Bill > SB279

This bill expands regulations around composting activities by modifying existing rules for solid waste management. Specifically, the bill increases the volume of compostable materials that can be stored on-site without requiring a full permit, raising the limit from 100 to 200 cubic yards for most composting activities and up to 500 cubic yards for public agency-owned activities. The bill also allows composting activities to give away or sell up to 5,000 cubic yards of compost product annually, a significant increase from previous restrictions. Additionally, the legislation creates a new category of "excluded activity" for composting agricultural materials from large-scale biomass management events (such as whole orchard or vineyard removal), which can be conducted without a solid waste facility permit, with some conditions. These events can only occur once every 10 years and must not involve animal carcasses, and operators must maintain records of material origins. The bill gives the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery the authority to further increase volume limits through future regulations, providing flexibility for evolving composting practices. Importantly, operators must still obtain necessary permits from other regulatory agencies and comply with local health and land use requirements.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Budget and Finance

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB279