IRVINE : City Stays Neutral on Composting Bill
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The City Council has decided to remain neutral on a bill in the state Legislature that would give the Irvine Ranch Water District the right to operate a green-waste composting facility in the city.
Council members said taking a position on SB 1191 might indicate that the city supports the construction of a composting facility before a site was selected or an environmental review was conducted.
The council’s decision comes after months of talks between the city and the water district.
Originally, the bill would have amended the California Water District Act to allow the IRWD to operate both a composting plant and a waste water recycling facility.
But city officials raised concerns about the waste water project, saying it could pose environmental risks if built on IRWD property near the San Joaquin Marsh.
Reacting to these concerns, the IRWD decided recently to drop mention of a recycling facility from the bill.
If the bill is approved, the composting facility would be required to go through the city’s planning process and get approval from the City Council.
The composting plant would recycle “green waste” such as grass, leaves and branches.
![Los Angeles, CA - May 19: Carlos Vargas, left, and Paulina Rubio, members of the harm reduction team from Homeless Outreach Program Integrated Care Systems [HOPICS], a leading homeless services and housing agency, look for drug addicts to help and pass out supplies at a homeless RV encampment along 77th St. in South Los Angeles Friday, May 19, 2023. The team hands out syringes, fentanyl test strips, overdose reversal nose spray and medication to prevent overdoses, infection and disease transmission, including the HIV virus. Fenanyl is particularly insidious because it can be found in all other drugs, especially meth and heroin. The handouts are also meant to reduce infection through broken pipes, which can cut users mouths and open them to infection. . (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/bc99ba0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3900x2608+0+34/resize/1024x685!/format/webp/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe9%2F77%2F4b8bd35d4881a3edec6b945b143b%2F1298639-me-soaring-fentanyl-deaths-24-1-ajs.jpg)
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