takes it to a landfill anyway (Sweetgreen example)'" • Cafeterias located in some buildings owned and/or managed by the State (case in point, the cafeteria on the ground floor of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Downtown Los Angeles)109 do not have any visible mechanism for separating/recycling food waste, according to numerous Committee visits per week over a period of several months. According to an interview with a cafeteria employee on November 15, 2019, the only product recycled is cooking oil. • The Committee also interviewed a waste expert familiar with the workings of the Clara Shortridge Foltz building who said food waste collected from the cafeteria, as well as waste that ends up in the large dumpsters in the loading dock area of the building, is probably going to a landfilLllo "There is just so much contamination in the bins," the expert told our Committee. "It's cheaper and easier for companies just to take it to a landfill. All staff would need training about separating in order for organics recycling to work." Committee members visited the loading dock area on October 15, 2019, and observed seven large dumpsters, most filled with trash bags that appeared to be unsorted, and blue recycling -designated dumpsters empty and off to the side. • The expert, who is also familiar with waste collection in the Downtown Los Angeles area, told our Committee that all large companies and agencies in the area are encouraged to recycle food waste, but few do. Waste hauling companies that collect trash have to pay to dump the trash, and they "have to pay more to dump organics, so there needs to be more of an incentive" to get properly -sorted waste to its proper destination.111 106 https://dpw.lacounty.gov/epd/sg/school.cfln '0' https://dpw.lacoun ov/epd/Roadinap/PDF/annual_report 2019.pdf Roadmap to a Sustainable Waste Management Future Annual Progress Report 2019, Page 19 '0' https://www.lati mes.comlbusiness/technology/story/2020-01-15/sweetgreen-green-image '09 Per Committee interview on 10/15/19, where the "LunchStop Weekly Menu" was provided to cafeteria patrons at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center `0 Committee interview on 10/15/19 111 ibid 15 • This Committee identified a food vendor company called LunchStop,112 which offers franchisees the opportunity to operate employee and other types of cafeterias113 in the County. Some are in courthouses (such as the one in Pasadena114 and the one at the Edmund D. Edelman Children's Court115) with no visible food waste recycling option that our Committee could determine. • While many courthouses in Los Angeles County are under the jurisdiction of the State (Judicial Council of California), most cafeterias in these buildings are inspected by the County Department of Public Health.116 • Even in some buildings or facilities where the County has jurisdiction, the cafeteria vendor does not appear to offer food waste separation/recycling, e.g., at the cafeteria operated by a LunchStop franchisee in the Hall of Administration,117 where the County Board of Supervisors meets. Our Committee also learned that there is no separation/recycling of food waste at the Hollywood Bowl,11' where the County has contracts with other food vendors.119 • Some employees at businesses that have special bins throughout the store (Target, Costco, etc.) with special signage to collect food waste told this Committee that those bags are thrown into the regular trash bin in the back.120 • For some managers of large facilities in the City of Los Angeles, there seems to be no cost savings in taking on the issue of food waste. In fact, there is an added cost for the trouble of separating out food waste and training staff, several managers told this Committee.121 • During the course of our investigation, the Committee found that for those who do not live in a city that offers food waste recycling options, residents are left either to do backyard composting themselves, or throw food waste in the trash. 112 http://www.lunchstop.coin/ Its http://file.lacounty.gov/SDShiter/bos/supdocs/I17393.pdf ... https://www.pasadenastamews.coin/2011/07/20/pasadena-courthouse-cafeteria-reopens-after-six-vear-hiatus/ ; This link demonstrates that LunchStop was still operating in the Pasadena Courthouse in 2020: http://www.decadeonline.corn/results.phtrnl?agency--pas&violsortfield=TB CORE INSPECTION VIOL.ENTERED BY&viol ortorder=DESC&forceresults=l&forcefac=0&offset-0&businessnaiue=LunchStop&businessstreet-&city—&zip=&facilityid=&F TS=&soundslike=&sort=FACILITY NAME Its http://file.lacounty.gov/SDShiter/bos/supdocs/I17393.pdf ... https://ehservices.publichealth.lacounty.gov/ersearch In Per Committee visit and interview with cafeteria employee on 11/15/19 ... Per Committee interview with County official on 2/19/20 119 Our Committee found the vendors of Sodexo/Compass and the Lucques Group. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sodexo- centemlate-idUSKBNIDFOS2 https://thelucguesaroup.com/hollywood-bowl.html Committee concluded that Sodexo was still one of the vendors, based on the 2019 Public Health Department inspection list: https://ehservices.publichealth.lacounty.gov/ersearch Ito per Committee interview with employees on 11/6/19, and on 11/6/19 and 11/9/19 visits to a Costco and Target 121 Per Committee interviews/visits to large facilities on 11/27/19, 12/16/19, and 2/13/20 16 • In the city of Los Angeles, for residents, it doesn't matter how much trash you generate, the cost is the same, according to the bimonthly bill many of our Jury members receive every month. Residents are charged a flat Solid Resources Fee (SRF) that is applied to the City's Clean Water, Solid Resources, and Watershed Protection.122 The fee funds the collection of solid waste, landfill costs, and a numerous list of associated costs. "Since the Solid Resources Fee funds more than just refuse collection, the fee is still applied —even if your dwelling produces little, or no, refuse waste,"123 according to the City's LA Sanitation website. • A City official stated, "it's hard for people to separate food waste; it can be smelly; where do you keep it, etc. We're working on a good way to do it. We have pilot programs."124 • This Committee found strong interest from residents and businesses interviewed. For those residents who are already committed to food waste separation and recycling (whether from their single-family house, or apartment), the only option our Committee found was LA Compost:125 ➢ a nonprofit organization that has a drop-off booth at several weekly farmer's markets ➢ relies on volunteers and donations ➢ operates several hubs throughout the City where residents can drop off their food waste126 ➢ in January of 2020, before the Covid-19 Pandemic, only eight of the 32 hubs were open due to growing demand, and not enough capacity127 ➢ during the pandemic, LA Compost continued accepting food waste drop-offs at one of the 26 community gardens throughout the City, and volunteers said that every Sunday, there was a constant stream of people 122 hgps://www.lacitysan.org/san/faces/home/portal/s-lsh-au/s-lsh-au-r/s-lsh-au-r- b;isessionid=uynSAdi5le5pClhtNKKGWExRUZOQem6N Mv-1ZPs-8bGx0eKlnat!-839466798!- 945519779?_afrLoop=8682239760179039&_afrWindowMode=O&_afrWindowId=Edl91WET&_adf.ctrl- state=197i5Iz7vh_1#!