CIWMB Faces Extinction

The California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) is among the 96 boards and commissions that are up for elimination under a proposed reorganization plan put forth by the California Performance Review plan and supported by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Under the plan, the CIWMB staff would reportedly still perform all the activities, responsibilities and projects that are overseen by the board, according to Chris Peck, a spokesperson for CIWMB. But instead of reporting to a panel made up of political appointees (as it has in the past), the staff would report to the Secretary of Environmental Protection, who runs the California Environmental Protection Agency. The move would thus remove a layer of political appointees and the attendant costs they require.

Getting rid of such costs is Schwarzenegger’s focus as he struggles with California’s enormous budget deficits. A press release from the governor’s office about the boards and commissions to be eliminated states: “These boards and commissions have either outlived their usefulness, provide regulatory hurdles, or have functions already being fulfilled. In some cases, boards that the Governor selected for elimination had not met for years. His proposal will eliminate duplication, overlap and bureaucracy so that services will be delivered more efficiently and cost-effectively to Californians. “

The reorganization plan is currently under review and is expected to be submitted to the legislature in early February. CIWMB is currently the only California EPA department affected by the reorganization, says Peck, although some other boards, such as the Air & Water Board, have been scrutinized.

More information on the reorganization can be found on this page of the State of California Web site--California cuts.