CRRA2019

Since 2005, André Villaseñor has been fulfilling EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment. He coordinates EPA Region 9’s Sustainable Management of Food Program. He earned an M.S. in Environmental Science and an M.A. in International Environmental Policy. In his spare time, he like to shop his kitchen first, engage in smart storage, and prep now, eat later.

Reducing Excess Food: Set Your Sight on Source Reduction

Are you a food service provider that’s feeling overwhelmed by your leftover and excess food? Do you want to improve your bottom line by preventing and reducing food surplus? In this presentation, you’ll learn about the two benefits of food waste reduction, methods for measuring excess food, and strategies for source reduction and food recovery. We’ll conclude the lesson with a behind-the-scenes look at EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge.

SB 1383 Manager

Hank Brady is the SB 1383 Manager for the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle). In this role, he oversees CalRecycle’s efforts to achieve California’s ambitious organic waste recycling targets. Prior to this role Brady worked as the Chief Legislative Consultant for the department. Before Joining CalRecycle, he served as a legislative aide in the California State Assembly and the California State Senate.

Education and Outreach

SB 1383 Existing Tools and Funding Programs

Hank Brady will provide an overview of the statutory requirements of SB 1383 and educational tools the department has developed for jurisdictions to help implement the law. Hank will also provide an overview of CalRecycle’s Greenhous Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) grants that help support the expansion of food recovery and organic waste recycling infrastructure in California.

Regional Vice President of External Affairs & Environmental Strategy

George Minter is regional vice president of external affairs and environmental strategy for SoCalGas. He oversses the company’s public affairs, community relations, public policy and energy and environmental affairs functions. Minter is a long-time policy professional specializing in energy and environmental matters, strategic planning, program development, communications and political advocacy. He currently co-chairs of the Energy, Water and Environmental Sustainability Council of the LA Chamber of Commerce, is a Board member at the Coalition for Clean Air and a member of the Land Use (GLUE) Council for SCAG, and on the Advisory Board of the Clean Tech Initiative of the LAEDC.

The Waste-Energy Nexus: Your waste can be everyone’s renewable energy

SoCalGas’s George Minter will explore the key synergies between regional and local organic waste diversion goals and production of renewable natural gas. Specifically, he will give insight to current aspects of local organic waste management and relate this to issues with achieving the State’s organic waste regulations, such as AB 1826 and SB 1383. He will then demonstrate how renewable natural gas production can actually incentivize and enhance local and regional organic waste diversion, helping bring cities and counties into compliance with State regulations, while also helping achieve greenhouse gas reduction targets. Minter will provide examples of existing RNG projects partnerships, such as with CR&R and Calgren.

President

Rob Hilton is the President of HF&H Consultants and has nearly 20 years of experience consulting to more than 150 local governments on more than 400 projects involving recycling and solid waste issues. HF&H is under contract to CalRecycle to support the development of the SB 1383 tools that he will be discussing today.

SB 1383 Implementation Tools Coming Soon

With SB 1383 implementation approaching in January 2022, CalRecycle is preparing model tools to help ease implementation for local governments. This presentation will describe the various tools being developed, including: model presentations to educate elected officials and stakeholders on the new requirements, model franchise language, model ordinance language, and a model food recovery agreement. The models and guidance documents will be flexible to adapt to varying conditions around the state. The development of the model tools will be guided by a diverse group of stakeholders, specifically selected to represent those varying conditions. Many agencies are already underway with planning and implementation of these regulations. The project team is working to accelerate the availability of these tools to ensure that they are available for local governments to use as soon as possible – with dissemination of tools planned for early 2020. Once the model tools are completed, the project team will be available to present the tools to regional organizations, industry groups, and other stakeholders who would benefit from the tools.