On August 13th, Larry Sweetser testified on behalf of RCRC at a joint Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee/Senate Environmental Quality Committee oversight hearing hazardous waste reforms.   

The Board of Environmental Safety Chair (Jeanne Rizzo) and Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) Director (Meridith Williams) presented the update, which focused on the Board and Department’s hazardous waste management plan, fee reforms, funding challenges, community engagement, and contaminated site clean-up.   

RCRC’s comments focused on DTSC’s hazardous waste management plan, including: 

  • Perspectives from agencies that generate and manage hazardous waste. 

  • Noting that many rural businesses subject to regulation are small, often agricultural, and typically have fewer resources to comply with some regulations than do their urban counterparts with greater access to disposal facilities. 

  • Complications arising from abandoned hazardous waste in open spaces like forests and deserts, the costs associated with proper management, and lack of convenient disposal options. 

  • Issues with illegal disposal of hazardous waste in solid waste collection, transfer stations, and landfills, including lithium battery fires. 

  • Observing that rural counties are required to sponsor household hazardous waste programs including used oil collection for do-it-your-self mechanics.  These public service programs are expensive, complicated, and led to RCRC sponsored AB 2481 (2022), which removed regulatory barriers, increased flexibility, and saved jurisdictions thousands of dollars in household hazardous waste management costs.   

  • The need to reduce duplicative local reporting requirements to both DTSC and CalRecycle. 

  • Concerns about cost pressures and the risk that overly complex and expensive programs may lead to increases in illegal disposal. 

  • RCRC’s continued support for producer responsibility efforts for hard-to-manage wastes like electronic wastes, batteries, paint, etc.  

  • The need to develop additional in-state capacity to manage hazardous wastes. 

RCRC looks forward to continuing to work with the Legislature, the Board, and DTSC on ways to improve the state’s hazardous waste management system. 

The hearing can be viewed here and Mr. Sweetser’s testimony begins at 2:02:05.   

For more information, please contact RCRC Senior Policy Advocate John Kennedy.