LAKE COUNTY – A bill the Board of Supervisors came out against last week has passed the state Assembly.

AB 479 passed the Assembly by a 41-32 vote on its third reading, according to the state's legislative information Web site, www.leginfo.ca.gov .

Assemblyman Wes Chesbro (D-Arcata) introduced AB 479 in January. It seeks to raise the waste stream diversion rate for cities and counties from the current 50 percent to 60 percent by Jan. 1, 2015, and then to 75 percent by 2020, as Lake County News has reported.

On May 26 the Board of Supervisors voted to send a letter to Chesbro and to state Sen. Patricia Wiggins opposing the bill.

Supervisors expressed concerns over the bill's impact on rural areas like Lake County, where the amount of garbage generated by each person per day already is well below state average.

They also were concerned about the bill's requirement to raise the mandatory quarterly landfill fee from $1.40 per ton to $3.90 per ton on or after Jan. 1, 2010.

Public Services Director Kim Clymire said that would raise the county's annual landfill fees from $70,000 to $290,000, which officials worried would require a major rate increase for county residents.

Chesbro said the bill is intended to create thousands of new green jobs across the state in the recycling industry.

“Recycling more of our waste rather than land-filling it has a double benefit,” Chesbro said in a statement. “It protects our environment while generating thousands of jobs that didn’t exist before. Recycling also saves natural resources and energy consumption by reducing the amount of water and electricity used in the manufacturing process.”

He said California already leads the nation in diverting waste from landfills with a rate above 50 percent.

AB 479 aims at “the next 50 percent,” said Chesbro, and would raise California recycling goals to 75 percent as the state moves toward the goal of becoming a waste-free society. That process, he said, would create quality jobs.

Chesbro's office reported that the recycling industry already accounts for more than 85,000 jobs. It generates $4 billion yearly in salaries and wages, and produces $10 billion worth of goods and services annually.

According to one estimate, the amount of energy saved in the United States last year from recycling beverage containers, newsprint and corrugated cardboard was equal to the annual electrical needs of nearly 18 million Americans, according to Chesbro's office.

In May, the California Chamber of Commerce included AB 479 on its list of “job killer” bills because it would expand the waste bureaucracy.

However, the bill has supporters in the recycling and waste industries.

“More diversion from the waste stream creates more jobs,” said Mark Loughmiller, executive director of the Arcata and Eureka Recycling Centers. “In 2001, we employed seven people. Today we employ 45 people. We’ve increased our workforce six, seven fold in eight years as the result of increased recycling.”

Loughmiller added that landfills are a big generator of greenhouse gases. “Recycling has a direct impact on the reduction of these gases.

It's unclear how or if the bill – if it becomes law – could be affected by a proposal by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who wants to get rid of the state Integrated Waste Management Board, which oversees the state's garbage and recycling issues.

Addressing a joint legislative session on Tuesday, the governor called the waste management board “redundant.”

“We should not and I will not cut a dollar from education, a dollar from health care, a dollar from public safety, or a dollar from state parks without first cutting the Waste Management Board,” he said.

The governor and some local officials appear to hold that view in common. Supervisor Rob Brown and Clymire both leveled sharp criticism at the waste board at the May 26 board meeting, with Clymire calling it a “parking space” for high-priced appointments.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .