amount of those retail counters in san francisco. correct? >> that sounds reasonable. supervisor mirkarimi: ok. i am going off into data. >> ok. supervisor mirkarimi: them on the signage itself, explain how it would work as it is related to our legislation and what our expectation would be of it. >> we would like it to be -- supervisor mirkarimi: this is very specific. >> we wanted to be identical for what we're doing for the pilot. we envision a small poster or a tear-off pad available in the window of the store so people walking by can see it, and then in the pharmacy itself. people walk up directly to ask about it. supervisor mirkarimi: i have had

a little bit of experience with this. i offered the ban on plastic bags. i wanted to see volunteers with the industry, similar stores, walgreen's, to provide signage to dissuade people from using the common plastic bag and you something else. we would find some of that signage buried behind "the national enquirer" or other magazines. that is my worry here. in a voluntary program, that very well may result in that situation. isn't that a valid concern? >> i think that makes sense. it should be in a prominent location. you allow for a two-month education time for us to go to the stores and insure they have the materials and they are in a prominent location. we will help to make that happen. supervisor mirkarimi: very good.

about five years ago, i did signage for prop 65, on mercury poisoning. it was with the help of the department of and burn. i'm not sure if you were part of the department back then yourself. that was also a template we used. it has become commonplace in san francisco. we borrowed from that signage in this legislation of what those protocols were. i don't know if you would want to speak about this. i want to ensure we are working from a basis of continuity, not something we are lifting out of a hat, in creating a sign that we're asking you to comply with, but without sound rationale. >> i did not work on that specifically. >> this is certainly consistent with past efforts. in a designated location,

certainly, we will make sure it is visibly located. supervisor mirkarimi: with regard to the delayed implementation of the program itself, my office received a request that this be amended to december 2011. >> you have an implementation date and then there is a two- month education period for us to go out and help them be in compliance. the enforcement date is two months later. we ask that the implementation be one month after the pilot begins. it begins in august, that will be september. two months later, it would begin in august, september, a month later as october. the enforcement they could be two months following that. we are saying one or two months longer for the pilot. we thought we would start in july. now we are thinking august or september. supervisor mirkarimi: i am ok

with a one-time extension on this, but it could be a slippery slope when government starts making -- i want this to be as precise about our agreement here, when we will move on implementation. by us passing legislation, it affirms our commitment that that is going to happen. >> we want to make sure we can meet your deadline. supervisor mirkarimi: we put this out here so we are committing to the public that this will be implementing for 2012. >> absolutely. supervisor mirkarimi: good. a predictor comment. supervisor campos: thank you very much, supervisor mirkarimi. i want to thank the supervisor for his leadership on this matter. also, his willingness to be very cooperative in his approach. i think you have gone out of your way to work with the industry.

that is greatly appreciated. i do think this is an issue that needs to be addressed. it makes sense for san francisco to take steps that you are proposing. i'm very happy to be supportive of this effort. supervisor mirkarimi: thank you. i appreciate your assistance. very good. nothing from the department? we will open this up for public comment, please. >> thank you very much, supervisor mirkarimi. tim james from the california grocers association. some of us have pharmacies as part of services. we did send a letter to the committee. what we suggested to the committee to look at is that this point, looking at the opportunity to have this be a voluntary posting on behalf of grocery stores that do have pharmacies. it appears there's a little bit

of levity to the time line. -- bit of fluidity to the time line. we are asking to move with a little more speed on behalf of the grocery industry to partner with the department of environment in providing consumer information that you are asking them to have. we offered that as a suggestion. we're supporting the ordinance at this time. we're looking to be constructive. thank you. supervisor mirkarimi: thank you very much. next comment, please. >> ♪ keep your drug item open now safe will find a way you think you'll be safe now from all the things you might catch now keep your ideas open

because safe drug disposal will find a way save drug will find a way ♪ and ♪ we need a new drug way one that will not make you nervous and will make you better everyday one that will not make you nervous wondering what to do safe disposal of drugs is what we want from you we need a new way one for every day one that will not make you nervous wondering what to do city hall, this is what we want from you ♪ supervisor mirkarimi: perhaps someone could employ walt to sing by one of the boxes. just a suggestion.

next speaker, please. >> i am in support of this idea. i don't think there is really any firm opposition. my concern is whether the city at this time, due to its budgetary problems, can really afford to staff a program like this. it goes back to the concept of needs and wants. it is obvious that this program is very worthy, but i think the city needs to concentrate on what it needs to do rather than what it wants to do. i feel that a lot of businesses are basically trying to survive and are probably hesitant to put manpower into something like this, even though technically they might be able to sell more goods for people to come into the store and drop-off old

drugs. listening to the -- to the discussion right now, i came up with a common-sense idea i would like to present and see if it makes any sense to everyone else. since the department of public health is in the health business, and since it does have an active educational program, maybe we could have the disposal sites at the different clinics and hospitals. when people go there for services or other educational programs, they could drop off the drugs. this way, it won't be a burden on private businesses. it will be not really a burden on the department of public health, but it is open for current services. having the drop box of general hospital or the other sites, i don't think, would be that much extra work for them. thank you. supervisor mirkarimi: next

speaker, please. further public comment? comment? relative to this issue. public comment for this particular issue. if there is no other further public comment, i will close it now. public comment is closed. if the department of environment could come back up, please? i want to address a couple things that were referenced. this is not coming from expense of our general fund or from the city. is that correct? >> it is the $110,000 grant. supervisor mirkarimi: the money to procure comes from the consortium pharma and genetech.

