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TRANSPORTATION, WATER & INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE

Meeting Date:	06/10/2019
Subject: CONSIDER proposed ban of polystyrene food and beverage containers.
Submitted For:	TRANSPORTATION, WATER & INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE
Department:	Conservation & Development
Referral No.:	5
Referral Name:	Review issues associated with the health of the San Francisco Bay and Delta, including water quality.
Presenter:	Tim Jensen, Public Works Department	Contact:	Cece Sellgren (925)313-2296

Information

Referral History:

The Regional Water Quality Control Boards issue the County a stormwater permit on a five-year recurring cycle. The first permit was issued in 1993 and the current permit was issued in November 2015. The objective of the permit is to reduce pollutants in stormwater to improve stormwater quality, and increase stormwater infiltration into soils to improve watershed health.

Trash is considered a pollutant and the stormwater permit includes ambitious trash reduction targets. To meet the trash reduction targets, the County prepared trash reduction plans that include a variety of control measures. One of the control measures to reduce trash is to ban polystyrene food and beverage containers, as polystyrene is light and easily blown into waterways where it tends to break down into smaller pieces that are difficult to remove from the environment.

This issue was last heard at TWIC in October 2018, staff was directed to bring a full report to the BOS.

Referral Update:

The new stormwater permit, referred to as the Municipal Regional Permit 2.0, follows the prior Municipal Regional Permit 1.0 issued at the end of 2009. The Committee has reviewed several issues related to the stormwater permit, and Board members have testified before the Regional Water Board several times describing the impacts their stormwater permit has on County operations and the County budget.

Although the stormwater permit is a familiar topic to the Committee, this is the first time a proposed ban of polystyrene food and beverage containers has been before the Committee for consideration.

Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):

CONSIDER a proposed ban of polystyrene food and beverage containers and the policy implications and objectives of a ban, PROVIDE staff with policy direction to develop a draft ordinance, and, if necessary, FORWARD the recommended policy direction to the full Board for consideration and concurrence.

Fiscal Impact (if any):

The cost to develop a polystyrene ban is estimated to be $75,000. The annual cost to enforce a polystyrene ban is estimated to be $25,000 for Option One. Option Two will cost more than Option One to administer and enforce, how much more is hard to determine given the variety of possible permutations of Option Two and the additional research required depending on the permutation. [100% County Stormwater Utility Funds]

Attachments
Memo to TWIC 11-8-18
Exhibit 1 Provisions
Exhibit 2 Communication Plan
Exhibit 3 Handout
Exhibit 4 Mailing 8-23-18
Exhibit 5 Mailing 10-15-18
Exhibit 6 CA Restaurant Assoc ltr
Exhibit 7 Goudey-London email 10-10-18