40501-40511
PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE
SECTION 40501-40511
40501. The Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery may hold any hearings and conduct any investigations in any part of the state necessary to carry out its powers and duties. 40502. (a) The board shall adopt rules and regulations, as necessary, to carry out this division in conformity with Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. The board shall make available to any person, upon request, copies of proposed regulations. (b) (1) The board shall adopt regulations regarding city, county, and regional agency source reduction and recycling elements and nondisposal facility elements, required to be submitted to the board pursuant to Section 41791.5, which shall be deemed to be emergency regulations and shall be considered by the Office of Administrative Law as necessary for the immediate preservation of public peace, health and safety, or general welfare. These emergency regulations shall not alter the deadlines for the submission of countywide and regional agency integrated waste management plans specified in Section 41791. (2) Prior to adopting the emergency regulations required pursuant to paragraph (1), the board shall do all of the following: (A) Make available to any person, upon request, a copy of the proposed regulations at least 30 days prior to adoption. (B) Hold at least two public hearings in different parts of the state in order to receive public comment on the regulations. (C) Publish notice in the California Regulatory Notice Register of the proposed adoption of the emergency regulations, the identity of a contact person at the board from whom copies of the proposed regulations may be obtained, and the dates, times, and locations of the public hearings that are required pursuant to subparagraph (B). (c) Any emergency regulations adopted by the board pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) shall be filed with the Office of Administrative Law at the earliest feasible date, but not later than December 31, 1993. Notwithstanding subdivision (e) of Section 11346.1 of the Government Code, any emergency regulations adopted pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) shall remain in effect for not more than three years from the date of adoption. 40503. The board shall maintain its headquarters in the County of Sacramento, and may establish regional offices in any part of the state that the board deems necessary. 40505. In order to carry out its powers and duties under this chapter, the board may enter into any contracts that the board determines to be necessary. 40506. The board may accept grants, gifts and donations for the purposes specified in this division. 40506.1. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the board may sell any of its loans made pursuant to this division on the secondary market and may pool its loans. All proceeds shall be deposited into the same accounts into which the loan repayments from each loan would have been deposited, and the use of the proceeds shall be limited to the authorized uses of these accounts. (b) The board shall not sell its loans pursuant to this section if the loan sale results in more than a 25-percent discount of the principal amount, excluding any expenses or reserves required as a condition of the loan sale. 40506.5. (a) The Director of Resources Recycling and Recovery, with approval of the Director of Finance, may accept, on behalf of the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery and its various divisions, federal grants for the purposes for which the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery is established. The grants shall be deposited in the Special Deposit Fund in the State Treasury provided for by Section 16370 of the Government Code, and may be expended under those terms and conditions as may be required by the federal government. (b) Whenever the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery has received and deposited any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the General Fund in an excessive amount or in error, or whenever a refund of all or a portion of that money is due a person, firm, or corporation because of the termination of an agreement or other lawful reasons, payment of the refund shall be made upon the filing of a claim by the Director of Resources Recycling and Recovery with the Controller. The Controller shall draw a warrant for payment of the refund from any appropriation made for that purpose. 40506.7. For the purposes of disseminating information relating to its activities, powers, duties, or functions, the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery may issue publications, construct and maintain exhibits, and perform acts and carry out functions that in the opinion of the Director of Resources Recycling and Recovery will best disseminate the information. The publications may be distributed free of charge to public libraries and to other state departments and state officers. The Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery may exchange copies with contemporary publications. All money received by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery from the sale of publications, exclusive of money received by any separate division of the department from the sale of publications, shall be paid into the State Treasury to the credit of the General Fund. 40507. (a) On or before March 1 of each year, the board shall file an annual report with the Legislature highlighting significant programs or actions undertaken by the board to implement programs pursuant to this division during the prior calendar year. The report shall include, but is not limited to, the information described in subdivision (b). (b) Commencing January 1, 1997, the board shall file annual progress reports with the Legislature covering the activities and actions undertaken by the board in the prior fiscal year. The board shall prepare, and may electronically file with the Legislature, the progress reports throughout the calendar year, as determined