The Signal Hill City Council approved two environmental measures– green-waste recycling for commercial businesses and an electric-vehicle charging-station policy– along with a contract to improve internet connectivity for municipal departments. It also reminded residents that officer nominations for two council seats and the city clerk and treasurer positions are open until Dec. 7 at 4:30pm. Voting will take place March 5.The council agreed to introduce an ordinance amending the city’s refuse code to establish a mandatory organic-recycling program for commercial businesses, including multi-family dwellings with five or more units.
City Manager Charlie Honeycutt said that program is required by a 2014 California law–AB 1826: Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling– which is part of the State’s efforts to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. “[The State] identified landfills as one of the biggest methane producers, which is considered a greenhouse gas,” Honeycutt said.
Kelli Tunnicliff, public-works director, said that the State has established a series of recycling goals over the years. “The intent of these collective bills is to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 40 percent from 1990 levels by the year 2030,” she said.
She further said that organic waste is defined as biodegradable material coming from a plant or an animal, including food waste, green waste, landscape and pruning waste, garden and lawn clippings and nonhazardous wood waste.
“All commercial businesses that generate four or more cubic yards of commercial solid waste will be required to establish an organic collection and recycling program,” she said. “Under the law, multi-family buildings of five or more units are considered a commercial business and must also comply with the new organic-waste regulation.”
Tunnicliff added that the regulation would apply to 200 commercial businesses and 57 multi-family dwellings in Signal Hill and that EDCO would charge commercial rates according to its most recent 2018 contract with the City. The cost to commercial businesses for EDCO’s services, including supplying bins, will be $69.10 per month and $65.12 per month for multi-family dwellings, she said.
The council will conduct a second hearing of the ordinance at its next meeting on Nov. 27 so that the policy can implemented by Jan. 1, as required by the law, she said. “Five businesses have elected to implement an organics program ahead of the schedule,” Tunnicliff said. “These include In-N-Out, Mother’s Market, Target, Costco and Food 4 Less.”
Charcoal Machine
Carbonization Furnace
Briquette Machine
