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 2005-2006 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 16 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 (11th Cycle) from the California
Integrated Waste Management Board for
promotion of the proper method of used
oil and filter disposal.
- 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. Increased sponsor
contributions by 50%.
- 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 1,564 tons of bulky and
bundled waste during annual Clean-Up
Saturdays Program.
- Serviced 2,500 households (2,000
vehicles) at the Los Angeles County
Household Hazardous Waste Roundup
hosted by the City.
- Conducted three community used oil
recycling education events.
- Removed graffiti from a total of over
9,500 sites through the graffiti abatement
program.
- Implemented a program for random
monitoring of graffiti sites called into the
graffiti hotline and completed 135
inspections from October 2005 through
April 2006. This was accomplished
without adding additional staff or
budgeting.
- Approved, renewed and processed over
656 low-income senior citizen waste
collection discount applications.
- Increased the number of used oil
recycling education events by 150%
over previous year.
- Increased employee Rideshare
participation by 20%.
- Increased youth participation in the CRV
Program by four youth teams.
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
20% each year.
- 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 10% each year.
- 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% in FY 2006-2007
and by 10% in FY 2007-2008.
- 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 five youth teams in FY
2006-2007 and by three more in FY
2007-2008.
- 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
AUTHORIZED POSITIONS
BUDGET ISSUES
Staff is continuing random monitoring of the
graffiti hotline calls for contract
compliance and has been making site visits
on most non-compliance calls from
residents. Staff continues to research
funding availabilities, however, to date, no
funds have been located and the graffiti
monitoring remains an unfunded need.
ACTIVITY TREE
BUDGET SUMMARY
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