The County manages the collection and disposal of solid and hazardous waste in the unincorporated area. The County is focused on reducing waste, preventing pollution, and promoting sustainable management of waste materials. The County must also comply with the California Integrated Waste Management Act. The County maintains a Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plan (CIWMP), which provides an assessment of the County’s goals and objectives, issues and problems identified in the incorporated and unincorporated areas of the county, summary of waste management programs and infrastructure, existing and proposed solid waste infrastructure, and description of the steps that the County will take to achieve the outlined goals. This section focuses on the collection and disposal of solid and hazardous waste in the unincorporated area.
Goal: PFS-5
To maximize recycling, reuse, and composting of solid waste and ensure the safe handling and disposal of the remaining solid and hazardous waste
The County shall require new landfills and other solid waste processing and disposal facilities (including facilities for composting, green waste, food waste) to be sited in areas that do not pose health and safety risks to residents and groundwater resources. The County shall require such facilities to be located based on objective criteria that do not disproportionally impact Designated Disadvantaged Communities.
RDR
EJ
The County shall review and condition discretionary development near landfills and other solid waste processing and disposal facilities (including facilities for composting, green waste, food waste) to avoid incompatible development and future nuisance complaints from encroachment by incompatible land uses.
RDR
The County shall require evidence that adequate capacity exists within the solid waste system for the processing, recycling, transmission, and disposal of solid waste prior to approving discretionary development.
RDR
The County shall continue to provide educational and informational materials to restaurants, grocery stores, and other food providers, as part of food facility inspections, to support donation of safe, unused food to non-profit service agencies.
SO
CAP
HC
The County shall support the beneficial reuse of agricultural wastes for activities such as composting and energy generation.
RDR
SO
CAP
The County shall promote value-added alternatives to solid waste management, such as compost, energy, biochar, and wood products to avoid open burning of agricultural biomass wastes.
PI
SO
CAP
HC
The County shall require that discretionary development adjacent to existing and proposed waste treatment, transfer, and disposal sites, as identified in the Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plan, shall not conflict with the current and anticipated future use of these waste facilities.
RDR
The County shall require sites used for waste treatment and disposal operations to be restored to a use compatible with surrounding uses upon conclusion of the operation.
RDR
The County shall encourage applicants for discretionary development to employ practices that reduce the quantities of wastes generated and engage in recycling activities to further reduce the volume of waste disposed of in landfills.
RDR
SO