[{"_1":2,"_97":-5,"_98":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6700156,"mediaKeyId","3798007-8fe2ed512a81328ed0e4973ccc63420f","parentId",3798007,"title","Encinitas Environmental Commission approves prior minutes and June work-plan update","audioSeconds",14,"startMs",4097000,"endMs",4111000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3798007-8fe2ed512a81328ed0e4973ccc63420f&start=4097&end=4111","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3798007-8fe2ed512a81328ed0e4973ccc63420f/thumbnail_4097000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6700156/Encinitas/San-Diego-County/California/Encinitas-Environmental-Commission-approves-prior-minutes-and-June-work-plan-update","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6700156-273d3b876879196dad8995432715226f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770939759&Signature=CD9nc-M55OBbcQk4ZZ5Yj4zuRLjeM4pcgaqL0gjPmtPPfyswOpv4iqPUt0TekWCaz2Zi7tB-zx6astZoNqgoGiGSkVVHL2KXCLA2yb0zyF5zFOYGU3IqceLXeD7o4Dm0UTRozREiGENiWxL6WyuxdG4rB8QjWe2gg-r9dGNfPe1xbLHi1AuedwN0Ea3oVcjw0LbmXKSoZVa8XhALQ93CGFb9mxrUDtWm2igAqFwyuk40dfo2JzSWeNRzTLWVkwyy2viqReiEG3X0fjTz3ek-nQkCRKWiLYpY~CsTkCSL16t~JpfikWQ3ryXTtwznEvu5y7sfaIUb~xTz0OBdOATqJA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Encinitas, CA","date","2025-06-12T03:59:35Z","article","The Encinitas Environmental Commission voted unanimously at its June meeting to approve last month's meeting minutes and the commission's June work-plan update.

Commissioners approved the minutes and then, later in the meeting, voted to adopt the June update to the commission work plan by voice vote. The meeting record shows a quorum of five commissioners was present for the votes; members announced \"Aye\" with no recorded opposition.

Staff's work-plan update highlighted recent and upcoming outreach and project items. The update noted recent events and participation: an EcoLiteracy showcase at the EUSD Farm Lab (May 6), EcoFest (June 1) and an upcoming Sustainable Solutions Fair and public mulch giveaway scheduled for June 22 at Encinitas Community Park.

Staff also listed project-specific items: a public workshop for a proposed native-plant ordinance (SWCA environmental consultants and city staff will host a workshop June 23 at City Hall, 6–8 p.m.), and an amendment to the Climate Action Plan (CAP) update consultant contract to add a benefits-cost analysis. Staff said the CAP benefit-cost analysis will add approximately four to six months to the CAP timeline.

The work-plan update also noted operational items staff are tracking: the Santa Elijo Lagoon dredge activity (staff said dredging equipment is staged and the operation was imminent), a delay of the food-service plastic ordinance presentation to council (staff now targeting an August council date to allow additional information gathering), and continued work on an environmentally preferable purchasing and contracting policy.

The commission approved the work-plan update after the staff presentation and will next meet after the July recess. Commissioners noted they would be informed about the lagoon dredging timing and encouraged the public to use the city's My Encinitas app and recycling@encinitasca.gov to report local compliance issues.

