California trash amendments that became law in 2015 are going to cost Chico an estimated $5.4 million, according to a report presented to the Chico City Council on Oct. 2.
The amendments require that Chico, along with many other California cities, put new trash capture systems in storm water drains and public waterways.
    Karen Ashby, a vice president at environmental engineering and consulting firm Larry Walker Associates, spelled ouit the requirements for the city and the total costs of the plan.
   According to her presentation, more than 200 devices -- small filters in street drains that capture trash -- would be installed over a 12-year period.
Larger and more expensive devices that filter trash and debris out of creeks are also going to be installed. After they are all in place, the devices will cost an estimated $120,000 a year to maintain.

The trash amendments were a revision to the water quality control plan for the ocean waters of California proposed by the State Water Board. The devices must be fully installed by 2030, according to the law.
    Another purpose of the amendment was to remove human-created pollution from waterways.
“It addresses a controllable pollutant” Ashby told the council.  "It’s very clear it comes from us, not from other areas of the environment"
    According to a California Environmental Protection Agency report, water from storms is the biggest transporter of trash to waterways. This project will filter out trash entering streams and rivers, but this is different from filtering a sewer system.
   “If it was going into our sewer system, this would be a real benefit to the sewer system, so we wouldn’t have to filter it there as well, but this is a difference," said Council Member Ann Schwab.

Steven Breedlove addresses the Chico City Council.

 The city must submit by Decemeber a selection of locations for the devices, which will be built on priority land use areas. The areas are decided based on what the land is used for, such as residential and commercial areas.
Which areas are considered a priority is up to the city to decide.
Steve Breedlove, a Green Party member and activist, told the council he wishes the city didn't have to spend millions to keep trash out of creeks.
    “I’m really bothered by big infrastructure with huge carbon and labor footprints to solve problems that only exist because we live in a throw-away culture,” Breedlove said. “But I also think it’s important to keep trash out of streams, so if the state is requiring the use of engineered devices to capture trash, please deploy them."