California town passes C&D recycling plan

The town council in Mammoth Lakes, California, has passed a construction and demolition (C&D) waste management ordinance designed to bring it into compliance with California landfill diversion goals.

According to an article posted on the website of The Sheet newspaper, Mammoth Lakes’ waste diversion level was assessed at 27 percent in 2011. The C&D ordinance, passed 5-0 by the town council, is designed to bring it closer to the current 50 percent diversion target in California and the 75 percent target set for 2020.

The ordinance requires contractors to submit a waste management plan when they apply for a building permit. A previous proposal had included payment of a security deposit when applying for a permit, but the ordinance was revised to instead allow contractors to comply with their waste management plan or pay a fee within 90 days of filing for an occupancy permit. Those fees will be tied to the size of the structure being built

According to The Sheet article, “Mammoth Disposal General Manager Rick Vahl [says] mixed C&D costs $74 per ton to dispose of at Benton Crossing Landfill. But if separated, mixed concrete and asphalt costs $33 per ton, clean wood costs $17.25 per ton, and clean dirt, gravel, or soil costs only $5 per load.”