%40%40%3E_afrWindowId%3DEdl91WET%26 afrLoop%3D8682239760179039%26 afrWindowMode %3DO%26 adf.ctrl-state%3D197i5lz7yh 5 (click on "About Us" and then "Understanding Rates") 123 ibid 121 Per Committee interview on 2/27/20 125 www.lacolupost.org 126 https://www.lacornpost.org/faq 12' https://www.kcrw.com/news/shows/greater-la/the-challenges-of-composting-in-la/cornposting-in-la-isnt-as-easy-as-it-sounds 17 • Many college campuses in the County have ongoing sustainability initiatives: ➢ Cal State Northridge --dining services staff collects kitchen plant food waste and uses it for composting in its garden on campus.128 ➢ Occidental College in Eagle Rock --students have begun composting programs for food waste, but continue to find it challenging to sustain the program as students graduate.129 In 2016, the campus contracted with waste hauling company Athens Services to have food waste taken to the company's composting facility in Victorville.130 ➢ Students whose home cities, like Seattle, have curbside compost pickup programs express surprise that fellow students are not as diligent about food separation/recycling.131 • The County's Department of Public Works has identified nearly 200 facilities where organic waste should be separated and recycled, from cafeteria kitchen food prep areas ("back of house"); cafeteria dining areas, lunch rooms, employee workstations, landscaping.132 Educational material has been provided, and compliance is encouraged, according to County officials.133 However, County officials said they don't know how many of the identified entities are meeting the mandate, which requires organic waste recycling as of January 1, 2019,134 and that more action may be forthcoming once the State outlines regulations around the $10,000 fine per day. A random check by our Committee calling and visiting a few of the facilities, in conjunction with our conversations with waste haulers, leads us to believe that there is room for improvement in implementing organic waste recycling in these facilities. 12' https://www.csun.edu/sustainability/sustainable-garden-education-center 129 hops://www.theoccidentalnews.corn/features/2018/03/27/�400d-waste-composting-efforts-cainpus/2892421 (accessed 11/3/19) `0 https://www.theoccidentalnews.colu/news/2016/01/O1/college-looking-to-further-expand-coruposting-prograin/2880886 13' hops://www.theoccidentalnews.com/news/2018/03/20/student-led-compost-initiative-begins-braun-ha1U2891999 (accessed 2/17/20) 112 https://dpw.lacounty.gov/epd/organics/pdf/ABI826Meluo 2018.pdf "' Per Committee interviews on 10/7/19 and 11/19/19 134 hops://dpw.lacoun ov/epd/organics/pdf/AB 1826Memo 2018.pdf Page 2 18 COVID-19 The pandemic provides an opportunity to reimagine how things can be, and our Committee was pleased to see the word "waste" in the mix in an article published on May 13, 2020, in the Los Angeles Times: 135 Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Tom Steyer, a billionaire former hedge fund manager turned climate change activist, to co-chair his Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery. Twenty state lawmakers signed a letter last month to Steyer and Newsom's chief of staff, Ann O'Leary, urging the governor's office to consider recovery investments that prioritize "clean economy job creation." The letter reads, "We know the clean economy transportation, housing, energy, water, manufacturing, waste, and natural and working lands is one of the most cost-effective, resilient job creation sectors economy -wide." RECOMMENDATIONS This Committee recommends a public education campaign around food waste that creates drop-off food waste centers in more areas of the County and provides financial incentives, as well as County -owned facilities "leading by example" in recycling food waste —all of which require a little help from our friends.136 We recommend: 1.1 Each of the 88 cities, and the County's unincorporated areas, should establish a weekly food waste drop-off center. The center can be at a farmer's market, such as the one held each Thursday near Los Angeles City Hall, or at another appropriate site. City and County officials can arrange for the food waste collected to be taken to a nearby facility for recycling, or can establish contracts with organizations such as the Los Angeles Community Garden Council or landscaping companies for composting. 1.2 County officials should initiate programs using composting technology (such as Compostology137 or Earth Cube131) that can compact food waste and can be easily installed in offices and schools.139 "' https://www.latimes.corn/environment/story/2020-05-13/half-million-clean-energy-job-losses-aluid-coronavirus 136 From the Beatles song "With a Little Help From My Friends." 7 https://www.colupostology.us/about (accessed 9/26/19) sa http://corupostingtechnology.com/in-vessel-coluposting-systeins/earth-cube/ 9 https://www.biocycle.net/2015/03/31/school-district-rolls-out-food-waste-reduction/ (accessed 10/12/19) 19 1.3 County and city officials should create an incentive program for residents and businesses to separate food waste. This could be in the form of a gift card to a local grocery store/farmer's market, or a discount on a solid waste fee. For example, in the city of Santa Barbara, 150 businesses (restaurants, grocery stores, coffee shops, etc.) have signed up for the city's Foodscraps program, and can save several hundred dollars a month off their trash collection fee.140 1.4 County officials should work with community colleges and workforce training programs, to increase classes about food waste recycling and careers in waste management that focus on diversion and conversion technologies. 1.5 County officials should create a garden/compost program at Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic and investigate the option of a garden at some or all of the juvenile detention facilities. 1.6 The County Department of Public Health should develop a program to train its 300 food inspectors as "ambassadors" when they are in the field. The inspectors need to be armed with the Food DROP brochure,141 as well as information about how that establishment can safely separate and recycle any food waste. (This recommendation is also for Long Beach and Pasadena, which have their own Public Health departments.) 1.7 The County Department of Public Health should take the lead in creating a food waste education component as part of its permit process required for all outdoor public events that will be serving food. Department officials can work with the event manager ahead of time to plan for excess edible food donation, and for how food waste will be collected and separated. (This recommendation is also for Long Beach and Pasadena, which have their own Public Health departments.) 1.8 County officials should modify contracts with food vendor companies that are inside County facilities, such as the Hollywood Bowl, the Arboretum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and cafeterias located at County hospitals, to include food waste separation and recycling. Especially at the Hollywood Bowl, which draws more than 17,000 people142 for most of its summer concert events, has several food options onsite,143 and traditionally draws large pre -concert picknicking crowds, implementing a food waste recycling program can be part of a public education campaign. "Ohtfps://www.santabarbaraca.�4ov/services/recycling/business/foodscrap.asp#:—:text—Aboui%20The%20Prograln,like%20yQur% 20recychng%20and%20trash. (accessed 2/17/20) "' https://pw.lacounty.gov/epd/sbr/food-drop.aspx 112 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_ Bowl 14' hgps://www.hollywoodbowl.corn/visit/when-youre-here 20 1.9 The County Board of Supervisors should require that the vendor operating the Hall of Administration cafeteria institute procedures to separate food waste, both in the food prep area, and in the dining room. 1.10 The City of Los Angeles should partner with LA Compost to expand that organization's footprint in the city to increase its capacity to collect and compost food waste. 1.11 The City of Los Angeles should work with its 99 Neighborhood Councils to increase public education around food waste separation/recycling programs. 1.12 All 80 school districts located in the County should work with local public works and health department officials to create a garden and compost program in every school,144 and monitor edible food recovery efforts.145 1.13 All 80 school districts should develop a garden/compost program that can be available for students in the myriad after -school daycare options available on campus (LACER, After the Bell, STAR, etc.). 