California Air Resources Board

Would have replaced the term “natural gas” with the term “methane” throughout California statute. Was not heard in the Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities, and Communications.

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Would have exempted portions of a county from the state’s organic waste collection requirements if a majority of property owners protest organic waste collection fees under Proposition 218.Failed passage in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.

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Would have required California’s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to consider alternatives to census tracts, as provided, when deciding the boundaries of a low-population or elevation waiver for organic waste jurisdictional targets under the Short-lived Climate Pollutants Strategy organic waste regulations. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Requires the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to develop a Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) for small and medium compost facilities under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) by January 1, 2027, and specifies that the PEIR shall streamline the process with which jurisdictions can develop and site compost facilities.

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Would have required the Office of Planning and Research to develop a technical advisory on best practices to facilitate the siting of compost facilities and would have required cities and counties to consider updating the land use element to identify areas for siting compost facilities. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Would have required California’s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecyle), in consultation with CARB, to include product labeling requirements that reduce food waste in regulations pursuant to SB 1383’s (Lara, Chapter 395, Statutes of 2016) Short-lived Climate Pollutant Strategy. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Would have defined pyrolysis the thermal decomposition of material at elevated temperatures in the absence or near absence of oxygen and required California’s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, no later than January 1, 2026, to amend the Short-lived Climate Pollutants Strategy regulations to include, as a recovered organic waste product attributable to a local jurisdiction’s procurement target, pipeline biomethane converted exclusively from organic waste. Ordered to the inactive file on the Senate floor.

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Authorizes local jurisdictions to count additional organic waste products, activities, and investments towards their organic waste procurement targets, including determining a local per capita procurement target using information from a local jurisdiction waste characterization study, as specified. The bill also authorizes a local jurisdiction to satisfy its annual procurement obligations by procuring a quantity of recovered organic waste products that meets or exceeds a 5-year procurement target, as specified.

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Would have prohibited the establishment of new transformation or engineered municipal solid waste (EMSW) conversion facilities in the State until California’s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery has determined that the State has achieved solid waste and organic waste policy goals for three consecutive years. Was not heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have required the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) to develop procedures, in consultation with CARB, for local jurisdictions to request technical assistance on meeting the State’s organic waste recycling requirements.

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Governor's Veto Message

To the Members of the California State Senate:

I am returning Senate Bill 972 without my signature.

This bill requires the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) to develop procedures for local jurisdictions to request technical assistance regarding the disposal of organic material in landfills. It also requires CalRecycle to consider providing technical assistance before exercising its enforcement authority, if a local jurisdiction has submitted a technical assistance request.

While I appreciate the author's intent to assist local jurisdictions in meeting California's organic waste reduction and diversion targets established in Senate Bill 1383 (Lara, 2016), this bill is unnecessary and duplicative of existing efforts. CalRecycle currently offers a suite of technical assistance materials and comprehensive staff assistance for all jurisdictions in the state specific to Senate Bill 1383. Further, the Local Assistance and Market Development branch within CalRecycle regularly meets with local jurisdictions, including monthly Senate Bill 1383 roundtables, and conducts annual site visits to provide customized assistance consistent with each jurisdiction's needs.

For this reason, I cannot sign this bill.

Sincerely,

Gavin Newsom

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