Existing law requires the State Air Resources Board, no later than January 1, 2018, to approve and begin implementing a short-lived climate pollutant strategy to achieve a reduction in the statewide emissions of methane by 40%, hydrofluorocarbon gases by 40%, and anthropogenic black carbon by 50% below 2013 levels by 2030. Existing law requires that the methane emissions reduction goals include a 50% reduction in the level of statewide disposal of organic waste from the 2014 level by 2020 and a 75% reduction in the level of statewide disposal of organic waste from the 2014 level by 2025.

Existing law requires the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, in consultation with the state board, to adopt regulations to achieve the organic waste reduction goals established by the state board for 2020 and 2025, as provided. Existing law requires the department, no later than July 1, 2020, and in consultation with the state board, to analyze the progress that the waste sector, state government, and local governments have made in achieving these organic waste reduction goals. Existing law authorizes the department, if it determines that significant progress has not been made toward achieving the organic waste reduction goals established by the state board, to include incentives or additional requirements in its regulations to facilitate progress towards achieving the goals.

This bill would require the department, in consultation with the state board, to assist local jurisdictions in complying with these provisions, including any regulations adopted by the department.