Solid Waste

SB 498 (Lara) – Support
As Amended June 26, 2014

SB 498, by Senator Ricardo Lara, is the CSAC/ LA County co-sponsored measure on conversion technology. The bill passed out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee this week and will be heard on the Assembly floor in the coming weeks. As you may recall, this bill would expand the biomass definition to include non-combustion thermal conversion technology facilities that utilize biomass feedstock and makes them eligible for the same incentives and regulatory certainty provided to traditional combustion facilities. In addition, SB 498 allows biomass facilities to produce fuels in addition to electricity and includes reporting requirements for all biomass facilities. 

CEQA

SB 674 (Corbett) – Support
As Amended January 6, 2014

SB 674, by Senator Ellen Corbett, passed out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee this week. SB 674 bill would make a simple change to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) infill exemption. In 2002, SB 1925 (Sher) created a number of new provisions to encourage the development of affordable housing for agricultural workers, as well as infill projects in urbanized areas. Included in these provisions was the infill exemption for housing projects that meet certain size and location criteria, as well as relying on a specified level of previously adopted environmental review. The approved criteria also allowed for the inclusion of a limited amount of neighborhood-serving goods, services and retail uses up to 15% of the total floor area. This bill would simply increase the current maximum total floor area from 15% to 25% maximum of the total building square footage. Counties have been unable to use this tool in the past because the criteria are too stringent to be realistically implemented. This bill would help counties take advantage of this tool, making the exemption more feasible for smart growth projects.

Oil Spill Prevention & Response 

SB 1319 (Pavley) – Support if Amended
As Amended August 4, 2014

SB 1319, by Senator Fran Pavely, would make a number of changes to planning, inspection and notification efforts related to oil spill prevention and response. 

Specifically, the bill would expand the regional and local planning element of the California oil spill contingency plan to include the identification and mitigation of public health and safety impacts from an oil spill in waters of the state, and would require Cal EPA and OES to review the plans for facilities and local governments located outside of the coastal zone. The bill also includes language that would authorize the disclosure of specified information regarding transport activities by major oil producers, oil transporters and refineries, and would expand inspections of rail bridges, grade crossing and loading and unloading facilities. This bill will be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee next week.