Alameda County plans County Collection Service Zone 2, offers self-haul certification to comply with SB 1383

Alameda County staff told the Transportation/Planning Committee they will move to establish a County Collection Service Zone 2 around Pleasanton to meet SB 1383 (Short-Lived Climate Pollutants Reduction Act) requirements for mandatory three-container collection of refuse, recycling and organics.

Andy Schneider, the county's waste program manager, described implementation lessons from County Collection Service Zone 1 (Livermore), where the county converted voluntary LSI service into mandatory three-container service under an amended MOU with Livermore Sanitation. For Zone 2, the county has negotiated a draft MOU with Pleasanton Garbage Service (PGS) to expand service, set reporting obligations, and include a county fee for ongoing program support.

Key details Schneider gave to the committee: - The MOU includes a roughly 10% rate increase over current limited-service charges to reflect the higher cost of SB 1383-compliant collection in lower-density areas; staff estimated a typical 32-gallon residential garbage cart currently costs about $40/month and would rise to just over $50/month with the full bundled service in Zone 2. - The county will offer a self-haul certification for generators in rural or low-density areas who already manage organics on-site (composting, farm feeding, or hauling to transfer stations); the certification is free, and staff asked certified generators to recertify annually (policy adjustable up to a 5-year period). - Enforcement is staged: letters and outreach first, then administrative penalties if needed; staff outlined a low-threshold penalty schedule that begins at $100 for a first citation, $200 for a second, and $500 for a third, with the county emphasizing assistance over punishment. - In Zone 1 (Livermore area) there are approximately 300 unincorporated accounts with about 50 currently noncompliant; Zone 2 has roughly 400 current limited-service subscribers with an expected increase to about 600 once mandatory service rolls out (total unincorporated accounts for these areas likely under 1,000).

Staff proposed mailing outreach notices to unsubscribed or uncertified accounts, presenting the County Collection Service Zone 2 and an MOU with PGS to the full Board in early January, and continuing to provide outreach and technical assistance as compliance is built. Supervisors asked for clarity on enforcement timing, penalty ceilings, account counts and the timing of the Board scheduling; staff said the county is not in immediate jeopardy with the state and proposed a Jan. 6 Board item (subject to confirmation of the Board schedule).

Why it matters: SB 1383 requires jurisdictions to reduce organic waste to lower methane emissions from landfills; county actions will change service, reporting and rates for residents and businesses in unincorporated East County and introduce a formal compliance and certification pathway for self-haul generators.