California homeowners, contractors, and waste and recycling services
providers can now find landfills that will accept preservative-treated wood
waste through the California Water Boards website. The list is organized by county and includes website
links, where available, to each landfill.
According to the Western Wood Preservers Institute (WWPI), the updated list of landfills is the
result of recently passed legislation advocated by WWPI to allow more disposal
options in the state.
In all, 48 landfills throughout the state have been authorized to
accept treated wood waste such as old deck boards, treated framing lumber, wood
posts and fencing boards.
Assembly bill 332 statutorily incorporates the former
Alternative Management Standards (AMS) for treated wood waste. AMS, which had
been in use for some 15 years, allowed preservative-treated wood waste to be
disposed in the composite-lined portion of approved Class III solid waste
landfills.
The bill was championed by Assemblymember Bill Quirk of Hayward,
California. It received broad bipartisan support and was signed into law on
Aug. 31.
Legislative efforts to extend the AMS failed late last year, and
the disposal standards expired on Jan. 1, 2021. As a result, Californians faced
difficulties in disposing treated wood, as disposal was only permitted in a
single hazardous waste landfill operating in the state.
In March, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control(DTSC) created a variance program where those disposing treated wood could
purchase variances allowing disposal in approved composite-lined landfills.
Those treated wood waste variances became inoperative with the new law and are
no longer in effect.
The updated standards outline specific responsibilities for
handling treated wood waste prior to disposal in an approved landfill. For
example, treated wood waste must be stored off the ground on blocks and must be
covered to prevent runoff from precipitation. It can be accumulated for storage
for no longer than 90 days, unless stored on a containment pad, under which
circumstances the wood can be stored for up to 180 days. Treated wood waste
stored in a container or storage building can be accumulated for up to a year.
Treated wood waste cannot be burned or comingled with other wood
waste. The collection of treated wood waste must be clearly labeled and visible
for inspection. Full details on the handling requirements are available on the
DTSC website.
WWPI is working with DTSC, landfills and other state agencies to
develop training materials to educate users on requirements for treated wood
waste disposal. Fact sheets and training materials will be available on the
DTSC website and WWPI’s website once they are developed.