COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Department of Public Works

DATE:

January 15, 2010

BOARD MEETING DATE:

January 26, 2010

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

James C. Porter, Director of Public Works

SUBJECT:

Five-Year Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plan Review Report

RECOMMENDATION:

Adopt a resolution:

1.

Approving the Five-Year Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plan Review Report; and

2.

Directing the Director of Public Works to submit the Five-Year Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plan Review Report to the California Integrated Waste Management Board and the City/County Association of Governments, acting as the Local Task Force.

BACKGROUND:

Each county in California is required by the California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989 (AB 939) to prepare and adopt a Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plan (CIWMP). In San Mateo County, County government (representing the unincorporated area) and all the cities in the County have prepared and adopted elements that make up the CIWMP. The elements of the CIWMP are listed below:

•

Source Reduction & Recycling Element (SRRE): One plan for each city and one for the County’s unincorporated areas.

•

Household Hazardous Waste Element (HHWE): One plan for each city and one for the County’s unincorporated areas.

•

Nondisposal Facility Element (NDFE): One plan for each city and one for the County’s unincorporated areas.

•

Siting Element (CSE): One countywide plan.

•

Summary Plan (SP): One countywide plan.

The California Integrated Waste Management Board (Waste Board) approved the last of these elements in October 1999. This final approval date determines a five-year review reporting cycle for the County’s CIMWP. Per statute, before the five-year anniversary of the previous Five-Year Review Report (published in 2004), the City/County Association of Governments, acting as the Local Task Force for San Mateo County, reviewed the CIWMP and provided comments to the County. The comments requested that the County prepare a new Five-Year Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plan Review Report (Review Report), attached as Exhibit A. The letter from the Local Task Force (Exhibit B), addressed to the Director of Public Works, was received on September 10, 2009. This initiated the Review Report process for Public Works staff. The Local Task Force comments stated in part: “the original planning documents and those updated in the annual reports of each jurisdiction are still applicable and useful planning tools with one exception, the countywide NDFE”. The NDFE includes a list of facilities used by cities in the County to divert waste from landfills.

DISCUSSION:

Public Works staff, Environmental Health staff, city staff, and facility operators contributed to the draft Review Report utilizing the template provided by the Waste Board. County staff and these other representatives have concluded that the elements of the CIWMP are still adequate tools for the continued implementation of AB 939, with the exception of the NDFE (in agreement with the Local Task Force).

The last update to the NDFE was completed as part of the 2004 CIWMP review cycle. County staff believes that the NDFE is the only element of the CIWMP that must be updated. The update will reflect the removal of a facility that no longer exists and include a new facility, which began operating in Redwood City in early 2009.

The draft Review Report was provided to the cities for comment and their comments are included in Appendix C of the Review Report.

Upon your adoption of this resolution approving the Review Report, staff will forward the Review Report to the Waste Board. The Waste Board will provide staff with its findings in 90 days, including any requests for updates to specific elements of the CIWMP. Staff will then update all requested elements of the CIWMP and bring the updated elements to your Board for final approval and submission to the Waste Board. The NDFE updates are anticipated to take approximately 75 days to complete from receipt of the Waste Board’s comments.

County Counsel has reviewed and approved the Resolution as to form.

The completion of the Five-Year CIWMP Review Report contributes to the Shared Vision 2025 outcome of an Environmentally Conscious Community by complying with AB 939 and the Waste Board regulations to divert solid waste from landfills.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Review Report development and CIWMP element update costs are paid by AB 939 fees. There is no impact to the General Fund.

Exhibit A -

Draft Five-Year CIWMP Review Report

Exhibit B -

LTF Letter, dated September 10, 2009