Ending: With the approvals complete, the commission proceeded to its regular calendar review and scheduled subcommittee and community cleanup activities.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Encinitas Environmental Commission Meeting 6/12/25","oneSentenceSummary","The commission unanimously approved last month's minutes and the June update to its work plan; the update lists upcoming events and project timelines including a native-plant ordinance workshop, a CAP benefit-cost analysis extension, and a dredging schedule for the San Elijo Lagoon.","taxTitle","Encinitas, San Diego County, California","taxId",3828,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6700160,"Encinitas staff, EDCO report progress on SB 1383 organics diversion, urge public outreach",3202,370000,3572000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3798007-8fe2ed512a81328ed0e4973ccc63420f&start=370&end=3572","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3798007-8fe2ed512a81328ed0e4973ccc63420f/thumbnail_370000.jpg","/articles/6700160/Encinitas/San-Diego-County/California/Encinitas-staff-EDCO-report-progress-on-SB-1383-organics-diversion-urge-public-outreach","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6700160-f794b24fc69bd1810deceebd51baed68/orig.mp4?Expires=1770939759&Signature=nJi2yZc9wSNa~sDFSZZUeCFoXkryhTPhhUHnUvhS99rjSGE14hfH~1jqT28WmGaNx4XzAzPhP4aAB89kXas0pIIH99mbM3qnCcprMxKtpeaBu4b2Rj5sfH5nQ2DLH3vboxFDk87dx3yS90rSWPMX8JVpSjZsUm6lVPurzuKsmA6KTnjyBQckmRhvFW0~N8ig7JluQcOn1H6cnOGGsq0FhhA3Dak4khv4T35JfBcIKiA2Jp0Ni2AT6i4Qh2hedo8gFpekto8gumcylgBUNHuPnsFLlkbMZ-cRxsYHhpFp6RdzDKrMYt6yabHnAMUXq16T6RfNP8TtNh~xiVMKueoQ6A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City of Encinitas 0 Waste Program Administrator Paul Meckler and EDCO Northern Division General Manager Matthew Cleary gave the Environmental Commission an extended update on SB 1383 implementation, local diversion results and next-year plans at the commission's June meeting.

Meckler summarized the regulatory drivers and local targets, saying the state mandate SB 1383 requires broad organics diversion and edible-food recovery while the older AB 939 sets an ongoing 50% diversion framework. He noted the city measures disposal as pounds per person per day and reiterated the Climate Action Plan goal of reducing that rate to 3 pounds per person per day by 2030; Encinitas's regulatory target referenced in the presentation is currently about 7.5 pounds per person per day, with an interim goal of 5.3 that the city has passed.

The update placed heavy emphasis on organics capture and edible-food recovery. Meckler said the city identified 16 tier-one and 29 tier-two qualifying food generators for edible-food recovery (grocery and larger food-service sites, cafeterias and schools) and reported 44 education-outreach instances, 16 formal inspections and nine technical consultations. Meckler added that city-reported donations from generators amounted to roughly 679,000 pounds in the most recent reported year; local food-recovery organizations reported about 519,000 pounds recovered. Meckler said the difference reflects donations originating outside city limits and some generators using FROs outside Encinitas.

Matthew Cleary described EDCO's role in processing and outreach. He said EDCO's anaerobic-digestion facility currently processes about 93,000 tons of organic material per year and is being expanded with two additional digesters to reach roughly 186,000 tons annual capacity; the digester expansion is expected to be operational about a year from now. Cleary noted the company's material-recovery and household-hazardous-waste services, school- and multifamily-outreach materials (including eight videos produced in English and Spanish), and community events such as mulch giveaways and periodic universal-waste collection days.

On program performance, staff presented a citywide diversion figure of about 29,991 tons (39.7% of materials generated) diverted from landfill during the reported period. Meckler said organic tons diverted rose substantially year over year, and EDCO highlighted increases in construction-and-demolition diversion (from 10% to 15%) and stable recycling tonnage at roughly 13% year over year. Meckler characterized those gains as important steps toward the 2030 goal but said the current trajectory would still fall short of the 3-pound target unless additional measures are implemented.

The presenters also outlined enforcement and compliance work. Meckler said the city conducted 65 inspections covering edible-food recovery, construction-and-demolition and commercial front-of-house organics; the city logged nine enforcement cases related to noncompliance. EDCO reported ongoing multifamily outreach (25% complete as of the presentation, with a target to finish by Sept. 30) and business-assessment pilots for restaurants conducted in partnership with iLoveCleanSD.

Several commissioners and members of the public asked technical and operational questions. Commissioners and attendees raised: whether mulch distributed at giveaways is the digestate from EDCO's anaerobic digester (Cleary and Meckler clarified the mulch is ground yard waste and not the digester's blended soil amendment), requests for improved on-container labeling and outreach to residents who did not receive kitchen caddies, and suggestions to pilot compost-only restroom bins at public facilities.

Cleary and Meckler invited commissioners to tour EDCO's facilities; Cleary said, \"I'd like to invite you to... tour our facilities.\" Cleary also warned of safety and contamination issues tied to improper disposal: he told the commission that since January of the year he had recorded 13 fires at the recycling facility and multiple vehicle fires suspected to be caused by batteries and other improperly disposed items, stressing the safety imperative of proper universal-waste handling.

