California Assembly Bill AB913 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 913AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 31, 2011 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Feuer FEBRUARY 17, 2011  An act relating to the environment.   An act to amend Section 251244.17 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to hazardous waste.  LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 913, as amended, Feuer.  Environment:   Hazardous waste: source reduction:  certified green business program.  The existing Hazardous Waste Source Reduction and Management Review Act of 1989 requires the Department of Toxic Substances Control to establish a program for hazardous waste source reduction, including requiring specified generators of hazardous waste to maintain certain plans and reports with regard to hazardous waste reduction practices. The department is required to provide source reduction training and resources to various regional and local government assistance programs to identify and apply source reduction methods.   This bill would require the department, as part of implementing this program, to develop a California Green Business Program that provides for the voluntary certification of businesses that adopt environmentally preferable business practices, including, but not limited to, increased energy efficiency, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, promotion of water conservation, and reduced waste generation. The department would be required to take specified actions with regard to implementing the California Green Business Program.   Existing law establishes various programs to reduce waste and protect the environment.   This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to establish a program to provide for the voluntary certification of businesses that adopt environmentally preferable business practices.  Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  no   yes  . State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION 1.   The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:   (a) The California Green Business Program is a statewide network of local government programs that certify small- to medium-sized businesses as having adopted environmentally preferable business practices.   (b) These local government programs coordinate with other programs in their jurisdictions to assist businesses with achieving and moving beyond regulatory compliance.   (c) Businesses certified by this program implement multimedia pollution prevention activities to achieve measurable waste reduction, energy savings, water conservation, and sustainability, in consultation with local governments, utility providers, and other entities.   (d) The California Green Business Program promotes improved community health outcomes, economic vitality, sustainability, and green jobs.   (e) The California Green Business Program provides small businesses with a level and quality of consultation on environmentally preferable business practices that small businesses otherwise may have limited access.   (f) The California Green Business Program can save businesses money through coordinating with funding opportunities for efficiency upgrades and long-term savings associated with decreased utility bills.   (g) The Department of Toxic Substances Control serves as a statewide program contact, coordinator, and liaison with other state agencies, consistent with subdivision (h) of Section 25244.13 of the Health and Safety Code.   (h) In California there are currently 14 county and two city green business programs, which have together certified over 2,600 green businesses.   SEC. 2.  Section 25244.17.2 of the   Health and Safety Code   is amended to read:  25244.17.2. The department shall expand the department's source reduction program to provide source reduction training and resources to CUPAs, small business development corporations, business environmental assistance centers, and other regional and local government environmental programs so that they can provide technical assistance to generators in identifying and applying methods of source reduction. (a) The program expanded pursuant to this section shall emphasize activities necessary to implement Sections 25244.17 and 25244.17.1.  (b) As part of implementing the program required by this section, the department shall develop a California Green Business Program that provides for the voluntary certification of businesses that adopt environmentally preferable business practices, including, but not limited to, increased energy efficiency, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, promotion of water conservation, and reduced waste generation. The department's California Green Business Program shall do all of the following:   (1) Assist the network of statewide local government programs in implementing guidelines and structures that establish and promote a level of consistency among green business programs across the state.   (2) Support, through staffing and contracts, the development and maintenance of a statewide database to register businesses and track measurable pollution reductions and cost savings.   (3) Solicit participation of additional local programs and facilitate the startup of new local programs.   (4) Develop technical guidance on pollution prevention measures, conduct industry studies and pilot projects, and provide policy coordination for the participating local programs.   (b)   (c)  The department shall determine, in consultation with the advisory committee, the most effective methods to promote implementation of source reduction education programs by CUPAs, small business development corporations, business environmental assistance centers, and other regional and local government environmental programs. Program elements may include, but are not limited to, all of the following: (1) Sponsoring workshops, conferences, technology fairs, and other training events. (2) Sponsoring regional training groups, such as the regional hazardous waste reduction committees. (3) Developing and distributing educational materials, such as short descriptions of successful source reduction projects and materials explaining how source reduction has been used by businesses to achieve compliance with environmental laws enforced by local governments. (4) Developing site review checklists, training manuals, and technical resource manuals and using those resources to train CUPAs, small business development corporations, business environmental assistance centers, and other regional and local government environmental programs. (5) Preparing and distributing resource lists such as lists of vendors, consultants, or providers of financial assistance for source reduction projects. (6) Serving as an information clearinghouse to support telephone and onsite consultants with local governments.  (c) The department shall coordinate activities under this section with grants made under Section 25244.11.5.  (d) Each fiscal year, the department shall provide training and information resources to at least 90 percent of CUPAs.  SECTION 1.   It is the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation that would establish a California certified green business program that would provide for the voluntary certification of businesses that adopt environmentally preferable business practices including, but not limited to, increased energy efficiency, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and reduced waste generation.