1.14 Elected officials in the County and cities should adopt the 11 suggestions in the March 2018 Countywide Organics Waste Management Plan146 and express support for the need to increase capacity and site and build new facilities to handle organic waste. 144 www.ecocycle.org (accessed 5/2/20) 14' https://www.ecocycle.org/files/School%2OColupost%2OProgralns%2OPathways%20to%2OSuccess.pdf "School Compost Programs: Pathways to Success" (accessed 4/3/20) 146 hgps://pw.lacoun ov/epd/swims/News/swims-more-links.aspx?id-4# LA County -Countywide Organic Waste Management Plan March 2018, Page 39 21 REQUIRED RESPONSES Responses are required from: Recommendation Responding Agency 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.14 County Board of Supervisors 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.14 Chief Executive Officer Sachi Hamai 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.12, 1.14 County Department of Public Works 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1. 10, 1. 11, 1. 12, 1.13, 1.14 County Chief Sustainability Office 1.1, 1.3, 1.8, 1.14 Mayors of 88 cities 1.5 County Department of Probation 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.12, 1.13 County Department of Public Health 1.6, 1.7 Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services 1.6, 1.7 Pasadena Public Health Department 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.12, 1.13 County Department of Environmental Health 1.14 Internal Services Department 1.8 County Parks and Recreation Department 1.1, 1.3, 1.8, 1.10, 1.11, 1.14 Mayor of City of Los Angeles 1.12, 1.13 Superintendents of all 80 school districts 1.12, 1.13 Los Angeles County Office of Education COMMITTEE MEMBERS Hind Baki, Chair Nirja Kapoor John Palos Jenalea Smith Judith Whitman 22 APPENDIX 1147 147 https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/food-recovery-hierarchy 23 APPENDIX 22148 0m "' https://ilsr.org/food-waste-hierarchy/ �j -�, crN��u�riaN�udd.ItrrNr�rlpisdiurdrhdYsNidh��,ruidNthrir�d�Ruu;d�� Rsduct,pal no as, [rutrwCWyou udrl.and n rruu,vuu tAgetor ilouuarh@rNrp"!v"a r. B rurcl fiwarawiln DvoeO Ned nul suNdo, fnr pecrph , tIi an rinu64 suh as hur iquurpf i IrAr m rr¢ to kc I ruiNdrnru dig;. kxk °y ..... fiNru7�Pti°it„riaEuN�,c(uriul7�NrNauar. ��ruil ruWkNslii �ci d u ��'' ��r .� � �u�Nkur„�rdF,rad i�ru� iiruir�ur�NYdu �rppi�oiflridi °NUNld;riru�iuuaf��� r4iiNddru kur�r duutiu�yrldld�wttNeiullruNNi���hu¢Nr aNaridulx+ trrirr N ux ff�tia trduri rduulFdsruL — CiNrodhriNulucdffuraduurrNrfrrud�ri�h7GN�aNlthddau�murthkNr�uur ur fo-rrrr ,d,rr9d! 1fu a� �y'°�RuNu�[r°dir��ui��id,°N{I� Ili 4�N�r�:ri Ir! rnh tff�! Ri'�ici� rdrni wruiadd ��d�c1 rr� Nlu;su���uY Yed ~ r,duu ,irw�Ila�4.adVrufrhu rrNad. fur NIrCd� :kkduaNritr hrdlbi �"���r ddNhu� �c� Ehd�1 k��unrdNh� ii�u4fRui'wrurutdBdai��furd�'s�u� �arr�,l�l4�ufdsrdtEf�wuw�u�hi Ir,,rrr,Ihd;r,dN^rnoruiuNf�ruuQlruhNrr urrrw�^rulrr�. 0.---------------------- ��N��,�utdrrr,nN�u+�huddslt urNo-iltiNu�dl����a to rrdrurord rw rl,1f 1 and Nedrrm P an rr1:umh me ant the dru9i•riiu•�l lNduidbv9(iaNiru,.Nudra,lair;�MdulnrrzcirfPAfl�9wr�,roNd;aN. �..... F17d4mieshiruAdheban nelftmml,,asftlig indk rashw rr�arru ruYo-r�eu c1iu�r� lr� Ihd�u ht��h 1 du�rhtl uus@�,1Nrulld+fiN�iu, r[Yrl iorJini fs Ayin cr gas 24 APPENDIX 3149 Active Landfills in Los Angeles County Landfill Site Owner Operator End of Operation Antelope Valley Waste Management, Waste Management, 2042 Recycling and Inc. Inc. Disposal Facility Azusa Land Azusa Land Waste Management, January Reclamation (Inert) Reclamation Co., Inc. Inc. 2025 Burbank Landfill 43 City of Burbank City of Burbank January Department of Public 2053 Works Calabasas Landfill County of Los Los Angeles County September Angeles Sanitation Districts 2025 Lancaster Landfill & Waste Management, Waste Management, March Recycling Center Inc. Inc. 2044 Pebbly Beach City of Avalon CR&R Environmental July 2028 Landfill (Avalon) Services San Clemente Island U.S. Navy U.S. Navy January Landfill 2032 Savage Canyon City of Whittier City of Whittier Public December Landfill Works Department150 2048 Scholl Canyon Co -Owned by City of Los Angeles County December Landfill Glendale and Los Sanitation Districts 2024 Angeles County Sanitation Districts Sunshine Canyon Republic Services, Republic Services, February Landfill Inc.BFI Inc.BFI 2037 14' http://www.publichealth.lacounty.�4ov/eh/EP/solid waste/facilitieslandfill.htzn?func=l&Landfill=landfill (accessed 1/31/20); hgps://dpw.lacoun ov/epd/swims/OnlineServices/search-solid-waste-sites-esri.asp (accessed 2/5/20) 150 hgps://www.ciiyofwhittier.or�z/government/public-works/trash/landfill-services 25 APPENDIX 41s1 "'hops://www.sfsvana.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/1UAnatorny of a Landfill.pdf 26 APPENDIX 5 Green Waste Pick-up and Recycling options available in County Unincorporated Areas (CUC) • The County's Department of Public Works oversees the waste hauler agreements for the 125 unincorporated areas,152 which include Altadena, Hacienda Heights, and Marina Del Rey. About 1 million people live in those areas; the "Mayor" of each area is the corresponding member of the County Board of Supervisors.153 • Many franchise waste haulers offer separate collection and recycling services for green waste.154 Some waste haulers offer one solid waste bin for mixed refuse for commercial clients. The mixed waste is hauled to a material recovery facility where some things may be diverted from a landfill, unless there is too much contamination.155 • Landscapers can deliver green waste generated from their operation to processing facilities that specifically recycle green waste. Currently, there are over 100 facilities in Los Angeles County and nearby counties that accept green waste generated in Los Angeles County.156 • In 2018, Public Works consultants visited over 70 multi -family complexes and found that only a few generated more than 1 cubic yard of green landscape waste.157 • The various waste haulers serving residents in the CUC are required to provide three separate bins: one for trash, one for recyclables, and one for green waste.158 Green Waste Pick-up and Recycling Options Available for City of Los Angeles • The State's most populous city, Los Angeles, manages its waste through the LA Sanitation Department.159 For approximately 80,000 businesses and multi- family complexes, the City of Los Angeles is divided into service areas and assigned a waste hauler under the RecycLA program.160 The program assigns seven waste haulers to 11 zones in the City.161 152 https://dpw.lacounty.gov/epd/sv,4ms/News/WasteHauler/ us https://Iacounty.gov/govermnent/about-la-county/unincorporated-areas/ 154https://pw.lacounty.gov/epd/sv,4ms/docs/pdf/faq/Cormnercial%2OWaste%2OFranchise%2OSystern%20EAQ%20for%2OWaste %20Haulers.pdf "' hgps://dpw.lacoun ov/epd/Roadinap/PDE/annual_ report_2019.pdf Roadmap to a Sustainable Waste Management Future Annual Progress Report 2019, Page 47-48 156 www.dpw.lacounty.gov/Epd/Tf/Isw/lsw 151 ibid us https://Pw.lacounty.�4ov/epd/swims/News/swims-more-links.aspx?id-4# LA County_Countywide Organic Waste Management Plan March 2018, Executive Summary xi 159 www.lacitysan.org 160 https://www.lacitysan.org/san/faces/holue/portal/s-lsh-wwd/s-lsh-wwd-s/s-lsh-wwd-s-zwlaf/s-lsh-wwd-s-zwlaf-au?_adf.ctrl- state=3z2x730v8_5&_afrLoop=11962272467624951#! 161 https://www.waste360.coin/cormnercial/los-angeles-bpw-award-I1-franchise-zones-seven-waste-haulers 27 • Green waste is taken to Griffith Park, where it's mixed with zoo doo (collected from herbivores at the adjacent Los Angeles Zoo) and biosolids (sewage products).162 The Griffith Park Composting Facility makes a final compost product that is used throughout the park, and for the City's Free Mulch Give - Away Program. • The mulch produced by the City is registered and trademarked as Topgro ®; the City gives its Department of Recreation and Parks half the compost created, and the rest is sold to private entities such as landscape companies.163 • Residential customers in the City are provided three bins for separating items for trash day:164 one for trash, one for recyclables, one for green waste (no food waste can be placed in this bin as it would contaminate the green waste); an extra bin for horse manure is provided for a nominal fee.165 162 https://www.lacitysan.org/san/faces/home/portal/s-lsh-wwd/s-lsh-wwd-s/s-lsh-wwd-s-gw/s-lsh-wwd-s-gw-gpcf#:—:text—The Griffith Park Composting Eacility,trhmnings from acres of landscaping. 