Meckler closed by listing near-term priorities: continued multifamily and commercial outreach, ramped edible-food recovery enforcement and inspections, continued expansion of construction-and-demolition diversion procedures and forms, and efforts to increase local procurement and availability of compost and mulch products. He said the city and EDCO will publish case-study materials and a 0-waste toolkit for businesses later in the year.

The presentation was for information only; no formal commission vote on program actions was taken during the session.

Ending: The commission thanked the presenters and moved on to regular business, including the June work-plan update.","City staff and contractor EDCO updated the Environmental Commission on state SB 1383 rules, local diversion performance, edible-food recovery, and planned outreach and enforcement steps to meet the city's Climate Action Plan disposal-rate target.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":79,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":82,"_51":93,"_53":94,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":95,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":96,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6696926,"Encinitas updates on SB 1383 rollout, EDCO anaerobic digester expansion and outreach",3214,3584000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3798007-8fe2ed512a81328ed0e4973ccc63420f&start=370&end=3584","/articles/6696926/Encinitas/San-Diego-County/California/Encinitas-updates-on-SB-1383-rollout-EDCO-anaerobic-digester-expansion-and-outreach","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6696926-4a7bbcbd5e93069b9a6d53cb767a67f8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770939759&Signature=VK14Rd1FyCLn2t~1bws8M7jd4maBn2Pzow5wHACJgrbtEeOsu5a-zBL993I~KgJH1M~Ybo2V46lEGZErpWfX-2uR0i3xdm4qjL3L65ImaSytjrivy6-V~12z8Q1bpUA1qHUbUdsAzUx0xvcy~I1d-7R5fO5nCHLAjgcGRZxIoS01Qtabq5sdbFf~4arFTI6nJ37bcCAJaFtJCF5hw-HXv-UWoN29YNyg1kQqZ6SgmevG2OepALaQOqMk5ve4AJ8Wc1v3KEAhDQhv7NYJvah5KaPV0eXyc4O~6Ea5tgpCtZEUbp1nTOk~ei~JYCsicm~tbFgYkU5KB-L5WwIfvioq~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Paul Meckler, the city’s zero-waste program administrator, and Matthew Cleary, general manager of North County EDCO, gave the City of Encinitas Environmental Commission an update on SB 1383 implementation and local zero-waste efforts at the June meeting.

“Good evening, commissioners. Paul Meckler, 0 waste program administrator for the city of Encinitas. I'm joined to my right by Matthew Cleary, general manager of North County EDCO, our partner in all of this. We're here to give an update on the 0 waste program,” Meckler said as he opened the presentation.

The presentation summarized state regulatory drivers — including AB 939’s diversion targets and SB 1383’s requirements to reduce short‑lived climate pollutants by diverting organic waste — and described city and contractor activities to meet those mandates. Meckler and EDCO provided year‑to‑date diversion figures, outreach work, enforcement statistics and planned projects for the coming year.

Why it matters: SB 1383 requires jurisdictions to provide organic recycling access for residents and businesses and to increase edible‑food recovery; meeting the law both reduces landfill methane and supplies surplus food to recovery organizations. The commission heard that Encinitas is largely compliant with access requirements but still must increase diversion to meet the city’s Climate Action Plan disposal target of 3 pounds per person per day by 2030.

Key program details

- Access and compliance: Meckler said the city’s generator outreach and collection access efforts are complete enough that “Encinitas residents and businesses are 100 percent compliant with 13 83, meaning that nearly the nearly 20,000 generators within the city have a green organics container and the ability to recycle organic waste.”

- EDCO capacity and services: Matthew Cleary said EDCO’s anaerobic digestion (AD) facility currently processes up to about 93,000 tons of organic material per year; EDCO is adding two digestion vessels that will double capacity to an estimated 186,000 tons, with the expansion expected to be online roughly a year from now. Cleary also described EDCO’s regional material recovery facilities, household hazardous waste subcontracting with Clean Earth, and community events such as shredding and e‑waste collection.

- Diversion and recovery numbers: The presenters reported that the city diverted roughly 29,991 tons in the latest full reporting period (about 39.7 percent of materials generated citywide) and that organic tons increased year over year. Meckler said food‑donation reporting by generators totaled about 679,000 pounds in the prior reporting cycle; participating food‑recovery organizations reported about 519,000 pounds recovered (some donations cross jurisdictional lines).