by the board, on the following programs: (1) The local enforcement agency program. (2) The research and development program. (3) The public education program. (4) The market development program. (5) The used oil program. (6) The planning and local assistance program. (7) The site cleanup program. (c) The progress report shall specifically include, but is not limited to, all of the following information: (1) Pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b), the status of the certification and evaluation of local enforcement agencies pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 43200) of Part 4. (2) Pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b), all of the following information: (A) The results of the research and development programs established pursuant to Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 42650) of Part 3. (B) A report on information and activities associated with the establishment of the Plastics Recycling Information Clearinghouse, pursuant to Section 42520. (C) A report on the progress in implementing the monitoring and control program for the subsurface migration of landfill gas established pursuant to Section 43030, including recommendations, as needed, to improve the program. (D) A report on the comparative costs and benefits of the recycling or conversion processes for waste tires funded pursuant to Chapter 17 (commencing with Section 42860) of Part 3. (3) Pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (b), all of the following information: (A) A review of actions taken by the board to educate and inform individuals and public and private sector entities who generate solid waste on the importance of source reduction, recycling, and composting of solid waste, and recommendations for administrative or legislative actions which will inform and educate these parties. (B) A report on the effectiveness of the public information program required to be implemented pursuant to Chapter 12 (commencing with Section 42600) of Part 3, including recommendations on administrative and legislative changes to improve the program. (C) A report on the status and effectiveness of school district source reduction and recycling programs implemented pursuant to Chapter 12.5 (commencing with Section 42620) of Part 3, including recommendations on administrative and legislative changes to improve the program's effectiveness. (D) A report on the effectiveness of the integrated waste management educational program and teacher training plan implemented pursuant to Part 4 (commencing with Section 71300) of Division 34, including recommendations on administrative and legislative changes which will improve the program. (E) A summary of available and wanted materials, a profile of the participants, and the amount of waste diverted from disposal sites as a result of the California Materials Exchange Program established pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 42600. (4) Pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (b), all of the following information: (A) A review of market development strategies undertaken by the board pursuant to this division to ensure that markets exist for materials diverted from solid waste facilities, including recommendations for administrative and legislative actions which will promote expansion of those markets. The recommendations shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following: (i) Recommendations for actions to develop more direct liaisons with private manufacturing industries in the state to promote increased utilization of recycled feedstock in manufacturing processes. (ii) Recommendations for actions which can be taken to assist local governments in the inclusion of recycling activities in county overall economic development plans. (iii) Recommendations for actions to utilize available financial resources for expansion of recycling industry capacity. (iv) Recommendations to improve state, local, and private industry product and material procurement practices. (B) Development and implementation of a program to assist local agencies in the identification of markets for materials that are diverted from disposal facilities through source reduction, recycling, and composting pursuant to Section 40913. (C) A report on the Recycling Market Development Zone Loan Program conducted pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 42010) of Chapter 1 of Part 3. (D) A report on implementation of the Compost Market Program pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 42230) of Part 3. (E) A report on the progress in developing and implementing the comprehensive Market Development Plan, pursuant to Article 2 of Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 42005) of Part 3. (F) The number of retreaded tires purchased by the Department of General Services during the prior fiscal year pursuant to Section 42414. (G) The results of the study performed in consultation with the Department of General Services pursuant to Section 42415 to determine if tire retreads, procured by the Department of General Services, have met all quality and performance criteria of a new tire, including any recommendations to expand, revise, or curtail the program. (H) The number of recycled lead-acid batteries purchased during the prior fiscal year by the Department of General Services pursuant to Section 42443. (I) A list of established price preferences for recycled paper products for the prior fiscal year pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 12162 of the Public Contract Code. (J) A report on the implementation of the white office paper recovery program pursuant to Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 42560) of Part 3. (5) Pursuant to paragraph (5) of subdivision (b), both of the following information: (A) A report on the annual audit of the used oil recycling program established pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 48600) of Part 7. (B) A summary of industrial and lubricating oil sales and recycling rates, the results of programs funded pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 