16' hgps://www.lacitysan.org/san/faces/home/portal/s-lsh-,wwd/s-lsh-,wwd-s/s-lsh-,wwd-s-gw/s-lsh-wwd-s-gw-faq?_adf.ctrl- state=3z2x730v8_758&_afrLoop=11962739376231226#! 16' https://www.lacitysan.or�y/san/faces/home? adf.ctrl-state=3z2x730v8 758& afrLoop=11962955571838333#! Scroll down to "What Goes in Each Bin" 161 ibid 28 APPENDIX 6 Edible Food Recovery • In 2018, the County Department of Public Works launched the Food Donation and Recovery Outreach Program Food DROP website (www.FoodDROPLA. com) to provide resources for businesses in the unincorporated communities to safely donate excess edible food and reduce food waste. In addition to federal Good Samaritan laws that can provide legal protection, donating edible food can possibly provide a tax deduction.166 • In 2018, the County's Smart Business Recycling Consultants visited over 130 large food service establishments to survey how they currently manage organics and recyclables and to connect these businesses with local charities to donate edible excess food. Twenty-six businesses indicated that they donate edible food.161 • Organizations like Food Forward161 last year collected 26 million pounds of edible food from various companies.169 The organization's four 26-foot trucks pick up produce that otherwise would go to waste and distribute the bounty to agencies serving the needy from Santa Barbara to the California -Mexico border. Staff pick up excess produce from the largest produce market in the United States, located in Downtown Los Angeles, and nearby produce houses, as well as farmer's markets. Volunteer teams also are sent to pick residents' backyard fruit and distribute to food pantries. • Companies like Imperfect Produce170 ship boxes of imperfect -looking fruits and vegetables, and packaged food that has been rejected for cosmetic reasons. • There are many websites available to help residents who want to reduce food waste in their kitchens ✓ www.savethefood.com ✓ www.cawrecycles.org (Californians Against Waste) • For the K-12 school environment in Los Angeles County, the County Department of Public Health has developed resources to help each campus reduce food waste. ✓ http://publichealth.lacountygov/eh/LACFRI/ 166 www FoodDROPLA.coiu 16' hgps://dpw.lacoun ov/epd/tf/isw/isw_2019_09.pdf Page 3 168 www foodforward.ore 16' https://www.dailynews.coin/2019/06/20/this-new-produce-depot-is-a-Caine-changer-for-north-hollvwood-based-food-forward/ (accessed 2/23/20) 170 www.imperfectfoods.com (accessed 9/25/19) 29 APPENDIX 7171 Food Waste Recycling: County Department of Public Works Headquarters172 County Department of Public Works Headquarters in Alhambra: Photos of the employee cafeteria signage, showing food waste separation, and serving as a model for other County facilities. The Department reported that, in 2018, its food waste reduction practices in the cafeteria prevented over 300 pounds of food waste from being generated, and did not generate any leftover food for donation. In addition, almost 18,000 pounds of food waste was collected from the cafeteria kitchen, dining area, break rooms, and special events and sent to be recycled at an anaerobic digestion facility. An additional 1,200 pounds of food waste from the cafeteria kitchen was composted on site in the worm bins (see picture below). "' hgps://dpw.lacoun ov/epd/Roadinap/PDF/annual_report 2019.pdf Roadrnap to a Sustainable Waste Management Future Annual Progress Report 2019, Page 37 172 All photos in Appendix 7 were taken by members of the 2019-2020 Los Angeles County Civil Grand Jury on 3/11/20 30 The food waste separated in the cafeteria is then brought to special worm -composting bins onsite. Worm composting is using worms to recycle food scraps and other organic material into a valuable soil amendment called vermicompost. Worms eat food scraps, which become compost as they pass through the worm's body.173 173 hqp://compost.css.comell.edu/wonns/basics.html (accessed 5/3/20) 31 APPENDIX 8 Food Waste Transfer and Processing: Puente Hills Materials Recovery Facility174 A line of trucks bringing various types of separated waste such as cardboard and bottles/cans for recycling. The 174 All photos in Appendix 8 were taken by members of the 2019-2020 Los Angeles County Civil Grand Jury on 10/15/19 32 rm M 11 19 Iq Iq INTRODUCTION PURPOSE BACKGROUiVD ORGANIC WASTE GENERATION, DISPOSAL, AND DIVERSION 3 STRATEGIES FOR COMPLIANCE CE 14 3 COLLECTION PROGRAM OPINIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS 1E 4 COMPOST AiVCD ORGAiJIICS PRODUCT MARKET EVALUATION 20 S FINDING 23 EXISTING AND PLANNED PROCESSING FACILITIES S CAPACITY PROJECTIONS 11 INTRODUCTION The Los Angeles County Countywide Organic Waste Management Plan (Organics Plan) was prepared in concert with the Los Angeles County (County) Solid Waste Management Committee/Integrated Waste Management Task Force (Task Force) which is comprised of representatives from local government, the solid waste management and recycling industry, members of the general public, the business sector, and environmental organizations. The Organics Plan is designed to be a planning/reference document for residents, businesses, jurisdictions, and other governmental agencies that are developing plans and evaluating options to divert organic waste materials from disposal at landfills and transformation facilities. The Organics Plan analyzes the generation, processing capacity and markets for compostable organic waste' which is defined by lawe to mean food waste, green waste, landscape and pruning waste, nonhazardous wood waste, and food -soiled paper waste that is mixed with food waste. The plan also presents options to assist jurisdictions in developing or improving organic waste recycling programs. The Organics Plan serves multiple purposes and supports the Roadmap to a Sustainable Waste Management Future (Roadmap), which was adopted by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on October 21, 2014. The Roadmap lays out a framework that includes strategies and initiatives that the County can implement countywide to achieve its landfill diversion goals. In addition, the Organics Plan discusses how requirements from newly enacted legislation relating to organic waste diversion from landfills can be met. The key legislation includes: Assembly Bill 1826 (AB 1826) Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling Assembly Bill 1594 (AB 1591,) Green Material Used as Alternate Daily Cover (ADC) Assembly Bill 876 (AB 876) Compostable Organics Short -Lived Climate Pollutants (which introduces Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383) targets to reduce the landfill disposal of organics) The main focus of the Organics Plan is to identify and determine whether there is adequate organic waste processing facility infrastructure and processing capacity to meet the demand for organic waste that is projected to be diverted as a result of the newly enacted legislation presented above. Notes: 1. For the purposes of this report, compostable organic waste also includes compostable paper, which includes food -soiled paper waste, and is analyzed as a whole, in substitution for food -soiled paper waste. z. [Section 1,26z,9.8(c) of the Public Resources Code and pursuant to Assembly Bill 1826 (zoi<), Chesbro (Chapter7z7, Statutes of zoi<)]. COUNTYWIDE ORGANIC WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Table ll: Regulatory Timefriraimes of AEA 1826 California has been at the forefront of pursuing alternatives to landfill disposal and has been enacting legislation to promote