As the lead advisor to the Board of Supervisors on solid waste management issues,
and a State leader in resource conservation and environmental protection, the Department
of Public Works, Environmental Programs Division (EPD) provides waste collection
services to unincorporated County communities through a vast franchise and garbage
disposal district system. Furthermore, Public Works manages and operates various
programs to promote recycling and waste reduction in the public and private sectors,
including the largest household hazardous and electronic waste management program
in the nation.
EPD is dedicated to preserving the environment and protecting public health through
a variety of innovative functions. EPD proactively implements and administers programs
in the areas of solid waste recycling and disposal, landfill design, hazardous and
industrial waste management, underground storage tanks, and industrial wastewater
discharge to public sewer systems.
One of EPD's long-term goals is to research and implement state-of-the-art technologies
to convert municipal solid waste into electricity, green fuel, and other useful
products. Such vision and ambition demonstrate EPD's commitment towards fostering
communities where residents live and work in a safe, clean, and sustainable environment,
through engineering and ingenuity.
Another primary goal of EPD is to reduce our dependence on landfills by creating
programs to surpass a recycling rate of 50 percent of all waste materials generated.
To attain this ambitious goal EPD leads many nationally recognized public outreach
programs that involve the three R's: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. EPD also reviews
plans to protect the groundwater against contamination from leaking underground
storage tanks, analyzes methane gas levels at landfill sites, and participates in
disaster debris removal operations.
To contact Environmental Programs Division, please click here.
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