ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT
MISSION STATEMENT: To promote environmental programs in order to protect and enhance the public's health and safety.
The department is responsible for implementing and overseeing programs that could have an environmental impact on West Covina residents. The following are the various programs within the department:
Residential and Commercial Waste Collection: Staff is responsible for administration and oversight of the City's waste collection contract with Athens Services to collect all the city's commercial and residential waste. The waste collection contract agreement includes the following programs overseen by staff:
Contract Administration: Oversight of the City's contracted waste hauler for removal of all of the city's commercial and residential waste collected and hauled outside the city limits for recycling and disposal in a safe and proper manner in accordance with the contract.
Public Complaints having to do with trash not being picked up, customer service quality, billing, etc. are received and followed up on by staff.
Clean-Up Saturdays during April and May are widely promoted by staff to encourage residents to take advantage of the once-a-year opportunity to clean their property of clutter and have many items removed at no additional cost.
Other programs related to the waste collection program that are widely promoted by staff are Christmas Tree Recycling, Low-income Senior Citizen Rate Discount, waste diversion recycling educational and awareness programs, five free bulky-item per week collection, no limit move-in/move-out special collection, and backyard container roll-out service for the medically disabled.
The Product Exchange Program is a very popular program managed by staff that provides an opportunity for citizens to exchange products, at no cost, that are still useable, rather than discard them in the trash, thus diverting them from landfills.
California Redemption Value (CRV) and Litter Reduction is funded by a state grant is and widely promoted through educational and awareness programs. This program encourages the public to recycle the aluminum cans and plastic bottle beverage containers for a redemption value and to reduce litter in public places.
The Used Oil Recycling Program is funded by a state grant and is administered by staff. The Grant promotes educational awareness programs to encourage the public to recycle its used motor oil. Staff also establishes and monitors used oil collection centers in the city, convenient for citizens to take their used oil and filters locally to be disposed of properly.
The Los Angeles County Household Hazardous Waste and E-Waste Program is hosted here in West Covina during the Clean-Up Saturdays event. The program is beneficial to West Covina in removing toxic and hazardous waste chemicals and electronic waste from the community in a safe manner for proper recycling and disposal.
Air Quality: In the area of air quality, staff is involved in implementing programs to reduce mobile source pollution through the promotion of alternative fuel vehicles, rideshare and implementation of vehicle-use reduction programs. This program is funded by motor vehicle registration fees.
Graffiti Abatement Program: The department administers the City's graffiti-removal contract. The program is also widely promoted by staff to help keep West Covina beautiful and graffiti-free.
WASTE MANAGEMENT ENFORCEMENT AGENCY
The Waste Management Enforcement Agency (WMEA) is an agency designated by the City and certified by the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) to enforce the state's solid waste regulations within the city. The WMEA is responsible for the implementation of the City's Waste Management Enforcement Program Plan as an Enforcement Agent to the CIWMB. The Agency ensures that any solid waste facility, landfill, material recovery facility or transfer station operating in the city is operated and maintained in accordance with the state laws and regulations. The WMEA is responsible for the enforcement of permits, closure plans, notice and orders, agreements and other enforcement issues and documents pertaining to solid waste facilities in the City of West Covina.
In addition, the WMEA is responsible for solid waste management enforcement activities and performing professional, supervisory and technical work in managing the activities of the BKK Landfill operations. These include weekly inspections, monitoring, complaint investigation, regulatory reporting, agency coordination and the performance of related work as required. The WMEA's current most prominent activities at the BKK Landfill are oversight and implementation of the Final Closure construction activities and Post-Closure maintenance and monitoring.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
FY 2004-2005 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- Obtained California Redemption Value/Litter Reduction Grant from the Department of Conservation for promotion of bottle and can recycling and litter reduction.
- Obtained EA 15 Local Enforcement Agency Grant from the California Integrated Waste Management Board for the solid waste permit and inspection program for the BKK Landfill.
- Obtained Used Oil Recycling Block Grant (10th Cycle) from the California Integrated Waste Management Board for promotion of the proper method of used oil and filter disposal.