these endeavors since as early as 1989 starting with AB 939. Several recent bills that have been passed and promulgated into law will have a dramatic effect on solid waste management in California, specifically on the types and quantities of material being targeted for diversion. The focus for recent regulations is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, methane in particular, in landfills through organic waste diversion. Decomposition of organic waste generates methane which has a global warming potential (GWP) of 34, meaning that methane is 34 times more potent than carbon dioxide (according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Fifth Assessment Report.). AIB 826: Mandatory ndatory Commercial Organics Recycling The Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling Act of 2015, AB 1826, is a landmark piece of legislation signed into law in October 2014 that requires businesses to arrange for organics recycling services on and after April 1, 2016, depending on the amount of waste they generate per week as shown on Table 1. This law also requires that on and after January 1, 2016, local jurisdictions across the state implement an organic waste recycling program to divert organic waste generated by businesses. i January 1, 2016 All Jurisdictions shall implement an organic waste recycling program Any business generating a cubic yards or more of organic waste shall April 1, 2016 arrange for organics recycling services Any business generating z, cubic yards or more of organic waste shall January i, 2017 arrange for organics recycling services Any business generating 4 cubic yards or more of commercial waste January 1, 2019 shall arrange for organics recycling services Any business generating z cubic yards or more of commercial waste January i, zozo shall arrange for organics recycling services The bill requires increasingly smaller generators to divert organic waste, starting with entities that generate 8 cubic yards or more of the targeted material types by April 1, 2016 and by January 1, 2020, entities generating 2 cubic yards or more must develop a program. AIB 594: Green Material Used as AIDC SIB 383: Sort (Lived Climate Pollutants Existing law allows green waste to be used as Alternative Daily Cover (ADC) and exempts green waste from a statewide disposal fee. This exemption, along with the recycling credit local governments receive toward their diversion goals, encourages the use of green materials for ADC instead of other more higher and better uses. For 18 years, California jurisdictions have "counted" green material used for ADC toward their diversion rates and AB 1594 eliminates that diversion credit allowance. With the passage of AB 1594, ADC diversion credit will be phased out by 2020 and jurisdictions are already moving away from this practice. It is expected that green material that had previously been used for ADC will be used as mulch, compost, direct land application, and/or biomass. AIB 876: Compostable Organics AB 876 expands the requirements for Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plans and requires jurisdictions to demonstrate and plan for 15 years of organic waste management capacity. This bill requires a county or regional agency, beginning August 2017, to include in its annual report to CalRecycle: 1. An estimate of the amount of organic waste in cubic yards that will be generated in the county or region over a 15-year period; 2. An estimate of the additional organic waste recycling facility capacity in cubic yards that will be needed to process the amount of organic waste identified, and SB 1383 establishes specific targets for reducing organic waste in landfills and requires CalRecycle, in consultation with the California Air Resources Board (CARB), to adopt regulations that achieve these targets. The bill would authorize local jurisdictions to charge and collect fees to recoverthe local jurisdiction's costs incurred in complying with the regulation. The bill requires, no laterthan July 1, 2020, CalRecycle, in consultation with CARE, to analyze the progress that the waste sector, state government, and local governments have made in achieving the specified targets for reducing organic waste in landfills. The bill also states that edible food waste must be recovered by at least 20 percent of current disposal levels for human consumption by January 1, 2025. The bill authorizes CalRecycle, depending on the outcome of that analysis, to amend the regulations to include incentives or additional requirements, as specified. SB 1383 introduces the following targets to reduce the landfill disposal of organic waste as follows: 1. "A 50-percent reduction in the level of the statewide disposal of organic waste from the 2014 level by 2020." 2. "A 75-percent reduction in the level of the statewide disposal of organic waste from the 2014 level by 2025." 3. Areas identified by the county or regional agency as locations for new or expanded organic waste recycling facilities capable of safely meetingthe additional organic waste recycling facility capacity need. COUNTYWIDE ORGANIC WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FUMOXMIMAMI . The amount of organic waste generated, disposed and diverted by County residents and businesses (for the baseline year of 2014) was calculated based on data from the following reports: a Los Angeles County's Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plan, 2014AnnuaI Report; * 2014 Disposal -Facility -Based Characterization of Solid Waste in California Report (CalRecycle, 2015); and * State of Disposal in California Updated 2016 Report (CalRecycle, 2016). Findings frorn these reports indicate the follovaing: Organic Waste Generation Organic waste generation is defined as the amount of organic waste generated by residents and businesses within the County. Since nearly one quarter of the entire state's population resides within the County, for the purposes ofthis analysis, it is assumed that the countywide organic waste generation rate is similar to the entire state's calculated average organic waste generation rate. In 2014, approximately 21.9 million tons of solid waste was generated by residents and businesses within the County; therefore, it is assumed that approximately 5.6 million tons - or 26 percent- of this waste was organic waste material based on the state's calculated averagegeneration rate (see Table 2). rr oiic / r r. Total Solid Waste Generation 70,170 21. 9 million Est. r of Organic Waste in Total Generation = 26% = 26% Total Organic Waste Generation 18,o86 5.6 million Organic Waste Disposal Organic waste disposal is defined as the management of organic waste through landfill disposal, transformation, or engineered municipal solid waste (EMSW) conversion, at a permitted solid waste facility. The quantity was calculated based on the total amount of solid waste disposed in the County (for residents and businesses) that was reported as approximately 8.8 million tons in 2014. Of this disposal amount, approximately 3.5 million tons was estimated to be organic waste (see Table 3) based on the statewide composition of 40%. Of the estimated 3.5 million tons of organic waste disposed, approximately 1.6 million tons was estimated as food waste and about 753,000 tons was estimated as green waste (see Figure 1). A B C-A`B z io% 8.8 million 35 million 'It is assumed that the percentage of organic waste in the countywide disposal waste steam is equivalent to the percentage or organic waste in the statewide disposal waste stream. Once the countywide organic waste disposal amount (3.5 million) was calculated, it was divided by the countywide organic waste generation amount (5.6 million tons) to obtain a countywide organic waste disposal rate of 63 percent for the base year, 2014 (see Table 4). Table 4: Countywide Organic Waste Disposal and Diversion late a„� .00t . ,,,. ,.,,,, u... / „� rrrrrrrrrrrrr r io / cccccii r r 7 ri r r � I, // r r TONS/YEAR TONS/YEAR i i 2,944 63% 37% Organic Waste Diversion