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Committee advances AB 436 to streamline siting, permitting of composting facilities to meet organic-waste goals
Summary
AB 436 would provide model zoning language and procedural tools to help local governments site and permit new or expanded composting facilities; proponents said California needs dozens more facilities to meet SB 1383 diversion goals, while supporters and local agencies urged the committee to adopt the measure to remove local regulatory barriers.
Assemblymember Ransom presented AB 436, saying California needs between 50 and 100 new or expanded composting facilities to meet state organic diversion targets established by SB 1383, and that local zoning and permitting barriers are slowing development of necessary infrastructure.
Neil Edgar of the California Compost Coalition described permitting challenges and provided an industry perspective: since SB 1383 passed, only about a dozen new facilities opened statewide and only two were permitted to handle food materials, which require higher permitting standards. Edgar said the bill would provide model zoning ordinance language and other local tools to reduce delays and identify suitable locations.
John Kennedy of RCRC testified in support on behalf of 40 rural counties, and other local government groups—California State Association of Counties and League of California Cities—registered support. Sponsors and proponents said local solutions are important to avoid unnecessary transport and to build facilities near the organic waste supply.
No witnesses registered opposition in the hearing room. The committee voted unanimously to refer AB 436 to the Local Government Committee.
Next steps: the author and sponsors said the bill aims to produce model local zoning and permitting approaches to accelerate development of composting infrastructure and to help jurisdictions meet SB 1383 obligations.
