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December 21, 2021 | Climate, Collection, Policies + Regulations

California Jurisdictions Get Breathing Room On SB 1383 Compliance


Top: As part of its SB 1383 compliance, Salinas Valley Recycles’ (SVR) upgraded its composting facility to process food waste. Inset (left to right): aeration pad construction, food waste awaiting processing, and compost screening.  Photos courtesy of SVR.

Jurisdictions in California are required to implement SB 1383, the Short-Lived Climate Pollutants Reduction Act, starting on January 1, 2022. Under SB 1383, they must plan for and execute programs that achieve a 50% reduction in organic waste disposal from 2014 levels by 2020, and a 75% reduction by 2025. The imminent deadline requires that all jurisdictions have organics collection in place beginning in January 2022. However many local governments are facing challenges, including ones related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In response, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 619 (Laird, Chapter 508, Statutes of 2021) into law; the statute creates a process for jurisdictions to apply for a sort of “safe harbor” if they anticipate they will not be in compliance beginning January 1, 2022. SB 619 allows jurisdictions to submit a Notification of Intent to Comply (NOIC) to CalRecycle, the state agency tasked with oversight of SB 1383 implementation and compliance. The NOIC provides jurisdictions relief from civil penalties for calendar year 2022, although they will be required to provide a justification for why they will be out of compliance, a list of action items the jurisdiction will take to come into compliance, and a timeline to implement them.

CalRecycle is hosting a SB 619 Webinar on Thursday, January 13, 2022 (9:00 am-10:00 am Pacific) to explain the requirements for jurisdictions to submit a NOIC. ”This webinar will help jurisdictions understand the process for submitting a notification, the requirements that must be met for a notification to be approved, and what an approved notification means for the jurisdiction,” explains CalRecycle. The deadline to file a NOIC is March 1, 2022.


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