Organic Waste Diversion is defined as the reduction or elimination of solid waste disposal of organic waste and is determined as follows: if 63 percent of the organic waste generated in the County was disposed, then the remaining 37 percent - or 2.1 million tons - is assumed to have been diverted. EXISTING AND PLANNED PROCESSING FACILITIES An assessment of organic waste processing facilities was undertaken to determine the available capacity of in -County and out -of -County facilities. Each facility was surveyed and interviewed by County staff. For in -County facilities, that capacities for 36 transfer/pre-processing facilities (with a permitted capacity of 100 tons or more per operating day), 19 chipping and grinding facilities, 10 composting facilities and two conversion technology (anaerobic digestion) facilities were analyzed. The total available in -county transfer/pre-processing capacity for organic waste was estimated to be approximately 3.0 million tons per year based on responses from County surveys, interviews, and/or permit information. The total available in -county organic waste recycling capacity was estimated to be 1.8 million tons per year. Table 5 and Figure 2 provide a breakdown of the current existing in -County organic waste recycling capacity. Several out -of -county organic waste recycling facilities located in Kern, Kings, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura Counties were analyzed for their available organic waste recycling capacities as part of this planning effort. The analysis included 50 composting facilities, 6 chipping and grinding facilities, and two conversion technology (anaerobic digestion) facilities in the identified counties. The total available out -of -county organic waste recycling capacity at facilities that are capable of diverting organic waste from landfills is estimated to be approximately 10.9 million tons per year (34,867 tpd-6). Table 6 and Figure 3 provide a breakdown of the current existing out -of -County organic waste recycling capacity for facilities that are capable of diverting organic waste from landfills. The organic waste processing capacity of transfer/pre-processing facilities located out of the County was not used in the analysis of this report because it was assumed that all organic waste would be handled at in -County transfer/pre-processing facilities first, then transferred at those same in -County pre-processing facilities to recycling facilities located in- or out -of -County. Therefore, for the purposes of this plan, it is assumed that out -of -County transfer/ pre-processing facilities would not receive any organic waste generated in the County. Additionally, the County is aware that facilities located out of the County may primarily be used to process organic waste generated by the host County. Furthermore. it is imoortant to note that although the analvsis in this olan Table &: Out-Of-Couuirnty Recycling (Diversion) Facility Capacities III Jill i i ,n i / Chipping and Grinding 6 3i8,000 i,ozo Facilities Composting Facilities So 10.4 million 33,268 Conversion Technology Facilities z 18o„600 Sig (Anaerobic Digestion) All Facilities 58 10.9 million 34,867 Flguuire 3: Breakdown of Out-cat-Couuirnty Annual Organic Waste Recycling (Diversion) Capacity by Facility Type Total Out -of -County Recycling (Diversion) Capacity = 1.0.8 million toms/year Chipping a Faci 318,0c 3 ConvE Techn Fact (Anae Dige: Facili 180,60 1° CAPACITY PROJECTIONS The County of Los Angeles has developed three possible scenario assumptions for Figures 4 and 5 on the following page, show these scenarios as compared to the recyclingof organic waste generated within the County over the next 15 years the in -County organic waste recycling capacity, the in- and out -of -County organics (from 2014-2029) to determine if there is sufficient pre-processing and recycling recycling capacity, and the transfer/pre-processing capacity (both current and capacity to meet the projected organic waste processing demand. projected). The three scenarios are as follows: Scenario 1 is the "Status Quo" scenario. It assumes that the organic waste diversion rate remains constant at 37% throughout the 15-year planning period. This scenario is developed to establish baseline conditions. Scenario 2 assumes that the organic waste disposed is reduced to 50% of 2014 levels by 2020 and 75 % of 2014 levels in 2025, then stays constant until the end of the planning period in 2029. This corresponds to a diversion rate of 71% in 2020 and 86% from 2025 through 2029. Scenario 3 assumes that the organic waste disposed is reduced to 50% of 2014 levels by 2020 and 75 % of 2014 levels in 2025, and that by the end of the planning period in 2029, the organic waste diversion rate is 90%. This corresponds to a diversion rate of 71% in 2020, 86% in 2025, and 90% in 2029. Scenarios 2 and 3 are in accordance with the State's methane emissions reduction goals established underSB 1383, which includes targets to reduce the disposal of organic waste at landfills. All scenarios use 2014 as the base year and consider a 15-year planning period ending in 2029. Furthermore, Scenarios 2 and 3 assume that the in -County transfer/pre-processing facility capacity increases to meet demand duringthe 15-year planning period. The scenario analyses conducted show that the County will not have enough organic waste recycling capacity (for all jurisdictions within the 15-year planning period) from in -County facilities. With out -of -County recycling facilities, there is more than adequate organic waste recycling capacity to compensate for the in - County facilities' shortfall. However, this analysis does not take into consideration that other California counties and cities will need organic waste recycling capacities for their own residents/businesses and that capacity might not be available to Los Angeles County jurisdictions. Additionally, the analysis does not take into account that future initiatives to improve organic waste diversion will increase the amount of organic waste collected and transfer/pre-processing and recycling facility needs. Another important consideration is that only a small portion of the in -County organic waste processing facilities are authorized to accept food waste. This represents only 30,576 tons per year (approximately 4% of the annual In -County recycling (diversion) capacity) of available capacity to process 1.6 million tons of estimated food waste disposed in the County during the 2014 base year. Thus, the in -County current processing infrastructure is shown to be significantly more inadequate for meeting food waste diversion demand during the planning period. 12 45,000 40,000 35,000 30,000 T c 25,000 7 0) 20,000 15,000 tom • "011 5,000 0 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 Scenario 1 - Organic Waste Diversion Demand (tpd-6) ==.z,....=Scenario 2 - Organic Waste Diversion Demand (tpd-6) Scenario 3 - Organic Waste Diversion Demand (tpd-6) Figure 5. Scenario Analysis - Transfer/Pre- Processing Capacity 45,000 40,000 35,000 o 0 0 30,000 N N rts M M 25,000 } } R+ 20,000 86% 9( 81 0�� ®® ® — `Projected] Organic Waste Transfer/Pre Processing Capacity 5,000 � , [Current] Organic W1 to Transfer/Pre-Processing Opacity (9,927 tpd-6) 0 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 Scenario 1 - Organic Waste Diversion Demand (tpd-6) m- Scenario 2 - Organic Waste Diversion Demand (tpd-6) Scenario 3 - Organic Waste Diversion Demand (tpd-6) COUNTYWIDE ORGANIC WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 13 14 STRATEGIES FOR COMPLIANCE IANC Based on current projections, the County will not be able to meet all of the projected organic waste processing needs of all jurisdictions through the 15-year planning period by utilizing current (or currently projected) in -County capacity. All scenarios analyzed in this Organics Plan resulted in organic waste processing capacity shortfalls when the analyses were limited to in -County capacity. To address these shortfalls, the County has identified three strategies for meeting the organic waste processing needs of the residents and businesses within the County including: 9. Reduce the amount of organic waste at the source by educating the public and businesses on ways to reduce organic waste, particularly food waste, at their homes and businesses. