California Air Resources Board

Summary

Would have required CARB to convene a working group with a specified membership for the purposes of reviewing the state of air pollution control technologies, operational or maintenance standards, and work practices that may be applied to wine fermentation tanks, and the costs and benefits of those technologies, standards, and practices.  The bill would have required local air districts, when adopting a rule or issuing a permit requiring air pollution control technology to be installed on wine fermentation tanks, to include specified findings as part of that action.  The bill would have required CARB to allocate $1 million, available upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the University of California Davis for a study that would make recommendations on options to address air emissions from wine fermentation tanks.  Was not heard in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.

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Summary

Would have provided a funding mechanism to reduce wildfire risks in California by establishing the Wildfire Prevention and Community Resilience Act of 2020.  The bill would have required the California Natural Resources Agency to adopt an interim expenditure plan and an expenditure plan that focused on reducing wildfire risk on the ground and in communities through activities such as defensible space implementation, home hardening, and improved public safety.  The bill would have established the Wildfire Prevention and Community Resilience Fund and, upon appropriation by the Legislature, would have required moneys in the fund be used for the implementation of the expenditure plan.  The bill would have required that at least $50 million be available to CARB for projects that reduced emissions of greenhouse gases and criteria air pollutants related to forest treatments.  The bill would have required that preference be given to projects that could have provided negative emissions of greenhouse gases as determined by CARB.  Was not heard on the Senate Floor.

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Summary

Would have prohibited a local air district that contains a Community Air Protection Program per AB 617 (C. García, Chapter 136, Statutes of 2017) from authorizing a new major source of emissions, or revisions to an existing source of emissions, that would have increased toxic air contaminants and criteria air pollutants above the levels included in the Community Emissions Reduction Program for that community, unless the local air district required the major source to mitigate the increased emissions directly in the affected communities.  Hearing canceled in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee at author’s request.

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Summary

Would have established an Office of the Salton Sea within the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA).  The bill would have required the Secretary for CNRA to establish a Salton Sea Oversight Committee.  Was amended to deal with lithium extraction in California.

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Summary

Would have redefined “petroleum refinery” to exclude refineries under a capacity of 55,000 barrels per day and within 1 mile of communities under 3,000 residents from requirements to establish and maintain a refinery-related community air monitoring system.  Was amended to deal with peace officers.

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Summary

Would have enacted the Climate Resiliency, Fire Risk Reduction, Recycling, Groundwater and Drinking Water Supply, Clean Beaches, and Jobs Infrastructure Bond Act of 2020.  If approved by the voters, the Act would have authorized the issuance of bonds in an unspecified amount pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance a climate resiliency, fire risk reduction, recycling, groundwater and drinking water supply, clean beaches, and jobs infrastructure program.  The bill would have required the bond act to be submitted to the voters at the November 3, 2020, statewide general election.  Was not heard in the Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee.

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Summary

Would have allowed a city or county, as part of its authority over land use permitting and after consultation with the relevant local air districts, to develop and adopt air monitoring plans.  After the adoption of an air monitoring plan, the bill would have allowed the city or county to require the installation of continuous and periodic monitoring systems for hydrocarbon emissions from nonrefinery stationary sources.  The bill would have provided a funding mechanism to support such air monitoring.  The bill also would have required the Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM)—formerly known as the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources—in the Department of Conservation by January 1, 2021, to review and evaluate its existing regulations that apply to a sensitive production facility, as defined.  The bill also would have required CalGEM to update such regulations, as appropriate, and prioritize actions needed to reduce specified emissions from oil and gas operations and to ensure environmental justice goals are achieved.  Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary

Would have required CARB to publish emissions of greenhouse gases, criteria air pollutants, and toxic air contaminants from catastrophic wildfires on its website.  The bill also would have required CARB to include emissions from catastrophic wildfires in its air pollution inventory.  Additionally, the bill would have indefinitely defined “district” to mean an air pollution control or an air quality management district under the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006.  Was not heard in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.

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Summary

Would have required CARB to regulate “fueling on-demand tank vehicles.”  The bill would have imposed testing, installation, maintenance, and certification requirements on a vapor recovery system or system component of a mobile fueling on-demand tank vehicle used to load, transport, and transfer motor vehicle fuel directly from an onboard cargo tank into a motor vehicle fuel tank.  Was not heard in the Assembly Transportation Committee.

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Summary

Would have provided an income tax credit for each taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2021 and before January 1, 2026, to individuals and small businesses for the purchase of a backup generator for use in a residential or commercial property in a designated wildfire zone.  The bill would have limited the tax credit to 50 percent of the total cost incurred by the customer, not to exceed $7,000.  Was not heard in the Senate Governance and Finance Committee.

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