California Air Resources Board

Summary

Requires CARB, between January 1, 2024, and September 30, 2026, to establish additional greenhouse gas targets for 2035 and 2045 and updates the Sustainable Communities Strategy review process for CARB and metropolitan planning organizations. This bill also requires each project nomination for the Solutions for Congested Corridors Program to demonstrate how the project would contribute to achieving the state’s greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. Was not heard in the Senate Transportation Committee.

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Summary

Updates the statewide refinery-related fence-line and community air monitoring program established by AB 1647 (Muratsuchi, Chapter 589, Statutes of 2017). The bill establishes statewide standards for the air monitoring program, including monitoring system capabilities, pollutants requiring monitoring, air quality control and assurance plans, third party audits, and data reporting. The bill also extends the air monitoring program deadline from January 1, 2020, to January 1, 2028 for updating or installing new air monitoring systems required by the bill and expands the program to include biofuel refineries. Moved to the Assembly Inactive File.

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Summary

Authorizes the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency (CNRA Secretary) to enter into agreements with federally recognized California Native American tribes in support of tribal sovereignty with respect to cultural burning. The bill provides that, in deference to tribal sovereignty, the CNRA Secretary may agree, with regard to cultural burning, that compliance with State permitting or regulatory requirements is not required. The CNRA Secretary may enter into the agreement with such tribes related to the State Smoke Management Program only with concurrence of the Secretary of Environmental Protection. The bill does not provide authorization to enter or burn property without the permission of the landowner. In order to support these agreements, the bill also requires the CNRA Secretary to convene a cultural burn working group consisting of State agencies, California Native American tribes, local air districts, and local governments, with the goal of determining a framework to enable conditions conducive to cultural burning, including consideration of the role of a local air pollution control district in supporting the effort of cultural burning. The bill requires the working group to report its findings to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2025. The bill repeals these provisions on January 1, 2029. Was not heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Requires a fixed-mount generator to be classified as a stationary source and requires CARB to adopt regulations consistent with that requirement. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary

Authorizes a person or entity to petition CARB to exempt prohibited, intentionally added perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from that prohibition. The bill authorizes CARB to, in consultation with the State Water Resources Control Board, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, and the Department of Toxic Substances Control, exempt an intentionally added PFAS from that prohibition if CARB determines that the intentionally added PFAS meets specified qualifications. The bill also requires the petitioner to provide specified information in their exemption petition to CARB, including the name of the intentionally added PFAS proposed for exemption, its intended end use, and its intended concentration in the proposed cosmetic product. Was not heard in the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee.

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Summary

Triples specified civil penalties, such as for strict liability, negligence, and willful and intentional violations, under the following conditions:  (1) the discharge is from a source regulated under Title V of the federal Clean Air Act, and (2) the discharge contains one or more air contaminants, as identified by CARB as a toxic air contaminant, and as defined as a “air contaminant” or “air pollutant,” or a pollutant that has a California ambient air quality standard, as specified. The bill directs the court or the local air district when assessing penalties to consider health impacts, community disruptions, and other circumstances related to the violation. Moved to the Senate Inactive File.

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Summary

Provides that it is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that provides that the policy of the State is to ensure that companies that contract with the State are not contributing to tropical deforestation, either directly or through their supply chains. Remains atthe Assembly Desk.

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Summary 

Requires CARB, if it proposes a regulation to regulate an on-road mobile source, to prepare a lifecycle analysis, as defined, of any technology required by the regulation. The scope of environmental impacts in the lifecycle analysis must include, but is not limited to, the assessment from raw material extraction and processing, through the product’s manufacture, distribution, and use, to the recycling or final disposal of the materials composing it. The assessments must include, but are not limited to, consideration of carbon dioxide emissions. Was not heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Requires CARB, by January 1, 2027, to conduct an analysis of credits identified in the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District’s (District) ledger of available emission reduction credits (ERCs) to determine if any credits were issued in violation of State, local, or district laws, rules, regulations, or procedures in place at the time of original issuance. The bill requires CARB to submit a report to the Legislature summarizing the analysis results. The bill requires the District to aggregate and make publicly available on its website specified information regarding permits issued during a specified 17-year span that require or required the use of one or more ERCs. Was not heard on Assembly Concurrence.

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Summary

Allows, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2023, and before January 1, 2028, a credit against State taxes for a qualified taxpayer in an amount equal to $800 per ton of criteria air pollutant reduced beyond the baseline amount. The bill defines “qualified taxpayer” to mean a major source emitter, as defined, that has emissions levels of criteria air pollutants for the taxable year at least 5 percent below the requirements set by the federal Clean Air Act. The bill also defines “baseline amount” with respect to criteria air pollutants to mean the level of criteria air pollutants the taxpayer may emit to meet the requirements of the federal Clean Air Act. Was not heard in the Assembly Revenue and Tax Committee.

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