April 14, 2014 update from the Public Works Department,  Operations Environmental Services Division:

The City of El Cerrito, along with all other Bay Area jurisdictions, is subject to the National Pollutant Discharge Eliminations System (NPDES) Municipal Regional Permit (MRP) for stormwater discharges, has prepared its Long-Term Trash Reduction Plan as required by the MRP. The City’s initial Plan – which is designed to attain a 70% reduction in trash loads from municipal separate stormwater sewer system (MS4) by July 1, 2017 and 100% by July 1, 2022 – was submitted to the California Regional Water Quality Control Board for the San Francisco Bay Region on February 3, 2014.

El Cerrito’s Long-Term Trash Reduction Plan
(online at http://ca-elcerrito.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/3466) follows a standard format used by members of the Contra Costa Clean Water Program which details the various sources of trash entering El Cerrito’s MS4s and identifies a suite of proposed strategies to meet the MRP’s trash load reduction requirement. Among the strategies proposed for future consideration in El Cerrito are:

• Installation of additional full-trash capture devices in high-trash generation areas (45 such units are currently in operation)
• Enhanced street sweeping in high-trash generation areas, potentially including increased frequency, signage, and/or postcard reminders
• Improved trash bin management on streets and in public places
• Additional creek and channel clean-ups and on-land clean-ups
• Enhanced education and outreach programs

As the Public Works Department implements the Plan over the course of the next several years, it will propose budget allocations for implementing specific strategies as needed, subject to the Council’s approval of the annual budgets. Additionally, the City will have an opportunity to amend the Plan on an annual basis in conjunction with the Clean Water Program Annual Report, in which the City reports on all activities relating to implementation of the MRP. Some changes will likely be necessary over time as the City evaluates success of individual strategies in the future, as required by the Plan.

El Cerrito has already taken many positive steps towards meeting the MRP’s trash load reduction goals, including initial implementations of several strategies proposed in the Plan:

• Single-Use Bag Ordinance and Food Ware Ordinance, effective January 1, 2014
• Public education and outreach programs
• Increased creek and on-land clean-ups with volunteers throughout the year
• Earth Day, events, activities, and public outreach
• Installation of 45 trash capture devices via an Association of Bay Area Governments grant
• Improved trash bin management along San Pablo Avenue
• Installation of rain gardens along San Pablo Avenue

For more information about the El Cerrito’s Long Term Trash Management Plan or the Clean Water Program, please contact Garth Schultz, Operations Environmental Services Division Manager via email or 510-559-7684.