CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20192020 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 191Introduced by Assembly Member RodriguezMay 11, 2020Relative to Compost Awareness Week. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTACR 191, as introduced, Rodriguez. Compost Awareness Week.This measure would designate the week of May 3, 2020, through May 9, 2020, as Compost Awareness Week.Digest Key Fiscal Committee: NO Bill TextWHEREAS, Composting is an effective form of waste reduction, reuse, and recycling, and since organic materials make up approximately 30 percent of the material going to landfills, composting is becoming one of the primary methods communities use to reach waste diversion goals and create sustainable communities; andWHEREAS, Chapter 719 of the Statutes of 2014 phased out diversion credits for organic alternative daily cover in landfills, Chapter 727 of the Statutes of 2014 statutorily mandated commercial recycling of organics, and Chapter 593 of the Statutes of 2015 required organic waste recycling planning by local jurisdictions; andWHEREAS, Section 42649.87 of the Public Resources Code requires the California Environmental Protection Agency, in coordination with the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, the State Water Resources Control Board, the State Air Resources Board, the Department of Food and Agriculture, and the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, to develop and implement policies to aid in diverting organic waste from landfills by promoting the use of agricultural, forestry, and urban organic waste as a feedstock for compost and by promoting the appropriate use of that compost throughout the state to improve the states soil organic matter; andWHEREAS, Chapter 395 of the Statutes of 2016 required the State Air Resources Board to incorporate new targets for landfill diversion and reduction of methane emissions from livestock and dairy operations in its comprehensive short-lived climate pollutant strategy, and specifically recognized the important role composting may have in achieving those targets; andWHEREAS, Organic residual materials, including yard trimmings, vegetable cuttings, biosolids, food scraps, manures, and hay shavings, have been composted and converted into a beneficial product known as compost; andWHEREAS, Returning organic resources, remanufactured in compost, to the soil reduces water consumption by over 30 percent for all soil types, conserves water during extreme drought or flooding conditions, decreases dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and decreases erosion and nonpoint source pollution; andWHEREAS, Composting is recognized by the State Air Resources Board as an important tool to sequester massive amounts of carbon in Californias soils to help immediately reverse global warming by drawing down excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere; andWHEREAS, Communities, through their local governments, highway departments, soil conservation services, and public works professionals, can have positive impacts on clean water, soil, climate change, and landfill diversion by using compost for public works projects; andWHEREAS, International Compost Awareness Week is a multimedia publicity and educational initiative to showcase compost production and demonstrate compost use initiated and supported by compost industry organizations from around the world; andWHEREAS, Composting creates green jobs and infrastructure for cities and states that implement composting programs; andWHEREAS, The United States Composting Council, Canada, and the United Kingdom have declared the first week of May to be the annual International Compost Awareness Week; andWHEREAS, The Association of Compost Producers is the California State Chapter of the United States Composting Council and manages International Compost Awareness Week in California; andWHEREAS, All California citizens produce organic residual feedstocks that are remanufactured into compost, from their backyards to their regional industrial scale compost production facilities, collectively producing over 10 million tons of compost and mulch each year; andWHEREAS, California intends to almost double its compost production capacity in the next 10 years; and WHEREAS, The theme for 2020, Soil Loves Compost!, is a great current message for California citizens, municipal leaders, and farmers to continue to learn the benefits of compost to communities, property owners, and agricultural growers; now, therefore, be itResolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the week of May 3, 2020, through May 9, 2020, is hereby designated as Compost Awareness Week; and be it furtherResolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20192020 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 191Introduced by Assembly Member RodriguezMay 11, 2020Relative to Compost Awareness Week. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTACR 191, as introduced, Rodriguez. Compost Awareness Week.This measure would designate the week of May 3, 2020, through May 9, 2020, as Compost Awareness Week.Digest Key Fiscal Committee: NO
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20192020 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Concurrent Resolution
No. 191
Introduced by Assembly Member RodriguezMay 11, 2020
Introduced by Assembly Member Rodriguez
May 11, 2020
Relative to Compost Awareness Week.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
## LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
ACR 191, as introduced, Rodriguez. Compost Awareness Week.
This measure would designate the week of May 3, 2020, through May 9, 2020, as Compost Awareness Week.
This measure would designate the week of May 3, 2020, through May 9, 2020, as Compost Awareness Week.
## Digest Key
## Bill Text
WHEREAS, Composting is an effective form of waste reduction, reuse, and recycling, and since organic materials make up approximately 30 percent of the material going to landfills, composting is becoming one of the primary methods communities use to reach waste diversion goals and create sustainable communities; and
WHEREAS, Chapter 719 of the Statutes of 2014 phased out diversion credits for organic alternative daily cover in landfills, Chapter 727 of the Statutes of 2014 statutorily mandated commercial recycling of organics, and Chapter 593 of the Statutes of 2015 required organic waste recycling planning by local jurisdictions; and
WHEREAS, Section 42649.87 of the Public Resources Code requires the California Environmental Protection Agency, in coordination with the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, the State Water Resources Control Board, the State Air Resources Board, the Department of Food and Agriculture, and the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, to develop and implement policies to aid in diverting organic waste from landfills by promoting the use of agricultural, forestry, and urban organic waste as a feedstock for compost and by promoting the appropriate use of that compost throughout the state to improve the states soil organic matter; and
WHEREAS, Chapter 395 of the Statutes of 2016 required the State Air Resources Board to incorporate new targets for landfill diversion and reduction of methane emissions from livestock and dairy operations in its comprehensive short-lived climate pollutant strategy, and specifically recognized the important role composting may have in achieving those targets; and
WHEREAS, Organic residual materials, including yard trimmings, vegetable cuttings, biosolids, food scraps, manures, and hay shavings, have been composted and converted into a beneficial product known as compost; and
WHEREAS, Returning organic resources, remanufactured in compost, to the soil reduces water consumption by over 30 percent for all soil types, conserves water during extreme drought or flooding conditions, decreases dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and decreases erosion and nonpoint source pollution; and
WHEREAS, Composting is recognized by the State Air Resources Board as an important tool to sequester massive amounts of carbon in Californias soils to help immediately reverse global warming by drawing down excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere; and
WHEREAS, Communities, through their local governments, highway departments, soil conservation services, and public works professionals, can have positive impacts on clean water, soil, climate change, and landfill diversion by using compost for public works projects; and
WHEREAS, International Compost Awareness Week is a multimedia publicity and educational initiative to showcase compost production and demonstrate compost use initiated and supported by compost industry organizations from around the world; and
WHEREAS, Composting creates green jobs and infrastructure for cities and states that implement composting programs; and
WHEREAS, The United States Composting Council, Canada, and the United Kingdom have declared the first week of May to be the annual International Compost Awareness Week; and
WHEREAS, The Association of Compost Producers is the California State Chapter of the United States Composting Council and manages International Compost Awareness Week in California; and
WHEREAS, All California citizens produce organic residual feedstocks that are remanufactured into compost, from their backyards to their regional industrial scale compost production facilities, collectively producing over 10 million tons of compost and mulch each year; and
WHEREAS, California intends to almost double its compost production capacity in the next 10 years; and
WHEREAS, The theme for 2020, Soil Loves Compost!, is a great current message for California citizens, municipal leaders, and farmers to continue to learn the benefits of compost to communities, property owners, and agricultural growers; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the week of May 3, 2020, through May 9, 2020, is hereby designated as Compost Awareness Week; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.