HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 210-09______________________________________________________________________________
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TO: HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PLANNING AND
COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT
DATE: APRIL 27, 2009 CMR: 210:09
REPORT TYPE: INFORMATIONAL
SUBJECT: Construction and Demolition Debris Diversion Program Performance
November 2007-November 2008
This is an informational report and no Council action is required.
BACKGROUND
Construction and Demolition (C&D) debris is waste material that is produced in the process of
construction, renovation, or demolition projects. Components of C&D debris typically include
concrete, asphalt, wood, metals, gypsum wallboard, roofing material, glass, carpet, bricks, land
clearing debris (e.g. trees, stumps and vegetation), rocks and dirt. Cardboard and plastics (e.g.
shrink-wrap) are also generated at construction sites as a result of packaging from products
utilized in the final stages of construction.
On May 17, 2004 City Council approved a Construction and Demolition (C&D) Debris Reuse
and Recycling Ordinance which required a minimum of 90 percent of inert solids (e.g. concrete,
asphalt, and rock) and a minimum 50 percent of remaining debris generated from C&D projects,
be diverted from the landfill through reuse and/or recycling. The original ordinance, NO. 4380,
outlines the environmental and health benefits of diverting C&D waste from the landfill.
Covered projects were defined as those needing a demolition permit, or a building permit with a
project valuation of $75,000 or more. Driving forces behind the ordinance were the California
Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989 and Senate Bill 1374 (2002), which requires annual
reporting to the state on progress made in the diversion of C&D waste materials, including
information on programs and ordinances implemented and quantitative data, where available.
The City is required to meet the 50 percent diversion requirement, and may be subject to a fine
of up to $10,000 per day.
In June 2008, the City Council approved the Green Building Ordinance, which added Chapter
18.44 to the Palo Alto Municipal Code. The new ordinance required all non-residential and
residential new construction and renovations to meet minimum levels of compliance with the
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Design (LEED)
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rating system and the Build It Green (BIG) Green Point Rated rating system. Both systems
require or encourage C&D debris diversion.
DISCUSSION
2007-2008 Projects Covered
November 1, 2008 marked the fourth full year for the City of Palo Alto’s Construction &
Demolition Debris Diversion Program (C&D). The main goal of the C&D program is to help
reduce the amount of construction and demolition debris that is being disposed of in landfills
through reuse and recycling. It is estimated that nearly 22% of all waste generated in Palo Alto
is construction and demolition debris.
Year four of the C&D program covered every demolition permit and all building permits with a
value of $75,000 and greater that were issued a permit from November 1, 2007 through
November 1, 2008. During that time there were 586 projects that submitted applications that
were obligated to comply with the requirements of the C&D Program (Figure 1). These projects
brought in approximately $114,750 in C&D debris related permit fees. This marked an increase
of 9.5% in applications from the previous year; however the 9.5% increase in applications came
entirely from an increase in renovation and new construction permits (Figure 1). The total
number of demolition permits decreased. The applications received in 2007-2008 generated or
will generate approximately 17,000 tons of C&D debris, an estimate generated from the totals
stated in debris management plans that were completed by every applicant prior to permit
issuance.
Figure 1. 2005-2008 Permits Covered Under the C&D Debris Diversion Ordinance
Permits With C&D Debris Requirements
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
2007-2008 2006-2007 2005-2006
Nu
m
b
e
r
o
f
P
e
r
m
i
t
s
Total Permits Covered
> $75K Valuation
Permits Covered
Demolition Permits
Covered
Of the 586 applications received there were some interesting variations in the types of project
applications that were received compared to those in the previous year (Figure 2). There was a
28% increase in non-residential renovations and a 9% increase in residential renovations. There
was a 55% decrease in non-residential demolitions, although this was a fairly small absolute
number of projects. More than 400 applications (69%) of all project applications were
residential, and 182 (31%) were non-residential.
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Permits That Finaled in 2007-2008
49% or 107 of projects that
finaled in 2007-2008
submitted their applications in
a previous year.
51% or 112 of projects that
submitted their applications in
2007-2008 finaled in the
same year.