- Edible food recovery: Meckler said the city has identified 16 Tier‑1 and 29 Tier‑2 qualifying food generators under SB 1383 (Tier‑1 typically grocery stores; Tier‑2 typically larger restaurants, venues, some health‑care cafeterias and schools). The city logged 16 formal edible‑food inspections, 44 outreach instances, and nine technical consultations during the reported period.

- Outreach and technical assistance: EDCO described an outreach campaign to multifamily property managers and residents (about 20–25 percent complete with a September 30 target), development of an online zero‑waste toolkit for businesses (targeted October 2025), school videos in English and Spanish, and monthly mulch/compost giveaways and community events (including a sustainable solutions fair on June 22).

Enforcement and compliance approach

Meckler said inspections and enforcement are part of the toolkit; staff reported 65 inspections across edible‑food recovery, construction and demolition (C&D), and commercial organics, and nine enforcement cases for noncompliance. He described a preference for education and technical assistance before issuing enforcement notices and said inspections will increase in focus on front‑of‑house organics for restaurants and multifamily settings as staff pair enforcement with the new business case studies and toolkit.

Questions from commissioners and public

Vice Chair O'Connor praised EDCO’s work and recommended tours of the AD facility. “It’s really inspiring… I love the anaerobic digester,” she said, encouraging colleagues to tour the facility.

Commissioner Parker asked specifically about battery disposal and availability. “We really need some sort of battery disposal that's going to be convenient,” Parker said, noting safety concerns and the need for more accessible drop‑off options than occasional City Hall events.

Paul Meckler and Matthew Cleary responded that free door‑to‑door universal waste collection is available by appointment through EDCO (Clean Earth is the subcontractor) and that universal waste pickup generally involves a small fee that is waived for residents 65 and over; Meckler provided a contact number for scheduling pickups. Cleary and Meckler also emphasized that universal waste collection includes batteries, e‑waste and light bulbs.

Facility safety and contamination concerns

EDCO staff and speakers noted a recent uptick in fires linked to improperly disposed batteries and other hazardous items. Cleary (and EDCO staff later in the discussion) said the division has experienced recycling‑facility fires, route truck fires and transfer‑trailer fires this year; staff said they suspect batteries and improperly discarded vape devices are a frequent cause. EDCO urged residents to use available collection programs and avoid placing batteries in curbside bins.

Construction and demolition (C&D) and reuse

Both presenters highlighted C&D diversion gains (reported increase from roughly 10 percent to 15 percent year over year) and said the city has revised waste‑management forms tied to building permits and plans to increase field inspections to verify promised diversion rates. Meckler and Cleary said the city is prioritizing diversion opportunities where they expect the largest reductions: commercial organics, multifamily organics and C&D materials.

Outlook and next steps

Meckler said Encinitas is currently exceeding some interim targets (an interim CAP disposal goal of 5.3 pounds per person per day) but acknowledged more work is required to reach the 2030 goal of 3 pounds per person per day. Planned actions include continued multifamily outreach, a business toolkit and case studies, doubling AD capacity at EDCO, expanded procurement and distribution of compost/mulch, and continued edible‑food recovery partnerships with local food‑recovery organizations (Community Resource Center, Saint Andrews and Produce Good).

Votes at a glance

The commission approved routine procedural items during the same meeting: a motion to approve the previous meeting’s minutes and a motion to approve the commission work‑plan update. Both motions passed on voice vote with commissioners indicating “Aye.”

Ending

Commissioners thanked staff and EDCO for the presentation and asked staff to follow up on specific requests — notably clearer battery disposal options and continued outreach to hard‑to‑reach multifamily residents — as the city implements SB 1383 requirements and pursues greater diversion.","City staff and EDCO told the Environmental Commission the city is meeting state SB 1383 access requirements while pursuing more food-recovery, construction-and-demolition diversion and an expanded anaerobic digestion capacity; commissioners pressed for clearer battery disposal options after recycling-facility fires.","actionData","errors"]

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Encinitas Environmental Commission approves prior minutes and June work-plan update

Encinitas staff, EDCO report progress on SB 1383 organics diversion, urge public outreach

Encinitas updates on SB 1383 rollout, EDCO anaerobic digester expansion and outreach