SACRAMENTO (April 25, 2012)—A bill designed to move faster and more decisively against illegal waste tire operations in California passed the California Assembly's Natural Resources Committee yesterday on a party-line vote, with Democrats supporting the legislation.
The committee voted on AB 1647 the day after it held a hearing on the bill. The legislation shortens to 30 days from the current 45 the time that a district attorney has to issue an injunction against a scrap tire recycler who refuses to obey an order from the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) to clean up his property.
The committee added several amendments to the bill's section giving CalRecycle authorization to conduct informal hearings on tire storage violations. Among other things, the amendments require CalRecycle to schedule the hearings within 60 days and reinstates the requirement that CalRecycle can only revoke, suspend or deny a permit before a hearing if it determines the waste tire operation presents an imminent or substantial danger to the public health, safety or environment.