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Agenda Item
ASR
Control 09-000368 |
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MEETING DATE: |
04/28/09 |
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legal entity taking action: |
Board of Supervisors |
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board of supervisors
district(s): |
1 |
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SUBMITTING
Agency/Department: |
OC Waste & Recycling (Approved) |
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Department contact
person(s): |
Michael B. Giancola, (714) 834-4122 |
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Dylan Wright, (714) 834-4137 |
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Subject:
Discovery Science Center
Agreement for Educational Exhibit
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ceo Concur |
County
Counsel Review |
Clerk of the Board |
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Concur |
Approved Agreement to Form |
Discussion |
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3 Votes Board Majority |
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Budgeted: Yes |
Current Year Cost:
$2,000,000 |
Annual Cost:
FY 2009-10: $1,600,000 |
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Staffing Impact: No |
# of Positions:
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Sole Source:
N/A |
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Current Fiscal Year Revenue: N/A |
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Funding Source: Fund
299 AB 939 Surcharge Revenue: 100% |
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Prior Board Action: April
18, 2006 |
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RECOMMENDED ACTION(S)
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1. |
Approve agreement with the Discovery Science Center for the design, engineering and construction of an educational exhibit on waste reduction and recycling. |
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2. |
Authorize the Chair of the Board to execute the agreement. |
SUMMARY:
Approval of this agreement with the Discovery Science Center will support development of an interactive exhibit to educate the public about environmentally sound practices that lead to additional diversion and reduction of waste at Orange County’s landfills.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989 (AB 939) requires that cities and counties reduce the amount of waste disposed in landfills by 50% or potentially incur fines of up to $10,000 per day. The California Integrated Waste Management Board has identified public education and outreach programs related to waste reduction as critical to meeting diversion goals. Working collaboratively, OC Waste & Recycling and the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana have identified this partnership opportunity to educate Orange County residents about the importance of waste reduction and practical actions for achieving the goals of AB 939. As many as 400,000 visitors are drawn to the Discovery Science Center annually and this project will provide the opportunity to sharpen their everyday knowledge on important waste reduction attitudes and behaviors.
A two phase educational exhibit will be built at the Discovery Science Center. The “Eco-Shopping Store” (Phase I) simulates a real life shopping experience where patrons earn points by purchasing products with less packaging, reusable containers, recycled packaging, recyclable products, and recyclable shopping bags. The “Waste Identification Game” (Phase II) is a large scale interactive learning game. Teams will earn points by correctly identifying and sorting waste on a conveyor belt and placing it in appropriate receptacles (e.g. bins for yard waste, recyclables, trash, and hazardous materials). In addition, strategically placed learning stations with videos will demonstrate where these materials go after collection and that proper recycling preserves landfill capacity.
OC Waste & Recycling and the Discovery Science Center have negotiated an agreement that delineates the responsibilities of both parties. Funding for design, engineering, and construction of the exhibit will be allocated on a phase-by-phase basis. Phase I funding is $2 million and is available in OC Waste & Recycling’s FY 2008-09 budget. Phase II funding will be contingent upon your Board’s approval of $1.6 million in OC Waste & Recycling’s FY 2009-10 budget.
The proposed funding source for the exhibit is AB 939 Surcharge revenue. As approved by your Board on April 18, 2006, the AB 939 Surcharge makes the self haul disposal rate at County landfills comparable to that of material processing facilities. This strategy was implemented to encourage self haulers to use material processing facilities and increase recycling efforts rather than direct hauling their waste to County landfills. By law, AB 939 Surcharge revenue must be used for programs and initiatives that promote waste reduction, reuse, and recycling.
The utilization of AB 939 Surcharge revenue for this exhibit compliments and is strategically aligned with existing AB 939 regional diversion programs, such as the Public Outreach and Education campaign being developed by Riester; the regional recycling and waste diversion grant program that is serving cities and jurisdictions countywide; the Prima Materials Recycling Facility; and the Conversion Technology Feasibility Study.
The Discovery Science Center will be responsible for operating and maintaining the exhibit for a period of ten years. Operation and maintenance costs will be offset by an endowment fund to be established by the Discovery Science Center through grants and donations from public and private sources.
In addition to constructing, housing, and operating the exhibit, the Discovery Science Center will collect data to measure the exhibits’ success in achieving predefined goals and report the results on a quarterly basis. The waste diversion education goals include:
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a. |
reducing waste creation through thoughtful purchasing decisions, |
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b. |
identifying the different types of waste, |
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knowing what to do with each type of waste, |
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d. |
learning where waste goes after collection, |
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e. |
understanding the finite capacity of County landfills; and |
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f. |
realizing that environmental stewardship is everyone's responsibility. |
The success of the program will be determined through pre and post testing data obtained in-part through surveys and scholarship programs. Total visitor interaction with the exhibit and other metrics will also be used.
In addition to creating a public education program consistent with State mandates, the partnership will yield other benefits:
Regional Program: Centrally located in Santa Ana, the Discovery Science Center promotes science education to over 400,000 visitors per year, making it an ideal partner for a countywide, regional program.
Opportunity for Matching Funds: If your Board approves the agreement, the Discovery Science Center will seek matching funds from the State (Proposition 84) to finance additional environmental exhibits that focus on air quality, water quality, and pollution prevention.
Front-end Focused: Many waste reduction initiatives are focused on the end of the waste stream. This project shifts the emphasis to prevention and sustainability through education to change perceptions and practices that lead to a reduction of waste at the beginning of the waste cycle.
Complementary to Public Outreach Campaign: The exhibit will incorporate branding and outreach elements of the countywide public education and outreach campaign currently under development.
On a broader scale, the exhibit will be a key component of an expanded environmental education program at the Discovery Science Center. The waste reduction message will complement other environmental messages (such as water and air quality) currently promoted by the County through various agencies and departments. Through this partnership with the Discovery Science Center, the County will advance a multi-disciplinary approach to environmental education and support responsible resource management through increased public awareness.
Through this agreement and consistent with your Board's vision statement, OC Waste & Recycling is endeavoring to leverage available resources to foster this public/private partnership. The nature of this partnership has been reviewed and approved by County Counsel.
CEQA Compliance: Pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Section 21065 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15378, the recommended action is not a project as defined by CEQA. This is because the subject agreement will not cause either a direct physical change in the environment, or a foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
N/A
STAFFING IMPACT:
N/A
REVIEWING AGENCIES:
County Counsel
ATTACHMENT(S):
Agreement with Discovery Science Center