California Air Resources Board

Summary

Would have required CARB, air districts, and other specified agencies to complete an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) or alternative environmental analysis, pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and as specified, for every rule or regulation adopted that requires emission reductions of greenhouse gases (GHG), criteria air pollutants, or toxic air contaminants (TAC), or compliance with a performance standard or treatment requirement that requires emission reductions of GHGs, criteria air pollutants, or TACs. This bill also would have added extensive labor requirements if a focused EIR was used for the installation of pollution control equipment projects to reduce TACs, criteria pollutants, or GHGs that was undertaken to comply with the any of the regulations specified above.

View full bill text here

Governor’s Veto Message

To the Members of the California State Senate: 

I am returning Senate Bill 1136 without my signature.

This bill expands the environmental review process for California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulations that require the reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases, criteria air pollutants, or toxic air contaminants.

I share the author's goal in seeking ways to streamline and accelerate critical projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, this bill restricts CARB from using standard California Environmental Quality Act streamlining tools for environmentally beneficial regulations.

In addition, this bill would create significant delays in the promulgation of environmentally beneficial regulations. This bill also exposes state and local public agencies to new litigation risks and results in millions of dollars in costs not accounted for in the budget.

With our state facing lower-than-expected revenues over the first few months of this fiscal year, it is important to remain disciplined when it comes to spending, particularly spending that is ongoing. We must prioritize existing obligations and priorities, including education, health care, public safety and safety-net programs.

The Legislature sent measures with potential costs of well over $20 billion in one-time spending commitments and more than $10 billion in ongoing commitments not accounted for in the state budget. For these reasons, I cannot sign this bill.

Sincerely,

Gavin Newsom

View Governor's veto message here