City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: October 27, 2026
Agenda Item: 4.A
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Christopher Dishlip, Director of Public Works, Resource Recovery & Recycling Division
Subject: Award Bid #4515 to and Authorize the City Manager to Execute an Agreement With Clean Harbors Environmental Services, Inc., for Contractual Services Related to Household Hazardous Waste Collection and Disposal Services for the Resource Recovery and Recycling Division Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of categorical exemptions pursuant to Sections 15301 (Existing Facilities) and 15308 (Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of the Environment) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines;
2. Award Bid #4515 to Clean Harbors Environmental Services, Inc. for household hazardous waste collection and disposal services for the Public Works Department; and
3. Authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Clean Harbors Environmental Services, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $4,403,865 (including a $1,141,743 contingency) over a five-year period, with future year funding contingent on Council budget approval.
Summary
The City of Santa Monica (City) provides household hazardous waste collection for Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generators (CESQGs), City divisions, and residents, which requires heavily regulated documentation and the transportation of hazardous materials. To continue meeting the Santa Monica Realignment Plan’s strategic objective of Achieving Safe Neighborhoods and Clean Streets and to uphold public health, it is necessary to provide efficient and safe collection of household hazardous waste materials. Staff recommends awarding Bid 4515 and executing a 2 of 5
contract with Clean Harbors Environmental Services, Inc., for a total amount not to exceed $4,403,865 for a term of five years.
Discussion
According to the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), it is illegal to dispose of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) in the garbage, storm drains, and on the street. Untreated toxic chemicals can pollute the environment and cause harm to animals and people. Typical HHW includes paints, adhesives, batteries, aerosols, fluorescent lamps, electronics, used oil, and pesticides.
The City’s Resource Recovery and Recycling Division requires the disposal of hazardous waste from its hazardous waste facility and the residential door-to-door pickup program. The residential HHW door-to-door collections program was first introduced in the City as a pilot program in January 2011. The program is currently available to all residents, who, after making a telephone or online appointment, would have their HHW collected and transported by a trained contracted hazmat technician from their home within five business days to an approved hazardous materials certified facility for further processing, recycling, and disposal. Residents do not pay extra for this service because the cost is funded by regular solid waste rates. In fiscal year 2025-26, a total of 1,792 households participated in the door-to-door program and 82,802 pounds of HHW were either safely discarded or diverted from landfills and recycled.
In addition, the HHW facility at the City Yards safely stores hazardous materials collected from in-house city operations, emergency response, and small quantity business generators. The HHW facility is staffed with one full-time City staff member (Hazardous Materials Technician) and one part-time contracted certified hazardous waste technician, who is trained in specialized packaging of hazardous waste.
Vendor Selection
Bidder Recommendation
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Best Bidder Clean Harbors Environmental Services, Inc.
Evaluation Criteria Cost, qualifications in providing service, and references.
Municipal Code SMMC 2.24.100(a)
Bid Data
Date
Posted Posted On Advertise In (City Charter & SMMC)
Vendors
Downloaded
Date Publicly
Opened
03/12/2026 City's Online
Bidding Site
Santa Monica Daily
Press 8 04/07/2026
Best Bidder Justification
An evaluation committee of RRR staff reviewed the six responses received. Clean Harbors Environmental Services, Inc. is the best-qualified vendor to provide household hazardous waste collection and disposal services at a reasonable cost, has 46 years of experience providing services to multiple cities, provided all required training documentation, had standout reference check results, and is a current member of the PaintCare paint stewardship program.
Environmental Review
The disposal of hazardous waste is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to Sections 15301 and Section 15308 of the CEQA Guidelines. Section 15301 Submittals Received*
Advanced Chemical
Transport, Inc. (dba
ACTenviro)
$9,568,175
Clean Harbors
Environmental
Services, Inc.
$652,424
Arcwood Environmental $155,039
Graymar
Environmental
Services, LLC
$269,921
Clean Earth Environmental
Solutions, Inc. $503,004 United Plumbing Service, Inc. $5,215,812 *NOTE: Submittal totals above were calculated by multiplying the historical quantities of hazardous waste materials collected by the collection/disposal price per pound provided by each bidder. All subtotals per bidder were then added together to determine the annual costs per bidder shown above. The disparity between submittals is due to the varied pricing per pound for individual items. For example, acids range from $300/per pound to $1.14/per pound and asbestos range from $200/per pound to $0.41/per pound.
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provides an exemption (Class 1 – Existing Facilities) for the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of use beyond that existing at the time of the lead agency's determination. Section 15308 exempts Class 8 projects consisting of actions taken by regulatory agencies as authorized by state law or local ordinance to assure the maintenance, restoration, or enhancement of the environment where the regulatory process involves procedures for protection of the environment. The agreement for household hazardous waste services would not result in any modifications to existing facilities, including the hazardous waste facility at the City Yards, and would ensure the safe and proper disposal of hazardous waste for protection of the environment. Therefore, the award of the agreement is exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15301 and 15308 of the CEQA Guidelines.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to approve available funding from the Resource Recovery and Recycling Fund to award a contract with Clean Harbors Environmental Services, Inc., for household hazardous waste collection and disposal services.
Contract Request
FY 2026-27
Request Amount
Future Years
Amount
Department Account
#
Total Contract
Amount
$652,424 $3,751,391 54500003.550070 $4,403,865
Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval. 5 of 5
Prepared By: Ryan Kraemer, Senior Administrative Analyst Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Clean Harbors Oaks Initiative Disclosure Form
B. Clean Harbors Levine Act