Storm Water MS4 Permit

The State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board) is in the process of updating the Small Municipal Separate Storm Water System (MS4) Permit. The new proposed permit applies to additional entities than the previous version. For example, the proposed permit adds small towns and census-designated places (CDP) due to high growth rates or potential impacts on endangered species to the covered entities. The Water Board will receive comments on the draft Tentative Order for the Phase II Small MS4 General Permit. Written comments must be received by 12:00 noon on Monday, August 8, 2011. For more information, please visit the Water Board’s website.

California Plant Pest Prevention & Management Program

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is announcing a Notice of Preparation for the Statewide Plant Prevention and Management Program Environmental Impact Report. 

According to CDFA, the EIR is a crucial step to carry out the responsibility to protect the state’s food supply and natural resources, upon which Californians and many throughout the nation and world depend. Responding to invasive species such as plant pests and diseases is one of the primary ways that CDFA helps farmers and ranchers maintain a constant, dependable and safe supply of food. 

CDFA is announcing public meetings to receive agency and public comments on the scope and content of the EIR. To view more information and upcoming dates for CDFA’s public meetings, please visit the CDFA website.

Solid Waste

AB 1178 (Ma) – Neutral
As Amended June 22, 2011

AB 1178, by Assembly Member Fiona Ma, was recently amended to address local government’s concerns. As previously reported, AB 1178 would restrict the ability of local governments to impose a solid waste import ban based on the origination of that solid waste into privately-owned landfills. 

After significant negotiations with CSAC and the Regional Council of Rural Counties (RCRC), the author has agreed to accept our amendments that address the following: 

• Clarification that publicly-owned landfills are exempt from an importation ban;
• For private landfills, existing agreements and/or existing permit conditions must be allowed to continue reserved capacity for the host jurisdiction(s); and,
• Preserve county’s land-use authority to require conditions upon private landfills.

CSAC and RCRC have reserved the right to revisit our position if any additional amendments erode the compromise we made with the author. This bill will be heard in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee on July 6, 2011. Click here to view a copy of the CSAC/ RCRC letter.

Climate Change – Sea Level Rise

AB 752 (Brownley) – Oppose
As Amended May 27, 2011

AB 752, by Assembly Member Julia Brownley, would require a local trustee of granted public trust lands to give management priority to, and take all reasonable actions that are necessary for, the preparation of a sea level action plan for all of its granted public trust lands by July 1, 2013, if the land’s gross revenues exceed $250,000. CSAC is opposed to this bill because it would impose additional, disjointed planning requirements on local agencies. CSAC believes that in order to adequately and cost-effectively prepare for the effects of climate change, planning needs to be done in a coordinated fashion. Developing a sea level rise action plan for one swath of land and not another based on its status of a land in the public trust does not accomplish the ultimate goal of disaster preparedness. This bill will be heard in the Senate Natural Resources & Water Committee on June 28, 2011.

Weights & Measures

SB 744 (Wyland) – Oppose
As Amended May 3, 2011

SB 744, by Senator Mark Wyland, passed out of Assembly Business, Professions & Consumer Protections this week. This bill would change the legal requirement that only licensed sealers of weights and measures, or licensed service agents can test and place into commercial service a weighing, measuring, or counting device, with particular reference to water sub-meters. SB 744 would instead provide that “any water sub-meter tested by a test bench that is regularly calibrated by a cross-check measure shall be deemed to be tested and sealed and approved for commercial use.” CSAC is opposed to this bill because we feel that allowing manufacturers to test and seal their own devices would allow for inaccurate and incorrect devices to be placed into commercial service.