Both California Air Resources Board (CARB) and Dr. David Sunding (a professor at UC Berkeley) have approved the contract for the Leakage Study.  In negotiations with CARB, Dr. Sunding was able to strengthen language regarding non-disclosure of industry data to make it clear that CARB does not have the right to see any data other than what the team disseminates in tables, etc. contained in the report. Simply stated, CARB is completely out of the loop regarding access to raw data.

The research team is now in the process of putting together a data request and confidentiality agreement.  The delivery date for the study is August 2014.  CARB has requested that a draft of the study be provided by April 2014.  

CLFP has proposed a May 2013 meeting with Dr. Sunding and his team and those food processors which may, or have, decided to participate in the study to discuss such aspects as timing, schedules, scope of work, and most importantly, the type and nature of the data that the team will be seeking.   This will also give participating CLFP members a chance to ask questions and let the researchers ally any doubts about the confidentiality and answer questions about the goals of the study.

A second meeting will be with CARB, the researchers and CLFP/members to establish an understanding among all the stakeholders as to what to expect and the timing. This meeting is to make sure that CARB can’t change the rules in the middle of the game again like they did with the benchmarking.