title
Assembly Bill 998 Household Hazardous Waste Letter of Support
end
Requested Action(s)
recommendation
Approve the letter of support for Assembly Bill 998 (Hadwick), as presented.
body
Financial Impact:
None.
Background Information:
Currently, local schools that confiscate vape devices from students cannot dispose of these devices at the Agency’s household hazardous waste facilities due to rules regarding the acceptance and handling very small quantity generator waste. Additionally, when a school takes possession of a vape, that device is no longer considered a “household” hazardous waste. Once the vape arrives at our facility there is no clarification on whether the disassembly of the vape device is allowed. The batteries in some of the devices can be removed and in others the “tank” holding the vape liquid can be removed, which would reduce the cost of disposing of the entire device. Another aspect, separate from vape devices, is the reporting requirements that all household hazardous waste facilities are subject to. Currently the Agency must report on a fiscal year basis the collection and disposition of all household hazardous waste brought to our facilities and, beginning this year, also must report very similar information on a calendar year basis.
AB 998 seeks to provide additional flexibility to household hazardous waste (HHW) collection facilities and schools, as follows:
• Allows HHW collection facilities to accept and manage as HHW vapes that are confiscated from students by schools.
• Opens another regulatory pathway for schools to manage and safely dispose of vapes confiscated from students.
• Allows HHW collection facilities to safely disassemble HHW devices to separate components like batteries, circuitry, and cartridges, thereby reducing disposal costs and increasing the potential to recycle individual components.
• Prohibits HHW collection facilities from offering vapes in their materials exchange/reuse programs.
• Requires CalRecycle and DTSC to develop a consolidated reporting document that HHW collection facilities can use to submit a single annual report to those agencies.
Under the authority of numbers 3 and 4 below, the Agency Manager provided support for the coalition letter, included in your agenda packet, dated April 21, 2025.
In the event a position letter is sent without formal approval by the Board of Directors, the Agency Manager will submit the position letter for approval of the Board of Directors at its next regularly scheduled meeting. In all other instances, the Agency Manager must seek approval of a position letter from the Board of Directors prior to submission. All position letters must be limited to solid waste, recycling, and hazardous waste related issues. The Policy is limited to proposed legislation that affects the mission of the Tehama County Solid Waste Management Agency. The Policy is an evolving document and may be amended with approval by the Agency Board of Directors.
As approved by the Board of Directors, the Agency Manager may submit position letters as described below:
1. Support legislation that would clearly describe what is meant by “organics,” and eases the permitting and siting of composting facilities.
2. Support legislation that would promote through economic, regulatory, and or other incentive processes the development of in-California manufacturing facilities using recycled materials.
3. Support legislation and/or regulations that provide local government with the authority and funding to achieve mandated activities.
4. Support legislation to eliminate overlap between state agencies and departments.
5. Support product stewardship and increased manufacturer responsibility with respect to materials that are difficult to recycle, and/or difficult to manage, and/or classified as hazardous, and/or banned from landfills.
6. Support legislation to extend the sunset date of the Recycling Market Development Zone program. Legislation to support the use of RMDZ funds to promote new and expanded markets for recyclable materials.
7. Support legislation that would promote through economic, regulatory, and/or incentive processes the development of rural California manufacturing facilities using materials recovered from recycling activities.
8. Oppose legislation that would weaken local government authority or cause undue financial responsibility on local government.
9. Oppose legislation that would allow any State agency to promulgate regulations, guidelines, procedures, directions, or policies to ban materials from landfill disposal without a plan for realistic and cost-effective ways to remove the materials from the waste stream.
10. Oppose legislation that would increase state fees and surcharges unless appropriate and/or meet the mission statement.
11. Oppose regulations and/or legislation that creates contradictory goals at state agencies and/or departments.
12. Oppose amendments to the Bottle Bill that will negatively affect the City/County Payment Program and/or rural handlers/processers of California Redemption Value material.