we can clarify that for the general public. i want to review a little bit back. in the 2006 -- thank you for reminding me -- 2006 effort, that did, with city response. >> it did. supervisor mirkarimi: how much of it was at the city's expense to collect the 1,000 pounds? >> you have my notes up there. probably $50,000. maybe up to $60,000 on public out for it. it is a large component of what you need to do to have many programs. we need to actually be at the sites for a few days. supervisor mirkarimi: you were able to expend those dollars for that program and leading up to that program after that was required for dollars procured from garbage rates. >> and waste water. supervisor mirkarimi: if that

cost up to $60,000 for two days, it is a significant shift in our economic strategy, trying to make the private sector, the industry, step up so that they can share in the solutions that we are trying to legislate here. right? >> it is what happens in canada and europe. supervisor mirkarimi: what is the industry standard in san francisco if people go to walgreen's or go to these stores and want to say, i want to get rid of these in a responsible way? how was that conducted? >> until your ago, there were no options offered by the industry. they now offer a male lawyer -- mailer that can be purchased. i believe it is $3.99 at walgreen's. it is $4.99 at kaiser. supervisor mirkarimi: they have to pay for that. >> they do. it is rather expensive. supervisor mirkarimi: if the

city was providing those, what was the cost? >> $2.99. we were one of the first clients. supervisor mirkarimi: right. >> this was a temporary measure because we did not have dropoff sites. supervisor mirkarimi: just to remind the public, when we had this less than a year ago, there really is nobody else in the united states that does this where it is corporate-funded. there is in canada. where is it in canada? >> several provinces. british columbia has the most robust program. they have been running it for 10 to 12 years. supervisor mirkarimi: it is a collective funding, right? both from their private sector, pharmaceutical companies, and is it from the government as well? >> there are different models. i believe british columbia is just manufacturers. there has been funding for a

long time. we had to figure out what the cost of the ordinance was last year. supervisor mirkarimi: right. what kind of results do they see in the community? >> very successful. they measure their results by public awareness. pharmaceuticals are tricky because you never know how many are out there. they measure their success based on awareness. the goals they have set for the industry, every year, the level has to increase by a certain amount. supervisor mirkarimi: yet in the geography of their population, we were looking at it closely, they are larger than us, but there is some real culpability in what they have done in reaching out, right? >> yes. manitoba is the new crop in starting it up. -- province starting it up.

we have a program that is beginning right now with the help of the british columbia consultant that is more similar to san francisco in terms of size and population. supervisor mirkarimi: very good. is there anything else we have not identified or recognized that you think we should about this? >> i think we have covered it all. i want to highlight we have had a positive experience working with retailers to develop materials for all kinds of things, batteries, lights. supervisor mirkarimi: it is about the federal government in terms of the law that has been put forth by the obama administration. it is supposed to signal some fluidity. perhaps local or state government can move forward with this. it is not entirely clear what comes out of this. supervisor mirkarimi: it is a small percentage of the drugs. pharmaceuticals are complicated. some of them are controlled substances. some are drugs with strict value.

the fda does not want pharmacies or local governments sites to be in contact with that. they want that to be brought to law enforcement. that is why we have law- enforcement site. we are hearing they will be going through the regulatory process, allowing that to take place under certain guidelines. it complicates this issue. pharmacies are really hoping to get drugs out of people's homes and off the streets. it helps the entire program. supervisor mirkarimi: if we are waiting for, and this is as much as we can get from the federal parliament, to devise construction to the industry as to how they can discard, but it does not cover as much as we would like, if the state government does not create law because it has been been resisted by the industry itself, doesn't it just deflect back to local government to try to determine how they are supposed to deal with this issue? >> right. there are guidelines on how to

do collections. we know how to do it properly and in compliance. yes. funding will always be a challenge. i think it is amazing through your mayor's office discussions that we have received funding from industry. we're the first city and state that has done this. supervisor mirkarimi: i have heard that. cities are struggling to deal with this issue. it is not the most crushing -- pressing issue, but it is a growing issue. >> it is something we are pressed on every single day and we don't have an answer. garbage companies. supervisor mirkarimi: i hear they are dealing with that in the regional government discussions that we have with our local partners. "we have nothing in place." they don't have the money to deal with it. getting cooperation from those who are not present here and

others is important. good. >> it is a great first up. supervisor mirkarimi: great. i have no other questions or comments. supervisor campos: i just wanted to first of all note that i believe i had asked to be a co- sponsor of the ordinance. if i could ask the clerk to please reflect that? thank you. it is my pleasure to be a co- sponsor to this effort. in terms of the comments from the industry, i think i understand the concern about any effort that is mandatory. i do think that at times, you have to draw the line somewhere. i think that this effort strikes the right balance between making this a requirement, but also working with the industry

in making sure that whatever happens is not unduly burdensome. i think we're doing that. from my perspective, this approach makes sense. i am happy to be supportive. supervisor mirkarimi: thank you. i would like to read into the record a couple of minor amendments. a motion that on page two, line five, it should be changed to " december 1, 2011." on page two, line 23, it should be changed to "october 1, 2011." on page three, line two, it should be changed to "december 1, 2011." seconded by supervisor campos. if we could take a vote now on the overall legislation? ok. without objection. very good. so move. thank you. thank you again to department of environment and the mayor's

office and to industry. they take a special interest in this. we appreciate your cooperation and insight. madam clerk, is there any of the business? >> no, mr. chairman. supervisor mirkarimi: excellent. this meeting is now adjourned.