48600) of Part 7, recommendations, if any, for statutory changes to the program, including changes in the amounts of the payment required by Section 48650 and the recycling incentive, and plans for present and future programs to be conducted over the next two years. (6) Pursuant to paragraph (6) of subdivision (b), all of the following information: (A) The development by the board of the model countywide or regional siting element and model countywide or regional agency integrated waste management plan pursuant to Section 40912, including its effectiveness in assisting local agencies. (B) The adoption by the board of a program to provide assistance to cities, counties, or regional agencies in the development and implementation of source reduction programs pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 40912. (C) The development by the board of model programs and materials to assist rural counties and cities in preparing city and county source reduction and recycling elements pursuant to Section 41787.3. (D) A report on the number of tires that are recycled or otherwise diverted from disposal in landfills or stockpiles. (E) A report on the development and implementation of recommendations, with proposed implementing regulations, for providing technical assistance to counties and cities that meet criteria specified in Section 41782, so that those counties and cities will be able to meet the objectives of this division. The recommendations shall, among other things, address both of the following matters: (i) Assistance in developing methods of raising revenue at the local level to fund rural integrated waste management programs. (ii) Assistance in developing alternative methods of source reduction, recycling, and composting of solid waste suitable for rural local governments. (F) A report on the status and implementation of the "Buy Recycled" program established pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 42600, including the waste collection and recycling programs established pursuant to Sections 12164.5 and 12165 of the Public Contract Code. (7) Pursuant to paragraph (7) of subdivision (b), a description of sites cleaned up under the Solid Waste Disposal and Codisposal Site Cleanup Program established pursuant to Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 48020) of Chapter 2 of Part 7, a description of remaining sites where there is no responsible party or the responsible party is unable or unwilling to pay for cleanup, and recommendations for any needed legislative changes. 40507.1. (a) As part of the annual report required to be submitted by the board to the Legislature pursuant to Section 40507 on or before March 1, 2003, the board shall include a report on new and emerging conversion technologies, including, but not limited to, noncombustion thermal technologies, including gasification and pyrolysis, chemical technologies such as acid hydrolysis or distillation, and biological technologies, other than composting, such as enzyme hydrolysis. The board shall only evaluate those conversion technologies that provide demonstrated environmental benefits over the transformation and disposal of solid waste. (b) The report required by subdivision (a) shall contain all of the following: (1) Specific and discrete definitions and descriptions of each conversion technology evaluated. (2) A description and evaluation of the life-cycle environmental and public health impacts of each conversion technology in comparison to those environmental and public health impacts from the transformation and disposal of solid waste. (3) A description and evaluation of the technical performance characteristics, feedstocks, emissions, and residues used by each conversion technology and identification of the cleanest, least polluting conversion technologies. (4) A description and evaluation of the impacts on the recycling and composting markets as a result of each conversion technology. (c) The board shall require that the report be subject to an external scientific peer review process conducted pursuant to Section 57004 of the Health and Safety Code. (d) The board shall consult with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission and other state, federal, or international governmental agencies in preparing the report required by this section. 40508. The board is designated as the state solid waste management agency for all purposes stated in the Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 6901 et seq.) and any other federal act heretofore or hereafter enacted affecting solid waste. 40509. The board may render technical assistance and make recommendations concerning potential solid waste disposal sites upon the request of the board of supervisors of any county. The board may request any state agency to assist the board in rendering technical assistance and making recommendations pursuant to this section. 40510. The board shall use a rollcall vote for all official board decisions, including, but not limited to, approval, denial, or amendment of integrated waste management plans, exemptions, time extensions, approval, denial, and amendment of any permits issued pursuant to a vote of the board and other appropriate decisions. The rollcall votes shall be included in the minutes of the board's meetings. 40511. (a) Notwithstanding Section 7550.5 of the Government Code, on or before December 1, 2000, the board, in consultation with the Department of Conservation, shall prepare and submit to the Legislature a report that identifies any duplication or overlap between the following programs authorized under this division and Division 12.1 (commencing with Section 14500) administered and funded by the two agencies: (1) Public information and education programs. (2) Local government review and assistance programs. (3) Recycled materials market development programs. (b) The report shall include, but not be limited to, suggested legislation, budget actions, or administrative actions that could be taken to eliminate duplication or overlap between the two agencies and programs.