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has prioritized actions that organizations can take to either prevent the waste of food or divert food that has become waste, from landfills. These actions are listed from most to least preferred in the Food Recovery Hierarchy shown in Figure 5. The County has made and will continue to make efforts towards achieving each level of this hierarchy. Some of these efforts are outlined in the County Unincorporated and County Operations Organic Waste Management Plans. 2. Facilitate and/or promote the development of in -County planned or proposed organic waste transfer/pre-processing and recycling facilities, particularly those in which there is a current shortfall in available capacity, such as conversion technology (anaerobic digestion) facilities that can process food waste. The County has identified 9 organic waste processing facilities that are either planned or proposed to be located within Los Angeles County. These facilities include: a. Organic waste processing facilities that are currently in operation and have proposed to have their capacities increased; b. Facilities that currently process waste other than organic that have proposed to include organic waste processing operations at their site; and c. Facilities that are currently non-existent but are either in the planning or proposal process. Simplifying the permitting process for these types of facilities would accelerate their development, ultimately resulting in an increase in available organic waste processing capacity. CalRecycle has taken steps in this regard by preparing and certifying a programmatic Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for Anaerobic Digestion facilities. Project level California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documentation is still required to address localized, site specific environmental impacts which County agencies can assist in facilitating. 3. Utilization of out -of -County organic waste recycling facilities to compensate for the in -County shortfall. This would likely require agreements with out -of -County facility operators to secure capacity at their facilities. It should again be noted that there is competition for out -of -County facilities, exporting to other County's is subject to theirjurisdictional control over importation of waste into their County and there are environmental impacts due to greater haul distances and localized impacts due to increased facility use. On the other hand, organic waste recycling facility operators want to ensure there is adequate/guaranteed feedstock to cover theirfacility costs. �0 i �.�, �, fe� ����.�, ✓l„ /� rf ,,,Je„ �. o ( ,� i� ! e: i WWGMWAIIUCI M/MIN, q1"'A1111111031 Among the 88 cities and unincorporated areas in Los Angeles County, the types of collection services offered to residents and businesses vary considerably. Some cities have separate collection streams for trash, recycling and yard waste for all residential and commercial customers while other cities have a one -stream system whereby all materials are placed into one bin and the recyclables and trash are sorted and separated at a mixed waste processing facility. Most communities have an organic waste collection service; however, this is typically only for yard and garden waste. With the various types of collection agreements that exist in the County, there are many options that could be explored in order to increase organic waste diversion during the 15-year planning period and move the County towards compliance with AB 1826 and SB 1383. A report was prepared for the County by Tetra Tech BAS that explored a number of organic waste diversion program options that could be adopted by cities in the County. This analysis offers 11 different options to improve organic waste collection and diversion rates. The following are evaluation criteria that were considered when exploring these options described in Table ✓: Table T: Organic Waste Management Options o Cost Considerations • Time and Ease to Implement • Success of Others o Impacts to Small Haulers • Environmental Impacts • Enforcement Considerations Analysis of the 11 organic waste management options listed in Table 7 below revealed that there are certain inter -relationships associated with each option. There are four key areas or categories that are interrelated and influence the planning and implementation of an organic waste diversion program. Table 8 on the following page summarizes the four key areas that the eleven options could fall into. rr 0 i i Commercial Recycling Adopt an ordinance with requirements for businesses and haulers to achieve specified recycling requirements (if not already in place). i Ordinance Includes system quantify ys to quan fy recovery, monitor compliance with requirements and methods for enforcement action as necessary. Adopt an ordinance establishing organic collection requirements on properties not subject to AB 1826 including but not limited to single- t SFR Recycling Ordinance family residential (SFR) dwellings and multi -family residential dwellings with 2-1f units. Includes system to quantify recovery, monitor compliance with requirements and methods for enforcement action as necessary. Self -Haul Standards Establish standards or requirements for self haul (landscapers and other qualified providers) to meet recycling requirements. Includes a reporting requirements and audit procedures to ensure minimum standards are being met as well as licensing requirements. Flow Control Flow control to direct material collected to qualified processing or composting facilities. Modify existing contract or establish a new trash collection contract or franchise to include specified recycling requirements. Such action may [E Contract Modification include contract language modifications, separation of commercial/multi-family collection into separate contract(s), extension of existing 5 contracts or franchises or qualified licensing. Should include provisions for quantifying recovery, reporting compliance and enforcement actions. 6 Exclusive Commercial Hauling Establish new trash collection contracts or franchises with commercial or other exclusivity clauses and specified recycling requirements. Should include provisions for quantifying recovery, reporting compliance and enforcement actions. Modify existing contract or establish a new trash collection contract or franchise to require the hauler to provide separate collection of organic Source Separated Or para Organics Collection waste to entities (he, residential and commercial) that generate organic waste and deliver the material to a qualified organics recycling or composting facility. Should include provisions for quantifying recovery, reporting compliance and enforcement actions. Require the hauler to provide 2 or more separate bins for wet/dry commercial collection system in which the contents of certain bins are a Wet/Dry Collection delivered to a materials recovery facility with organics extraction technology. Should include provisions for quantifying recovery, reporting compliance and enforcement actions. Provides incentives for participation in organics collection by implementing subsidies to offset the incremental costs of collection, separation g Incentives and processing of organics to the degree necessary to change behavior and establish a successful base program. Should include provisions for quantifying recovery and reporting compliance to maintain eligibility for incentives. to Education Only No change to contracts but educate businesses to comply with the law. Includes business compliance monitoring and identification of sources that would be