Permits proposed in San Francisco for haulers of C&D waste

San Francisco plans to tighten regulations on the disposal of construction and demolition (C&D) debris to reduce the more than 100,000 tons that end up in the landfill annually instead of being recycled, reports The San Francisco Examiner.

Supervisor Ahsha Safai introduced legislation last week that would require those who transport C&D debris for disposal to obtain city permits in an effort to ensure the waste is recycled at city-registered facilities—not illegally dumped.

“It’s going to weed out some of the bad actors,” Safai told the Examiner Oct. 16.

 He said some transporters of the waste have been able to “fly under the radar” and have a business model of paying a lot less to dispose of the waste by taking it straight to the landfill.

Safai’s proposal comes as the city has refocused its efforts to reuse and recycle after having to abandon in 2017 its prior goal to send no waste to the landfill by 2020. Mayor London Breed changed those goals in 2018 to shoot for a 50 percent reduction of solid waste sent to the landfill by 2030, after city officials said the 2020 goal was no longer within reach.

The proposed cost of the permits are based on the size of the vehicle. A pickup permit costs $395 a year, while pickups with a small trailer are $1,200 a year. Larger dump trucks cost $1,600 a year and the largest trucks $2,000.

The permit revenue will help with education and enforcement. The Sheriff’s Department would assist with compliance, such as with site inspections and outreach.

The fees are expected to generate $1.4 million in the first year, according to the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), which is supporting the proposal.

The department called the legislation “an important, necessary step for meeting the city’s zero waste and climate goals.” The law would go into effect in July 2021.