United States
Creating Solutions: Organic Disposal Reduction Status Impact Reporting
TRC became one of the first firms to successfully complete a Status Impact Report (SIR) in accordance with California's effort to reduce short-lived climate pollutants.
Innovating Regulatory Compliance
Challenges
In September 2016, California’s Governor Edmund Brown Jr. set methane emissions reduction targets for California (SB1383 Lara, Chapter 395, Statutes of 2016) in a statewide effort to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCP). The targets must reduce organic waste disposal by 75% by 2025 and rescue at least 20% of currently disposed surplus food by 2025 to help feed the hungry.
This far-reaching law, also known as bill number SB1383, requires all solid waste facilities to develop a report to project the impact that compliance with the law will have on operations. No facility or consulting firm had ever had to develop such a report to comply with this new requirement before. TRC’s customer, Recology, accepted TRC’s proposal to develop the report for its Hay Road Landfill in Vacaville.
Operators of solid waste landfills are required to submit to CalRecycle an Organic Disposal Reduction Status Impact Report (SIR), in accordance with California Code of Regulations Title 27 Section 21695. This report provides an analysis of the potential impacts to the landfill resulting from the implementation of the organic disposal reduction requirements of Public Resources Code Section 42652.5.
Solutions
To develop the required SIR, TRC put together a team that included engineering, geology and planning expertise. The team worked closely with Recology staff and used the existing Joint Technical Document for the facility as a reference for details of the existing operation, along with data provided by CalRecycle on waste composition and waste diversion requirements.
The SIR developed by TRC described the potential impacts, including the expected timing of impacts to the landfill, from the implementation of the organic disposal reduction requirements in SB1383. The SIR provided a brief analysis of potential impacts to the landfill operation, landfill gas production and site life.
Results
Although no one had ever prepared such a report before, the partnership proved successful with CalRecycle accepting the submittal.
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