Figure 2. 2006-2008 Applications Received by Project Type
Applications Received by Project Type
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
Non-Residential New Construction
Non-Residential Renovations
Non-Residential Demolitions
Residential New Construction
Residential Renovations / Additions
Residential Demolitions
Number of Permits
2006-2007
2007-2008
2007-2008 Finaled Project Performance
In the fourth year of the C&D Debris Diversion Program, 219 C&D Debris applications were
finaled. Finaled applications are those that completed the job during the fourth year of the
program and submitted all of the necessary documentation, such as recycling receipts, weight
tags or proof of materials that were salvaged at an approved facility, to confirm compliance with
the C&D Debris Diversion Program. Of the 219 C&D debris diversion applications that were
finaled, 51% of them were demolition or renovation applications submitted in the same year as
they were finaled (Figure 3 and Figure 4). Forty-nine percent of finaled projects submitted their
application in a previous year.
Figure 3. Permits Finaled in 2007-2008 Figure 4. Project Types That Finaled in
the Same Year As Application
Submission
In the fourth year of the C&D Debris Diversion program the 219 finaled projects diverted 10,508
tons of debris from the landfill. Eleven percent of the 219 projects salvaged materials for reuse.
The finaled projects’ estimated total debris was 12,036 tons prior to demolition or construction,
Project Types That Finaled in the Same Year
As Application Submission
59%, or 66 projects were
demolitions
39%, or 44 projects were
renovation or additions
2%, or 2 projects were new
construction
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therefore an 87% diversion rate was achieved, in excess of the City’s 50% requirement. In the
previous year, the diversion rate was over 100% because more debris were generated than
estimated. When comparing 2007-2008 to previous years, the total tons of debris diverted
decreased (Figure 5). This happened for two reasons. First, in 2006-2007 there were four major
non-residential demolitions that accounted for 75% of the 62,638 tons diverted that year. Second,
the total number of non-residential and residential demolition projects finaled in 2007-2008
decreased by 40% from 2006-2007 as seen in Figure 6. Although there were more renovation
and new construction projects finaled in 2007-2008, debris generated from these types of
projects are typically significantly lower than demolitions.
Figure 5. Total C&D Debris Diverted By Year
Total C&D Debris Diverted By Year
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
2007-2008 2006-2007 2005-2006
Tons
of Debris
Four Non-Residential
Demo Projects = 75%
Of Diverted Waste
This Year*
C&D Debris Diverted
(Tons)
Figure 6. Finaled Projects By Type 2006-2008
Finaled Projects By Type 2008-2006
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
2007-2008 2006-2007
Nu
m
b
e
r
o
f
P
r
o
j
e
c
t
s
Demolitions
New Construction
Renovations / Additions
Figure 7 illustrates the 10,508 tons of debris diverted in the fourth year of the program by project
type. Demolition projects were by far the largest generators of debris combining for 68% of all
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debris. This is significantly lower than in the previous two years where the demolition debris
accounted for over 90% of all debris.
Figure 7. Tons Diverted By Project Type
Tons Diverted By Project Type
Non-Residential
Demolitions 1674 Tons
Non-Residential New
Construction 694 Tons
Non-Residential
Renovations / Additions
663 Tons
Residential Demolitions
5506 Tons
Residential New
Construction 562 Tons
Residential Renovations
/ Additions 1410 Tons
Debris for the 219 projects that were finaled in 2007-2008 was taken to a number of approved
facilities as indicated in Figure 8. Zanker Material Processing Facility (ZMPF) received the
most, at 40% of all the C&D debris diverted. Facilities included in the “Other” category in
Figure 8 include The Reuse People, Whole House Building Supply, Guadalupe Landfill, Valley
Recycling, Reusable Lumber Company.
Figure 8. Finaled Projects By Type 2006-2008
C&D Approved Facilities By Most Used
Granie Rock 10%
Zanker MPF 40%
PASCO 13%
San Carlos Transfer Station 6%
SRDC 5%
SIMS Metal 6%
Raish Products 6%
Stevens Creek Quarry 5%
Other 9%
Salvage
Mixed C&D debris represented the largest type of debris diverted from the landfill, accounting
for 76% of 7,820 tons (Figure 9). This year salvaged materials accounted for a little over 20 tons
of debris diverted. Eleven percent of projects finaled salvaged some materials for reuse. Salvage
continues to play an important role in the overall development of the C&D program. One of the
requirements of the C&D program is to require that demolition jobs make an attempt to salvage
valuable items for reuse. At the end of a building’s life, demolition generates large amounts of
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materials that can be reused or recycled, principally equipment, brick, cabinetry, wood, concrete
and drywall. Rather than demolish a building the City’s C&D program staff encourage
“deconstructing” all or part of the structure. Deconstruction is the orderly dismantling of
building materials for reuse or recycling. In contrast to demolition, where buildings are knocked
down and materials are either taken to a landfill or recycled, deconstruction involves carefully
taking apart portions of buildings or removing their contents with the primary goal being reuse.
