BILL NUMBER: AB 576 AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 24, 2007 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 12, 2007 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Members Carter, Bass, Davis, Dymally, Price, Richardson, and Swanson (Principal coauthors: Senators Florez, Ridley-Thomas, and Vincent) (Coauthors: Assembly Members Beall, Coto, De Leon, Huffman, Krekorian, Lieu, Parra,and PortantinoPortantino, Salas, Torrico, and Wolk ) (Coauthor: Senator Kehoe) FEBRUARY 21, 2007 An act to add Section 5001.67 to the Public Resources Code, relating to state parks, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 576, as amended, Carter. Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park: proximity to animal feeding operations. Existing law provides for a state park system of which the Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park in Tulare County is a unit. This bill would prohibit a person from having an animal feeding operation, or a concentrated animal feeding operationproject site, within 2.5 miles of the boundary of Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park in Tulare County. This prohibition would not apply to an existing animal feeding operation or concentrated animal feeding operation project site in Tulare County. The bill would make legislative findings as to the necessity of a special statute. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute. Vote: 2/3. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) It is important that the state's natural resources, including state parks and other places of ecological, cultural, and historical significance, be protected. (b) The location of an animal feeding operation or concentrated animal feeding operation in proximity to a state park presents a danger to the public health and safety, because of the potential harm to groundwater and the creation of a nuisance from the resulting stench and insects. (c) The planned location of animal feeding operations or concentrated animal feeding operations in proximity to Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park in Tulare County presents an incompatible land use. These facilities would be directly adjacent to the Department of Parks and Recreation's Allensworth Ecological Reserve and associated mitigation parcels, and just south of the Pixley National Wildlife Refuge. The facilities are likely to take state and federally listed species of special concern and concern. There is likely to be degradation of groundwater that may be hydrologically and hydraulically connected to surface waters, wetlands, or riparian habitat, due to the very shallow first encounter groundwater and the salts, nitrates, and other constituents of concern of the over 16,000 dairy cows. SEC. 2. Section 5001.67 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read: 5001.67. (a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply: (1) "Animal feeding operation" means the same as defined in Section 122.23(b)(1) of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations. (2) "Concentrated animal feeding operation" means the same as defined in Section 122.23(b)(2) of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations. (b) A person shall not have an animal feeding operation or a concentrated animal feeding operation project site within two and one-half miles of the boundary of Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park in Tulare County. (c) This section does not apply to an existing animal feeding operationproject siteor concentrated animal feeding operation in Tulare County. SEC. 3. The Legislature finds and declares that a special law is necessary and that a general law cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution as a result of the planned location of confined animal facilities within proximity to Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park in Tulare County.SEC. 3.SEC. 4. This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are: In order to prevent a danger to the public health and safety and abate the creation of a nuisance from the location of animal feeding operations or concentrated animal feeding operations in proximity to the boundary of Colonel Allensworth State Historical Park in Tulare County as soon as possible, it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.SEC. 4.The Legislature finds and declares that a special law is necessary and that a general law cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution as a result of the planned location of confined animal facilities within proximity to Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park in Tulare County.