The Bottom Line Newsletter

The Bottom Line newsletter is a monthly publication of the BEA offering case studies, legislative and rebate updates, and resource reduction guidance to more than 1800 local businesses

Current Issue

- November 2010

• Savings Spotlight: Case Ranch Inn
• Policy Primer: The Russian River Biological Opinion
• Take-back Programs Fight Back against Waste Costs
• SCWMA Launches Fluorescents Recycling Program
• BEA Lodging Toolkit Launched
• Archives

Savings Spotlight: Case Ranch Inn

Small business embraces simple but effective changes for big results

As owners of a bed and breakfast, Diana Van Ry and Allan Tilton of the Case Ranch Inn in Forestville know firsthand the economic challenges of small business management. As owners of the first B&B certified by the Sonoma Green Business Program, they also know firsthand the economic rewards of environmentally responsible small business management. By making relatively small but impactful changes, the couple has reduced their water, waste, and energy costs while adding value to their marketing and operations. Below is a selection of their most effective actions.

Energy

• A photovoltaic solar system generates 40% of the Case Ranch Inn’s annual energy needs, saving them an average of $300 a month. Any excess energy on a given day is returned to the grid via a PG&E feed-in meter.
• Guests often savor organic meals featuring vegetables and fruits grown on-site, reducing transportation costs and greenhouse gas emissions as well.

Waste

• All food waste is composted and applied to the Inn gardens, saving both waste and landscaping costs.
• Laundry detergents and cleaning supplies must be environmentally friendly for use at the Inn.
• Bottled water was abandoned in favor of reusable glasses.

Water

• By simply fixing irrigation leaks on their 12,000 square feet of watered landscape, the couple saves an estimated $250 each year, no small amount for a bed & breakfast offering three rooms.
• Guests participate in a linen and towel reuse program, and every room features recycle bins with signs posted to encourage participation.

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Policy Primer: The Russian River Biological Opinion

What you need to know about the federal mandate on Sonoma County water

Since 2008, the Sonoma County Water Agency has been implementing federal recommendations concerning the Russian River and its tributaries. These recommendations, given in a document called the Biological Opinion, are already dramatically affecting water policy decisions in Sonoma County. Are you familiar with this landmark policy and its possible effects? If not, explore the following frequently asked questions, courtesy of the Water Agency:

What is a Biological Opinion?

A biological opinion is any written judgment created by a federal agency designed to help restore or protect threatened or endangered species. Biological opinions analyze the impact of particular projects to determine if the survival or health of a species is at risk. Federal agencies prepare such opinions after consulting with other relevant federal agencies in a process inaugurated in the Endangered Species Act. In this case, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) delivered the opinion.

The biological opinion currently in implementation in Sonoma County examines the ongoing water supply and flood control activities of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who work on behalf of the Sonoma County Water Agency and the Mendocino County Russian River Flood Control and Water Conservation Improvement District to manage the Russian River Watershed.

What does the Russian River Biological Opinion Find?

The NMFS and its partner agencies sought to answer two central questions concerning Russian River salmon: First, do the flood control projects operated by the Corps and the water supply and flood control projects operated by SCWA threaten to jeopardize the continued existence of steelhead, coho, and Chinook salmon? And if so, how can these projects or operations be changed to enable the survival and the recovery of the species?

The NMFS studied the issue for ten years, determining that all three salmon species were jeopardized by some aspects of water operations by SCWA and the Army Corps of Engineers. If a biological opinion finds a project to be endangering a species, it provides “reasonable and prudent alternatives” that must be implemented. The Russian River biological opinion identifies three areas of concern and prescribes a set of alternatives for each.

• The traditionally high summertime flows along the Russian River are too fast for young steelhead and coho salmon to grow and thrive. Prudent alternatives include reducing summer flows, restoring habitat, eliminating barriers to fish spawning, and bolstering the existing coho stock.
• High summertime flows in Dry Creek, the fourteen-mile-long connector between Lake Sonoma and the Russian River, are also harming young salmon. In addition to mandating reduced summer flows, the biological opinion requires that, over a 15-year period, there be habitat enhancement and changes in the configuration of the channel to create slow-moving pools along six miles of the creek.
• The current practice of allowing fast-flowing freshwater to “breach” the sandbar separating the Pacific Ocean from the mouth of the Russian River is harmful. Federal biologists believe that breaching negatively affects the estuary (the mouth of the river) by allowing more saltwater than is natural to flow into it and by keeping the amount of freshwater artificially low. The biological opinion requires SCWA to adopt “adaptive management” practices in the estuary, with the goal of keeping the sandbar closed in the summer months to create a freshwater lagoon in which young steelhead can grow.

SCWA and the Army Corps are implementing these prescriptions in accordance with a 15-year plan. As new data is collected, various projects and timelines may shift, but the biological opinion provides an action blueprint until 2023.

If fish need water, why are we reducing summer flows?

In this area, stream flows naturally drop to very low levels by early fall if left to their own devices. For the past century, however, flows have been kept artificially high to service the growing needs of the Sonoma County population. Due to a policy enacted in 1986, SCWA must adhere to minimum flow levels for certain areas of the Russian River and Dry Creek, regardless of actual water consumption.

Reducing summer flows in the Russian River would provide better habitat by reducing velocity, would eliminate the need to artificially breach the sandbar at the estuary, and may improve summer habitat in the estuary by allowing the formation of a freshwater lagoon. Reducing summer flows in the upper Russian River would also retain a greater amount of the cold-water pool in Lake Mendocino, which would be available to be released in the late summer and the early fall, benefiting Chinook returning to the river to spawn.

