Agenda Packet_2022-09-20 - Laserfiche WebLink

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EXHIBIT 2 September 22, 2022 Honorable Erick Larsh, Presiding Judge Orange County Grand Jury 700 Civic Center Drive West Santa Ana, CA 92701 Via E-mail and U.S. Mail Subject: Response to Grand Jury Report Entitled "Where Have All the CRVs Gone" Dear Honorable Judge Larsh: Please accept this letter as the City of Santa Ana's response to the Grand Jury's report entitled "Where Have All the CRVs Gone". The City's responses to the items requested by the Grand Jury specifically for the City of Santa Ana are: F1, F2, F3, F4, R1, R2, R3, R4. FINDINGS: Based on its investigation described here, the 2021-2022 Orange County Grand Jury has arrived at the following principal findings: F1 Due to the reduced availability of convenient CRV redemption sites and the lack of accurate online information, it is difficult for resident consumers to redeem CRV fees. City's Response: Disagree wholly - According to CalRecycle's records, Santa Ana has 22 buyback centers. These 22 buyback centers represent 20% of the 110 total buyback centers in Orange County while Santa Ana's population comprises less than 10% of the County's population. These buyback centers serve a population of 310,227, an average approximate density of one redemption center for every 14,100 people, which is 84% higher density than the California average of one redemption center for every 26,000 people. The City of Santa Ana's redemption center density is also over two times higher than the Orange County average (one redemption center for 29,000 people). The high density of CRV redemption centers allows for residents of Santa Ana, and contiguous communities, to redeem CRV containers in a convenient manner. A map showing 22 redemption centers within the City limits is included as Attachment 1 to this letter. F2 Because redemption site locations have diminished in number, waste haulers are the beneficiaries to the CRV fees paid originally by resident consumers. City's Response: Disagree wholly — Because of the high density of CRV redemption centers in the City of Santa Ana, and the propensity of residents of Santa Ana to redeem their CRV containers at these local centers, very low volumes of CRV end up in the curbside recycling program that is operated by the City's franchise hauler. For example, according to Waste Management's 2021 annual report, aluminum is 0.02% of the total residential waste stream (27.87 tons of aluminum out of 121,430.88 tons of total residential waste in 2021). According City Council 7 — 23 9/20/2022