California Air Resources Board

Summary

Would have established a new regulatory structure at the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) for metal shredding facilities. The bill, among other things, would have required that any metal shredding facility permit action taken by DTSC consider the conclusions and recommendations set forth in a community emissions reduction program prepared by a local air district and any other health risk assessment conducted by a local air district pursuant to the Air Toxics “Hot Spots” Information and Assessment Act of 1987 or other applicable law. The bill would have required that, if an air quality health risk assessment had not been conducted, the owner or operator of the facility would have had to conduct an analysis of equivalent scope and depth as approved by the local air district.

View full bill text here  

Governor’s Veto Message

To the Members of the California State Senate:

I am returning Senate Bill 404 without my signature.

The bill would establish a comprehensive regulatory program for metal shredding facilities to be administered by the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) and would require metal shredding facilities to obtain a permit from DTSC.

I support the author's intent to create a uniform structure for permitting metal shredding facilities in California. These facilities are critical to maintaining supply chain stability, recycling millions of end-of-life vehicles, household appliances, and other metallic items produced, used, and discarded annually in California. Unless recycled, these metal materials would overwhelm available landfill capacity, creating a massive accumulation of damaged and abandoned cars, appliances, and other items.

However, this bill lacks clear definitions regarding the materials processed at these facilities, including what "hazardous waste" requirements are applicable. Without this clarity, this bill is not as protective, places a significant burden on DTSC, and cannot be successfully implemented.

I encourage the author to work closely with DTSC and interested parties to remedy this issue, as well as ensure that any future legislation requires metal shredding facilities operate, and be permitted to operate, in a health-protective manner.

For these reasons, I cannot sign this bill.

Sincerely,

Gavin Newsom

View Governor’s veto message here

Summary

Requires an owner or operator of a metal shredding facility to reimburse a local air district for reasonable regulatory costs incurred by the local air district in implementing facility-wide fence-line air quality monitoring requirements at the metal shredding facility. Was not heard in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.

View full bill text here 

Summary

Requires a local air district without a specified rule on emergency backup generators, as of January 1, 2026, that adopts such a rule to include in the rule provisions that allow the operator of a critical facility to use a permitted emergency backup generator in exceedance of the applicable runtime and testing and maintenance limits if specified conditions are met. The bill requires a critical facility allowed to exceed applicable limits, as specified, to attest to and provide evidence of having taken demonstrable steps toward implementing the use of backup power technologies that meet or exceed emission standards set by CARB. Was not heard in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.

View full bill text here  

Summary

Repeals the prohibition on compensation of the board members of CARB from local air districts and specifies that those board members are to receive the annual salary provided to other board members of CARB. Was not heard in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.

View full bill text here  

Would have for the installation of residential heat pump HVAC systems and heat pump water heaters, required the California Energy Commission to develop standardized permitting checklists, establish limits and requirements for local agency permitting, and cap permit fees, among other things. The bill was sponsored by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

View full bill text here

Prevents CARB or local air district regulations with restrictions on oxides of nitrogen emissions from gas-fired appliances from applying to appliances that would be installed with a propane conversion kit. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

View full bill text here

Summary

Would have required CARB's executive officer to review a local air district’s submitted proposed permit for a Title V facility and, if the executive officer determines that the permit does not comply with the federal Clean Air Act or State law governing air pollution, to object to the issuance of that permit. The bill would have prohibited the local air district from finalizing the proposed permit without revising it to the satisfaction of CARB’s executive officer. The bill also would have established a public petition process regarding the proposed Title V permit, as specified.

The bill would have required an applicant to submit a technical feasibility analysis to the local air district as part of its permit renewal application for a Title V facility if its current operating permit includes equipment or control apparatus that meets certain criteria. The bill would have required a local air district to require best available retrofit control technology to be applied at each piece of equipment or source category identified in the technical feasibility analysis.

The bill would have revised CARB's precertification program, including requiring CARB to update criteria and guidelines for precertification at least once every eight years. The bill would have authorized the precertification program to include the identification of equipment, controls, fuels, and processes, as specified.

The bill would have revised requirements for a local air district’s expedited permit system. The bill, among other things, would have required CARB to issue determinations for best available control technology and best available retrofit control technology, and to establish best available control technology for toxic air contaminants. Held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

View full bill text here

Summary

Would have required each local air district to make publicly available on its website a map of permitted facilities containing specified information regarding all active permits required for equipment or processes that may release or control air pollutants and that require or required the use of one or more emission reduction credits. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

View full bill text here  

Summary

Provides reimbursement and per diem compensation for members of single county local air district boards, as well as the Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District board. Specifically, the bill allows daily compensation up to $200 per day with an annual cap on compensation of $7,200 and allows approval of an annual increase of 5-10%. The bill also requires a report to be submitted to the Legislature within three years of commencement of the compensation.

View full bill text here

Would have imposed new requirements on the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) for any adoption or amendment of a rule or regulation that has new or additional emissions reduction requirements on sources of air pollution associated with an operation at the ports, including the proposed Port Indirect Source Rule (ISR), until January 1, 2031. The bill would have prohibited any port-related actions that impose a cap on cargo throughput or cruise ship passengers at the ports or uses public funds to require or incentivize automated or remotely operated equipment or supporting infrastructure.  

View full bill text here

Governor’s Veto Message

To the Members of the California State Senate:

 I am returning Senate Bill 34 without my signature.

 This bill would impose new requirements on the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) for any adoption or amendment of a rule or regulation passed after July 1, 2025 that imposes new or additional emissions reduction requirements on sources of air pollution associated with port operations. The bill also would prohibit any port-related action that imposes a cap on cargo throughput or cruise ship passengers, or uses public funds to require or incentivize the use of automated or remotely operated equipment or supporting infrastructure. All these prohibitions and requirements would remain in effect until January l, 2031.

 California's ports are critical to the stability of our national and global supply chains and ore relied upon by most Americans to meet their everyday needs. Today, our ports handle about 40 percent of the nation's containerized imports and 30 percent of our notion's exports, making them vital points in the flow of goods and commerce. At the same time, ports are also one of the most significant sources of local air pollution due to their reliance on fossil fuels. Over the past several years, our ports have mode tremendous progress in building zero-emission infrastructure to reduce harmful air and climate pollution that benefits not just the ports, but also the surrounding communities.

 With the current federal Administration directly undermining our state and local air and climate pollution reduction strategies, it is imperative that we maintain the tools we have and encourage cooperative action at all levels to avoid the worst health and climate impacts. To that end, I am encouraged by the productive discussions between the SCAQMD and the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to identify and advance prudent air quality improvement measures and the SCAQMD 's recent unanimous direction to staff to further their efforts to reach a Cooperative Agreement. This locally driven and collaborative approach toward reducing air and climate pollution is the type of consensus that should be supported and encouraged. This bill interferes with this approach, the progress made, and the ongoing good faith efforts made by the SCAQMD and the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

 For this reason, I cannot sign this bill.

 Sincerely,

Gavin Newsom

View Governor’s veto message here