It can be as simple as stripping out cabinetry, fixtures, and windows, or as involved as manually
taking apart the building frame. The two most used facilities for reuse were Whole House
Building Supply and the Reuse People.
The main concern with the salvage component of the C&D program continues to be
participation. The main reasons that have been attributed to lack of salvage participation include:
time, cost effectiveness and lack of outlets for the materials. As the City continues to shift
towards more sustainable policies including green building ordinances, the practice of
deconstruction for salvage will undoubtedly increase in popularity.
Figure 9. C&D Debris Diverted By Type
C&D Debris Diverted By Type
Salvage 20.5 Tons
Concrete / Asphalt 2458
Tons
Wood 100 Tons
Mixed 7820 Tons
Dirt 92.1 Tons
Other (Landscape,
Metal) 16 Tons
2007-2008 Successful Case Studies
Two cases are identified below, to illustrate the success of the program.
4249 El Camino Real “Elk Lodge” Non-Residential Demolition
This permit included demolition of all structures on the site to prepare for a new mixed use
property. The demolition included four buildings, trellises and one pool. The project salvaged or
recycled over 1,411 tons of C&D debris, which was approximately 13.5% of the total debris
diverted during this reporting period. 16.4 tons of debris were salvaged, including chairs, tables,
desks, and exercise and kitchen equipment. The mixed load debris were taken to Zanker MPF
and the metal was taken to SIMS Metal. The project met an approximately 60% diversion rate
based on the estimation provided at the time of building permit issuance.
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Debris Distribution Elks Lodge Demolition
Mixed Load 86%
Metal 13%
Salvaged 1%
189 El Dorado Avenue Residential Demolition
This permit included demolition of a 1,400 square foot single family home. The project salvaged
or recycled over 68.58 tons of C&D debris. 5.7 tons of debris were salvaged, including windows,
doors, cabinets and kitchen equipment. The salvaged materials were taken to the The Reuse
People of America Inc., the mixed load debris and wood was taken to Zanker Recycling (ZMPF),
and the concrete was taken to Stevens Creek Quarry, Inc. The project met a 100% diversion rate
based on the estimation provided at the time of building permit issuance.
Debris Distribution 189 El Dorado SFR Demolition
Mixed Load 18%
Wood 22%
Salvaged 8%
Concrete 51%
2008-2009 Programmatic Changes
There are a number of changes to the C&D Program that staff is preparing for in the upcoming
year.
First, with the implementation in Fall 2008 of the green building program, which includes the
goal of C&D debris diversion, administration of the two programs has been combined under a
single staff coordinator. To ease tracking performance of both programs, staff recommends that
the calendar year be used as the reporting cycle for both. Currently, staff’s annual report to
Council on the C&D program performance includes data from November 1st to November 1st of
the study year, since the original ordinance went into effect on November 1, 2004. Future reports
will be done for both green building and C&D debris from January 1st to December 31st and
reported annually near Earth Day. To reflect the first year of transition to the new cycle, the next
report will cover November 1st 2008 – December 31st 2009. The combination of the green
building and C&D debris diversion programs will also hopefully aid in encouraging more
projects to consider deconstruction and salvaging building materials for reuse since these
activities are rewarded in green building programs. Staff might also consider including in future
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reports debris avoided from being taken to the landfill due to the owners’ decisions to remodel or
improve their existing buildings instead of demolishing and building new. The City would
estimate the tons of debris that would be associated with the demolition of the structure being
renovated using the same method we use for actual demolitions.
Second, on April 27, 2009, Council will consider amendments to the C&D debris diversion
ordinance to increase the C&D diversion requirements, increase the number of covered projects,
improve compliance, differentiate penalties by the extent of diversion compliance, and clean up
the definitions and language in the ordinance to be consistent with State and National
regulations. These amendments are needed to further the program’s goals, and to be in alignment
with the City’s Climate Protection Plan and Zero Waste Goals. If passed, staff will be working
throughout the year on implementing the changes, including educating the community,
reworking the application process and website, and working more closely with approved
recycling facilities.
PREPARED BY: __________________________________
KRISTIN HEINEN
Associate Planner
DEPARTMENT HEAD: __________________________________
CURTIS WILLIAMS
Director of Planning and Community Environment
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: __________________________________
JAMES KEENE
City Manager