Governor Signs Huff's Hazardous Waste Bill

Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill designed to make it easier to collect household hazardous waste.

Sen. Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) authored Senate Bill 456, which allows door-to-door household hazardous waste collection programs to transport and consolidated what is gathered at exempt facilities before moving them to a permitted processing facility, according to a news release.

Huff said the aim of the legislation is to thwart illegal dumping and decrease the amount of hazardous waste going into local landfills.

“Current law requires that all hazardous waste must be transported immediately to sometimes remote hazardous waste disposal facilities, which is burdensome and adds cost,” Huff said.  “Although many cities currently operate hazardous waste collection facilities, the sad fact is these programs are often underutilized because their locations attract only a limited number of residents. Data indicates people who live within 5 miles of a drop off facility are more likely to use it. But not everyone lives within that five mile radius.”

Making the collection process easier will encourage more people to take advantage of the door-to-door programs and aid the underserved, such as the elderly, residents who are confined to their homes, and others who can’t drive to the household hazardous waste sites, Huff said.

The services the collect hazardous items, such as lamps and light bulbs, batteries, paint, oil, sharps, electronics, and household chemicals, help to keep these materials from being dumped illegally, he said.  

In a 2006 survey, the 35 to 37 cities that responded reported an annual local government abatement and enforcement cost of $44 million. With the State Department of Transportation’s $55 million annual cost for highway cleanups, the tally for illegal dumping and litter control is significant, he said.

“The door-to-door collection method has proven to be more popular with many families because residential pick-up is made by appointment,” Huff said Senator Huff. “Collection of hazardous waste through these door-to-door programs averages 85 lbs. per household. The end result is that more hazardous material is collected and properly disposed of. My legislation is designed to assist private business, promote better waste handling practices and eliminate the regulatory burdens that these new business models face.”