State Legislature Endorses Conversion Technologies

Los Angeles County Supervisor and Board Chairman Don Knabe issued the following statement following Governor Jerry Brown’s signing of Senate Bill 498, which encourages the development of conversion technologies as an alternative to landfills:

“This critical environmental legislation is a first but important step to further reducing our reliance on landfills, while producing clean energy and creating new green jobs,” Supervisor Knabe said. “I’d like to thank the Governor and State Senator Ricardo Lara for his leadership and vision in introducing the bill, and the County’s Public Works department for their work on the project.”

SB 498 broadens the definition of “biomass conversion” to include cleaner and more efficient non-combustion technologies such as gasification, pyrolosis and anaerobic digestion. Biomass is organic material such as wood, lawn and garden clippings, agricultural waste, leaves, tree prunings and non-recyclable paper.  These state-of-the-art methods break down virtually all solid, non-recyclable waste into renewable materials and energy.  Several conversion technology projects are already being planned for Los Angeles County.

“This is a very exciting time for us and we will now be able to move ahead with these much-needed facilities in partnership with industry and the community,” Supervisor Knabe added.

For more information on SB 498, conversion technology and new waste management programs, visit www.SoCalConversion.org