The new legislative session has begun and while most are focused on the budget that will be released on Monday, many legislators are also busy introducing bills. The following, while most in spot form, are several bills we are keeping an eye on:

• AB 42, by Assembly Member Jared Huffman, states the intent of the Legislature to establish a stable and reliable funding source for the California State Parks system.
• SB 16, by Senator Michael Rubio, states the intent of the Legislature to establish a new program to ease and expedite the state permitting process for renewable energy and transmission projects within the State.
• SB 20, by Senator Alex Padilla, states the intent of the Legislature to conform state menu labeling requirements to federal requirements.
• SB 34, by Senator Joe Simitian, states the intent of the Legislature to enact a fee-based system to pay for costs associated with updating and modernizing water infrastructure projects in the State.
• SB 63, by Senator Curren Price, states the intent of the legislature to establish state level policies to promote environmental sustainability of local communities.

Law makers have until February 18th to introduce bills.

CSAC Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Committee Meeting

The CSAC Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, February 2, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., in the CSAC First Floor Conference Room, 1100 K Street, Sacramento. The tentative agenda includes a 2011 Legislative/Budget Update, Approval of Proposed Changes to the Agriculture/Natural Resources section of the CSAC County Platform; an update from the Coastal Counties Regional Association; and reports regarding the Department of Fish and Game’s Financial Assurance/Endowment Requirements and the Army Corp of Engineers Levee Vegetation Policy. The final agenda will be sent to committee members and posted on the CSAC website by next week.

Williamson Act

SB 863 (Chapter No. 722, Statutes of 2010) – Implementation

CSAC, in conjunction with RCRC, conducted a survey in December 2010 to determine which counties will be implementing SB 863, the Williamson Act alternative funding proposal. Of those responding to the survey, six counties indicated that they will be implementing the SB 863 alternative in 2011, while 24 counties responded that they will not be implementing the program. If you have not yet responded to the survey, please send your responses to Cara Martinson. 

A summary of results can be found on the CSAC website.

Solid Waste

AB 32 Mandatory Commercial Recycling Regulation

CalRecycle staff is seeking stakeholder input on the proposed AB 32 Mandatory Commercial Recycling regulation. The workshop will be held on Wednesday, January 19, 2011, from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. in the Byron Sher Auditorium located at Cal EPA, 1001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. 

The draft proposed regulation and summary of the proposed regulation have been posted to CalRecycle’s website. These documents will be discussed at the Informal Stakeholder Feedback Workshop. The formal rulemaking process for the Mandatory Commercial Recycling Regulation will begin in late January or February. For more information, visit:

Hazardous Materials

New State Law Requirements for Refrigerants 

On January 1, 2011, a new state regulation to minimize leaks of environmentally harmful refrigerants takes effect. This regulation builds on established federal regulations on refrigeration systems.

Beginning in January, all facilities with stationary non-residential refrigeration systems with more than 50 pounds of refrigerant are required to do refrigerant leak detection inspections, leak repair, and recordkeeping. This new regulation does not affect refrigeration systems that use ammonia or carbon dioxide as refrigerants. 

Service technicians must be U.S. EPA certified and follow specified practices including repairing leaks prior to recharging and properly evacuating cylinders before disposal. Refrigerant distributors, wholesalers, and reclaimers are required to begin recordkeeping of refrigerant received or distributed, and only sell refrigerants to certified technicians or their employers. 

For complete details on all the requirements please visit the Air Resources Board website or call (916) 324-2517.

State’s Proposed Wetlands Policy/Regulations

The State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) has released a Notice of Preparation (NOP) for the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the State Board’s implementation of the first phase of the Stream and Wetland Protection Policy. This phase is focused on dredge and fill of waters and wetlands no longer covered by the Federal Clean Water Act. 

According to the notification, comments are due by Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 12 noon. In addition, there will be two hearings/scoping sessions.

• January 31, 2011 from 1:30-4:00 at the Cal EPA Bldg in Sacramento.
• February 8, 2011 from 10-12:30 at the San Diego RWQCB offices.

Details regarding the CEQA NOP, the CEQA Initial Study, and exact addresses for the hearings are available on the State Board’s website.