California Air Resources Board

Summary

Repeals the ban on compensation for members of the Advisory Council of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) in the discharge of their duties. The bill authorizes each member of the council to receive compensation, to be determined by the BAAQMD Board for either attending a meeting of the council or attending a meeting, upon authorization of the BAAQMD Board, as a representative of the council.

View full bill text here

Summary

Would have required CARB to conduct an assessment of the socioeconomic impacts, as defined, of a proposed rule or regulation with an economic impact of $10 million or more that will significantly affect air quality or emissions limitations. The bill also would have authorized CARB to contract with a third party to conduct the required assessment of socioeconomic impacts. The bill would have specified minimum standards for the assessment of socioeconomic impacts, and required CARB or a third-party contractor to include in the assessment of socioeconomic impacts, specified information and various economic analyses, along with the disproportionate impact of the proposed rule or regulation on specified race and ethnicities, as well as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals and women. The bill would have prohibited CARB from approving an assessment of socioeconomic impacts that fails to meet those requirements. The bill would have had similar provisions regarding third party contractor and disproportionate impact analysis for the local air districts. Held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

View full bill text here

Summary

Would have added two environmental justice members, one appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules and one appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, to the South Coast Air Quality Management Board (AQMD). The bill would have also authorized South Coast AQMD Board to create a Labor Advisory Panel composed of six representatives whose members perform work in the South Coast Air Basin. The bill would have required the Labor Advisory Panel to provide feedback and input on all district permitting, rules, regulations, and planning issues that have the potential to impact the workforce in the South Coast Air Basin. The bill would have required the South Coast AQMD Board to select the members of the Labor Advisory Panel from nominations provided by the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, the Inland Empire Labor Council, and the Orange County Labor Federation. Failed passage on the Senate Floor.

View full bill text here

Summary

Would have required a nonvehicular civil penalty in an amount over $10,000 for a nonvehicular violation in a disadvantaged community collected by a specified local air district, minus the cost of prosecution and district administration, investigation, attorney fees, and other reasonable district costs, to be used to mitigate the effect of air pollution in the community affected by the violation. The bill would have modestly raised the maximum amount of nonvehicular civil penalties regarding strict liability and negligence listed in statute. Moved to the Senate Inactive File.

View full bill text here

Summary

Would have designated, retroactive to January 1, 2020, a local air district as an independent special district for purposes of receiving State funds or funds disbursed by the State, including federal funds. Was not heard in Assembly Local Government Committee.

View full bill text here

Summary

Revises the amount of compensation that a member of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Board may receive for attending a meeting of the board or attending a meeting while on official business of the district to an amount not to exceed $100 per meeting and $200 per day. The bill authorizes a member of the board to receive compensation for active transportation travel to one of these meetings. The bill caps member compensation at $6,000 per year.

View full bill text here

Summary

Would have required each local air district to establish a uniform permit program for mobile fueling on-demand tank vehicle operations (mobile refuelers) located in its jurisdiction that requires those operations to adhere to the strictest emission control standards established by the State for the loading, storage, and transfer of gasoline from those vehicles. The bill would have had various requirements for such a uniform permit program, including a consolidated permitting process for a source requiring more than one permit and an expedited permit review and fee schedule. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

View full bill text here

Summary

Would have required CARB to assess the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District’s air quality progress every three years, instead of every 2 years, and submit these assessments to the Legislature within 3 weeks of completion, instead of within 2 weeks. Was amended to deal with the developmental services system.

View full bill text here

Summary

Would have required a civil penalty of up to $30,000 to apply to a violation of public nuisance law involving a discharge containing toxic air contaminants from a Title V source. Additionally, the discharge must result in a significant increase in hospitalizations, residential displacement, shelter in place, evacuation, or destruction of property. The bill would have required this proposed penalty to apply on the initial date of violation, with exceptions for certain penalties with larger penalty caps. If a violation of AB 1897’s public nuisance law continues to occur after the initial day, then the bill would have required the existing fee structure for non-vehicular civil penalties, such as up to $10,000 per day, to apply on those subsequent days. The bill would have required additional civil penalties collected by a local air district for such a penalty, above the costs of prosecution, to be expended to mitigate the effects of air pollution in communities affected by the violation. Was amended to deal with plastic food service ware.

View full bill text here

Summary

Would have revised AB 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, by charging CARB with only the responsibility of regulating vehicular sources of greenhouse gas emissions in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The bill would have charged each local air district with the responsibility of regulating all sources, other than vehicular sources, of greenhouse gas emissions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within its jurisdiction. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

View full bill text here