made available to businesses to ensure compliance and build program support. Provide businesses with guidance/assistance in the implementation of scalable on -site organics management aggregation methods and 11 On -Sire Management available technologies COUNTYWIDE ORGANIC WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 17 Table &: Key Aireas/Categcairles Chat would support the 11 Organics Management Options i c • Developing regulations by itself will not enable generators to start diverting organic waste. R.g.1,A ry Opbo.. Local level legislation such as bylaws are required to set the direction for organic waste management and to show that it was supported and endorsed by elected officials. • Legal implications would need to be considered to address compensation for impacts on hauler, transfer stations and/or processing facilities depending on contract provisions for modification or termination. • The services that will eventually be provided are dependent on the determined organics processor and their preference or criteria for receiving the organic waste. • The collection approach is dependent on the technology used by the processor. • Composting operations and high solids/"DC," anaerobic digestion facilities typically prefer a balance of food waste with high carbon materials _ such as yard waste, wood waste and/or food soiled paper. • Low solids/'Wet' anaerobic digestion facilities prefer organic loads that are primarily wet such as food waste. • Contracts or arrangements with an approved organics processing facility must be considered • Tools are selected to help waste generators understand how to use the new system. These can include the following: Tor 1,n Provide incentives to encourage generators to start organics diversion • Mandate generators to use the services offered Regulatoxy Options a The key areas or categories described above may manifest in different ways depending on the City's current collection system and the desired approach. Regulatory options, such as an organic waste recycling ordinance or mandate (such as AB 1826), help to shape program requirements and influence contract modifications. Contracts can then specify collection practices, such as source separated collection, and can be promoted with tools such as incentives and education. This system dynamic of interrelationships is presented in Figure ✓. Arrangements to secure capacity for organic waste processing is critical for cities to consider. Education and public outreach is also essential for program success. Generators need to know how to use their new organic waste diversion system. Ongoing education is also required to ensure new customers and staff are aware of the existing programs. Effective compliance monitoring and enforcement is also essential for successful program implementation. 20 C0114POST A14D ORGANICS PRODUCT MARKET digestion, which is composed of 50 percent methane. However, there are currently EVALUATION limited opportunities for this practice in California. In addition to the regulatory drivers and limitations such as manufacturing process reoulptonq nind ni,ndtint- In addition to organic waste collection programs and organic waste processing related regulations, there are several other factors whi infrastructure, having a market for end -products is an integral component of an organic materials. organic waste management system. A compost and recycled organic product There are a number of other markets for organic prodi. market evaluation was conducted by Tetra Tech to provide an understanding of the municipal waste stream including various horticultural available markets for the products that are produced from various types of organic waste processing facilities There are several types of organic waste recycling facilities in the County that convert organic waste into beneficial end products. Each recycling facility accepts a specific feedstock and creates different products, which are generally listed below. 9 Mulch 0 Compost * Biomass * Solid and Liquid Digestates The following two flow charts (Figures 8 and 9) show the relationship between the organic waste feedstock types, the processing method and the end products/ markets. Los Angeles County is close to the largest agricultural production center in the world and has many viable markets for organic materials. The uses for products created from organic waste are currently changing in the County. Since 1997, large amounts of green material were used as alternate daily cover (ADC) at landfills, however, this practice is becoming less common since AB 1594 passed in 2014, which will no longer allow this material to count towards diversion,goals by 2020. However, there are beneficial uses of chipped green material or blended soil products at landfills, such as roads, erosion control, and cover material for landfill closure. Direct land application of processed (but not composted) green material has become a commonplace practice since 2013, however, regulations have been put into place to restrict this practice, Compost, mulch, and fertilizer products from organic waste recycling for farming and landscaping purposes increases water retention, reduces soil erosion, and holds or boosts nutrient value in the soil. To that end, there is an opportunity to expand the use of these finished products in the greater Los Angeles region, Two distinct possibilities existfor energy generation with organic waste. There was at one point a network of biomass plants across California which created a strong market for processed wood as fuel. However, currently only one such facility exists within reasonable hauling distance of the greater Los Angeles region. Another opportunity for energy generation is using the biogas from controlled anaerobic Figuire &: End MairIkets and Facilities for Recycling Green Materials and Wood Waste .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . ... ... ... ... .. Figuire St: End MairIkets and Facilities for Recycling Food Waste Notes: * Liquid Digestate o ** Solid Digestate .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . COUNTYWIDE ORGANIC WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 21 22 F'iigure'10 shows e very rough surnrnery of rnerkets for solid organic products (like cornpost and/or digestete). Figuuire M: General Uses for Compost, Digestate, and Oth air Solid Products Prom Recovered Organic Products IIII tj ulr°'lurui Maillikets Ulllw%G/ F l N D l N Like so many arenas in California, there are great opportunities and great challenges ahead forthe future of recovered organic waste products. Fundamentally, the state has provided a number of incentives for developers of organic waste recycling programs. There is stronger statewide policy, financial incentives to assist in the development of facilities, and state incentives for the marketing and sales of the by-products of organic waste recycling (like compost and mulch). At the same time, the regulations for permitting a facility have gotten more expensive and harder to comply with. On balance, there are far more incentives than disincentives. However, the biggest disincentive may be the status quo which is less costly to rate -payers and provides for significant revenue for collection and disposal companies. In some cases, these same companies are likely to be the ones developing the programs to develop new organic waste collection and processing programs. The higher cost of programs is passed on to rate -payers. No analysis has been done to quantify the disincentive, but there is no question that landfilling un-separated materials is much less costly than developing separate collection programs and developing organic waste processing infrastructure. However, at the end of the day, public agencies ultimately control solid waste, how it is managed, and Impacts to rate -payers. Cities and counties are already sending clear signals to their service -provider haulers on what types of facilities and programs they need to meet new legislative mandates.