How much does this cost and who is paying?

Though only a handful of items in the biological opinion include dollar amounts, SCWA and the Corps calculated the costs of the vast array of projects needed and developed a financial plan and a budget. While subject to change, it’s currently estimated that the habitat enhancement, monitoring, and studies required of SCWA and the Corps will cost approximately $150 million to $165 million over 15 years. That funding likely will come from a variety of sources, including ratepayers, state and federal grants, and existing tax revenues that can be designated for this purpose. SCWA has already factored the costs of implementing these projects into its water rates.

How could this affect me and my business?

Water conservation becomes all the more important! Though the lowered flows are not so low as to create a water shortage crisis with standard water use, responsible management of a constricted water supply necessarily entails improving water conservation. Whether you are trimming your landscape water use or simply installing an efficient faucet aerator, mindful management of your business’s water consumption will help ensure the security of Sonoma County’s water supply.

Where can I learn more?

Visit the Sonoma County Water Agency’s website for a wealth of resources on the biological opinion and its impact.

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Take-back Programs Fight Back against Waste Costs

How product stewardship programs are benefiting local budgets

The Sonoma County Waste Management Agency (SCWMA) is wedged between an environmental rock and an economic hard place. As participation in hazardous waste disposal and other recycling programs grows annually, so too does the substantial cost of collecting and processing those products. Several state policies mandate that local governments handle the safe disposal of needles, batteries, and other items containing toxics, yet funding is rarely allocated to aid waste agencies with the resulting programs. How can SCWMA and other such agencies nationwide continue the critical work of safe, sustainable waste management without forcing higher rates on customers? By enlisting the aid of the product manufacturers themselves.

Product stewardship, alternatively called Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) or product take-back, transfers the task of disposing and recycling spent products to manufacturers rather than local governments and their ratepayers. The advantages of EPR are numerous. The most tangible benefit lies in diverting waste from landfills: in 2000, products accounted for 75% of the local waste stream. Therefore, even small improvements in efficient packaging and recycling can deliver dramatic impacts!

EPR also significantly reduces costs for local government waste agencies, and therefore for paying customers, by sharing expenses with private producers. SCWMA currently doles out $90,000 per month to manage products that unfunded federal and state mandates have banned from landfill disposal. When product manufacturers shoulder the end-of-life cost for their products, their bottom lines reflect the added expense, incentivizing innovation in efficient product design for the future. Finally, EPR programs have been linked to lowered greenhouse gas emissions: a joint study in 2009 from the US EPA and the Product Policy Institute estimates that 44% of US emissions derive from products and packaging. In sum, Extended Producer Responsibility creates benefits both economic and environmental.

Fortunately, support for product stewardship in Sonoma County is growing rapidly among both purchasers and suppliers. For example, a fleet of hardware suppliers including Friedman’s Home Improvement, Home Depot, and others have launched successful take-back programs for a variety of goods. A complete list is available through the SCWMA website. Likewise, many local businesses are integrating EPR into their procurement and waste disposal policies, as well as into the manufacturing process itself. Korbel Champagne Cellars, for example, purchases cardboard with recycled content for its shipping needs and recycled over 339 tons of glass bought from a domestic vendor. Labcon North America, similarly, has reduced use of plastics in its laboratory pipette manufacturing process by 50%. These are but a few instances of Sonoma County businesses stepping up to whittle down their waste. Furthermore, nine city governments, in addition to the County Board of Supervisors, have passed resolutions committing to EPR. Such public backing is a foundational step for implementing future EPR initiatives and institutionalizing product stewardship in the fabric of County business processes.

How can you help the County and your bottom line through product stewardship? First, visit the SCWMA website to find a take-back program for your needs. The site features a “What Would You Like to Recycle?” menu that encompasses an extensive list of common business waste items. Second, collaborate with whoever handles your company’s purchasing to buy from green vendors and encourage contracted vendors to reduce product waste. Consider formalizing a green purchasing policy that establishes firm guidelines for procurement and take-back program participation. Any step that responsibly transfers costs away from local governments to suppliers helps keep your waste disposal rate reasonable and your purchasing more efficient. Your budget will thank you.

For more detailed information and guidance on implementing an EPR program, contact Lisa Steinman, SCWMA, at (707) 565-3632 or visit the California Product Stewardship Council website.

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SCWMA Launches Fluorescents Recycling Program

The Sonoma County Waste Management Agency, with grant support from PG&E, is partnering with local hardware retailers to take back spent fluorescent lamps and ballasts from both residences and businesses. It is illegal to put fluorescent lamps or CFLs in standard waste bins or recycling carts due to the toxic mercury they contain; however, 99% of a lamp can be recycled into a new fluorescent lamp. The Voluntary Fluorescent Lamp Take-back Program, an excellent example of Extended Producer Responsibility, creates an opportunity for your business to strengthen its waste diversion program: For a list of participating retailers and safety tips for residential lamp recycling, click here. For a list of lamp recycling locations serving businesses, click here.

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BEA Lodging Toolkit Launched

The BEA recently posted our new Lodging Toolkit, a best practices resource for the lodging industry. Environmental credentials can translate directly into hospitality revenues: a 2009 study by the National Travel Leisure Monitor found that 38% of travelers would book with an environmentally-minded hotel due to its sustainability commitment alone, and 30% would pay higher rates for that booking. Our goal is to help your lodging property achieve optimal environmental efficiency without sacrificing quality for your guests, so explore our resources and jumpstart your sustainability program!

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