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Del Norte, CA
DEL NORTE SOLID WASTE
MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY
RESOLUTION 01-05
RESOLUTION OF THE GOVERNING BOARD OF
THE DEL NORTE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY
URGING THE CALIFORNIA STATE LEGISLATURE
TO INTRODUCE AND SUPPORT LEGISLATION
REQUIRING COMPUTER, TELEVISION, AND ELECTRONICS PRODUCERS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR REUSE AND RECYCLING OF THEIR PRODUCTS
WHEREAS, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control has recently affirmed that products containing cathode ray tubes (CRT''s) such as televisions, computer monitors, and oscilloscopes are hazardous materials; and
WHEREAS, prior to this determination, CRTs were received regularly as municipal solid wastes at facilities operated by the Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority; and
WHEREAS, responsible management of electronic discards is an increasing problem, with more than 6,000 computers becoming obsolete in California every day and 3.2 million tons of electronic waste ending up in United States landfills in 1997 ; and
WHEREAS, electronics contain lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polyvinyl chloride, brominated flame retardants and other materials that can pose hazards to human health and the environment when handled improperly; and
WHEREAS, only 14% of personal computers that become obsolete in 1998 were recycled or refurbished ; and
WHEREAS, the Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority implemented Del Norte County''s first Electronics Recycling Collection Event in November 1999, collecting over 13,000 pounds of electronics from over 130 residents in a single day; and
WHEREAS, during the 2001 Household Hazardous Waste Collection event, the Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority collected an additional 12,122 pounds of electronics, increasing the cost for this event by over $11,500; and
WHEREAS, the Authority has adopted the policies of Zero Waste, End Welfare for Wasting, and Jobs from Design and Discards within the Del Norte Zero Waste Plan (2000) and these policies encompass principles of extended producer responsibility; and
WHEREAS, the National Electronics Product Stewardship Initiative (NEPSI) and the Western Electronic Product Stewardship Initiative (WEPSI) are recognized efforts to engage manufacturers, governmental agencies, and other concerned parties in the development of voluntary end-of-life management strategies; and
WHEREAS, the Authority supports partnership efforts like WEPSI and NEPSI to foster the development of sustainable design and recovery of electronic equipment by shifting the defaulted burden of disposal responsibility from government, ratepayers, and taxpayers back to manufacturers, distributors and consumers of such products, where it properly belongs, in part by internalizing lifecycle costs in the price of such products.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority resolves as follows:
RESOLVED, that the Governing Board of the Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority hereby urges its State Assembly members and Senators, by letter and receipt of this resolution, to introduce and support legislation requiring computer and electronics producers to operate or fund comprehensive extended producer responsibility programs whereby products are sustainably designed and labeled, customers receive a financial incentive for proper disposal, a convenient collection infrastructure yielding a high rate of recovery is created and environmentally sound reuse followed by recycling is maximized; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Authority Board indicates its support for the WEPSI and NEPSI efforts by letter and receipt of this resolution, and the Board sincerely hopes that these efforts result in a more equitable sharing of the responsibility for managing CRT''s and other electronic discards in the state of California; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, that if no effective producer responsibility program is created by industry or enacted by the California Legislature and signed by the Governor by October 15, 2002, the Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority will join with other local jurisdictions to develop local programs for collecting point-of-sale advance disposal fees, or to require sellers and manufacturers to take back computers and other electronic equipment or fully fund a convenient recovery system;
and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority, should industry and the Legislature and Governor fail to act, may additionally require a deposit or fee at the point of sale to provide incentives for customers to properly dispose of such products and cover the costs to the Authority for proper management of such products.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority, as a joint powers authority of the City of Crescent City and the County of Del Norte, this 20th day of June, 2001.
_____________________________
Jack Reese, Chair
ATTEST:
____________________________
Ellen P. Brown, Clerk
Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority
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