Bill Text: CA AB1672 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Solid waste: premoistened nonwoven disposable wipes.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2020-08-20 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB1672 Detail]
Download: California-2019-AB1672-Amended.html
Amended
IN
Assembly
January 23, 2020 |
Amended
IN
Assembly
April 25, 2019 |
Amended
IN
Assembly
April 11, 2019 |
Amended
IN
Assembly
March 28, 2019 |
Introduced by Assembly Member Bloom (Coauthors: Assembly Members Calderon and Gonzalez) |
February 22, 2019 |
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(b)Nonwoven disposable products are increasingly being marketed by manufacturers as flushable and, as a result, are being flushed down the toilet more frequently by consumers.
(c)Nonwoven disposable products often contain microplastics.
(d)Flushing these products presents a growing problem caused by nonwoven disposable products not breaking down after being flushed down the toilet. These products can entangle with tree roots, fats, oils, grease, and other nondispersible products, causing clogs in sewer pipes. These clogs damage public infrastructure and can lead to costly and environmentally damaging sanitary sewer overflows that are a threat to public health.
(e)Nonwoven disposable products that do not disperse rapidly in the sewer can also cause damage to private sewer laterals that result in sewage backups and overflow. These products can also cause clogging in septic systems.
(f)Wastewater treatment plants are not designed to capture microplastic
materials, which can pass through sewage treatment facilities into the natural environment. These microplastic materials have been shown to have negative impacts on marine life.
(g)Consequently, nonwoven disposable products that contain synthetic plastic fibers or other microplastic materials should not be marketed as flushable or sewer and septic safe.
(h)The increased maintenance needed to clean accumulations of flushed nonwoven disposable products from pipes and pumps is very costly to the public.
(i)In June 2018, a group of international wastewater infrastructure experts, known as the International Water Services Flushability Group, adopted reliable criteria for the quality and characteristics of products that can
be appropriately disposed of using sanitary sewer systems.
(j)In April 2017, a group of international nonwoven fabric industry experts, known as the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry and the European Disposables and Nonwovens Association, adopted baseline labeling requirements for nonwoven disposable products.
(k)
(l)It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this legislation to
provide clear direction to manufacturers by setting performance requirements for nonwoven disposable products that are marketed for disposal to the sanitary sewer system.
SEC. 2.
Part 9 (commencing with Section 49650) is added to Division 30 of the Public Resources Code, to read:PART 9. Flushable Wipes Nonwoven Disposable Products
49650.
For purposes of this part, the following definitions shall apply:(c)“Flushable wipe” means a nonwoven disposable product that meets the performance standards set forth in subdivision
(f).
(d)
(e)“Nonflushable wipe” means a nonwoven disposable product that does not meet the performance standards set forth in subdivision (f).
(f)“Performance standards” means the International Water Services Flushability Group testing methods and criteria for flushability, as published in June 2018, as set forth in publicly available specification (PAS)
documents 1, 2, and 3, and as summarized in chapters 6 and 7 of PAS document 1.
(a)On and after January 1, 2021, a covered entity shall not label a covered product as safe to flush, safe for sewer systems, or safe for septic systems, unless the product is a flushable wipe.
(b)(1)On and after January 1, 2021, unless a product is a flushable wipe, a covered entity shall not, in any
manner, make any of the following representations regarding a covered product:
(A)The product can be flushed.
(B)The product is safe for sewer systems.
(C)The product is safe for septic systems.
(D)The product breaks apart shortly after flushing.
(E)The product will not clog household plumbing systems.
(F)The product will not clog household septic systems.
(G)The product is safe for plumbing.
(H)The product is safe to
flush.
(I)The product will dissolve or disperse in interaction with water.
(2)For purposes of this subdivision, representations include, among other things, product names, labels, endorsements, depictions, illustrations, trademarks, and trade names.
(c)On and after January 1, 2021, a covered entity shall test and maintain self-certification records that verify that its covered products meet the performance standards and comply with the labeling requirements.