- Obtained Rubberized Asphalt Concrete Grant from the California Integrated Waste Management Board in the amount of $60,000 for public works road improvement projects.
- In cooperation with local school districts, created and published the Fifth Grade School Calendar Contest for the Used Oil Recycling Program and distributed 5,500 of them throughout the community.
- Promoted and presented the City's Earth Day and America Recycles Day events, educating the community's youth through their participation.
- Achieved a 58% diversion rate for the year 2003 (up from 56% in 2002), through the combination of recycling programs and sending the city's waste to a material recovery facility for recycling, thus complying with the state's 50% Waste Diversion Mandate.
- In conjunction with Athens Services, collected over 1,644 tons of bulky and bundled items during annual Clean-Up Saturdays Program.
- Serviced 2,100 households (1,775 vehicles) at the Los Angeles County Household Hazardous Waste Roundup hosted by the City.
- Conducted a community used oil recycling education event.
- Removed graffiti from a total of 8,055 sites through the graffiti abatement program.
- Approved, renewed and processed over 627 low-income senior citizen waste collection discount applications.
- The Waste Management Enforcement Agency completed over 45 inspections in its weekly BKK Landfill Inspection and Monitoring Program, sending all inspection reports to the state as part of its State Certification.
FY 2005-2006 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Implement a Construction and Demolition Waste Diversion Ordinance and Fee Schedule.
- Complete the draft ordinance and fee schedule.
- Take to public hearing.
- Obtain City Council adoption.
Maintain 50% or better Waste Diversion Rate.
- Implement Construction and Demolition Waste Diversion Ordinance and Fee Schedule.
- Improve marketing of and public participation in Product Exchange Program.
- Continue to promote source reduction and recycling in publications such as Discover West Covina, West Covina Weekly, and San Gabriel Valley Tribune and through the City's website and public access cable network.
Increase sponsorship contributions to the Used Oil Recycling School Calendar by 50%
- Increase number of solicitations to include all collection centers, Chamber of Commerce members, and businesses that cater to school children.
- Create a more visible forum for acknowledging sponsors, such as mention in Discover West Covina, on the department's website and/or additional mention in the calendar.
Increase the number of used oil recycling education events and public participation by 100%.
- Schedule an event quarterly and increase marketing and promotion, by increasing use of media contacts, dissemination of information through collection centers, and local school districts.
Increase employee Rideshare participation by 15%.
- Develop marketing strategies to encourage participation, including quarterly payroll inserts, monthly incentive winner announcements, and change in incentive awards.
Increase youth participation in the CRV Program by two youth teams.
- Increase promotion of CRV/litter removal programs through the school districts, youth recreation groups and youth service groups by developing contacts and meeting with the groups and maintaining contact on a regular basis.
- Provide additional incentives and acknowledgement to the participating youth.
Obtain currently funded grants (as offered) and additional grants as they become available.
- Obtain additional Rubberized Asphalt Concrete Grant.
- Obtain AQMD Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Infrastructure Grant for upgrade of CNG fueling Station.
- Maintain regular research on funding opportunities.
Resolve the BKK Landfill uncapped waste issue located outside the closed Class I Landfill unit.
- Continue to work with appropriate agencies for legal resolution.
Complete the closure of the BKK Class III Landfill.
- Continue to work with appropriate agencies and the City Council for closure as per the Settlement Agreement.
Provide staff support to the City's Proposed Golf Course and Business Park Development at the BKK Landfill.
PERFORMANCE MEASURES
BUDGET COMMENTS
Currently, there is a plan for the department to consolidate with Community Services and for Environmental Management to become a division of Community Services. The Environmental Management Director has been functioning as the Interim Community Services Director for the past two years, and the Secretary II position in Environmental Management has been eliminated, which will save the General Fund approximately $34,700.
AUTHORIZED POSITIONS
* Position authorized fiscal year 2002-2003
** Position deleted due to consolidation of environmental management and community services departments
ACTIVITY TREE
BUDGET SUMMARY
|