BILL NUMBER: AB 2720 CHAPTERED 07/18/08 CHAPTER 148 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE JULY 18, 2008 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR JULY 18, 2008 PASSED THE SENATE JUNE 23, 2008 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY JUNE 30, 2008 AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 9, 2008 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 30, 2008 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 3, 2008 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Levine FEBRUARY 22, 2008 An act to amend Sections 21151.4 and 21151.8 of the Public Resources Code, relating to the environment. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2720, Levine. Environment: environmental impact report. (1) The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency to prepare, or cause to be prepared by contract, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment, or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA prohibits an environmental impact report or negative declaration from being approved for any project involving the purchase of a schoolsite or the construction of a new elementary or secondary school by a school district unless specified conditions are met. CEQA further provides that, if a school district, as the lead agency, has carried out a specified consultation, the environmental impact report or the negative declaration shall be conclusively presumed to comply with those conditions, notwithstanding any failure of the consultation to identify an existing facility or other pollution source, as specified. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes in these provisions and would revise a cross-reference. (2) CEQA prohibits the certification of an environmental impact report or the approval of a negative declaration for a project involving the construction or alteration of a facility within 1/4 of a mile from a school that might reasonably be anticipated to emit hazardous air emissions or a mixture containing extremely hazardous substances that may pose a health or safety hazard to persons who would attend or would be employed at the school unless a specified event occurs. This bill would define "hazardous air emissions" and "extremely hazardous substances" for the purposes of that provision. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 21151.4 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read: 21151.4. (a) An environmental impact report shall not be certified or a negative declaration shall not be approved for any project involving the construction or alteration of a facility within one-fourth of a mile of a school that might reasonably be anticipated to emit hazardous air emissions, or that would handle an extremely hazardous substance or a mixture containing extremely hazardous substances in a quantity equal to or greater than the state threshold quantity specified pursuant to subdivision (j) of Section 25532 of the Health and Safety Code, that may pose a health or safety hazard to persons who would attend or would be employed at the school, unless both of the following occur: (1) The lead agency preparing the environmental impact report or negative declaration has consulted with the school district having jurisdiction regarding the potential impact of the project on the school. (2) The school district has been given written notification of the project not less than 30 days prior to the proposed certification of the environmental impact report or approval of the negative declaration. (b) As used in this section, the following definitions apply: (1) "Extremely hazardous substance" means an extremely hazardous substance as defined pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (g) of Section 25532 of the Health and Safety Code. (2) "Hazardous air emissions" means emissions into the ambient air of air contaminants that have been identified as a toxic air contaminant by the State Air Resources Board or by the air pollution control officer for the jurisdiction in which the project is located. As determined by the air pollution control officer, hazardous air emissions also means emissions into the ambient air of a substance identified in subdivisions (a) to (f), inclusive, of Section 44321 of the Health and Safety Code. SEC. 2. Section 21151.8 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read: 21151.8. (a) An environmental impact report shall not be certified or a negative declaration shall not be approved for a project involving the purchase of a schoolsite or the construction of a new elementary or secondary school by a school district unless all of the following occur: (1) The environmental impact report or negative declaration includes information that is needed to determine if the property proposed to be purchased, or to be constructed upon, is any of the following: (A) The site of a current or former hazardous waste disposal site or solid waste disposal site and, if so, whether the wastes have been removed. (B) A hazardous substance release site identified by the Department of Toxic Substances Control in a current list adopted pursuant to Section 25356 of the Health and Safety Code for removal or remedial action pursuant to Chapter 6.8 (commencing with Section 25300) of Division 20 of the Health and Safety Code. (C) A site that contains one or more pipelines, situated underground or aboveground, that carries hazardous substances, extremely hazardous substances, or hazardous wastes, unless the pipeline is a natural gas line that is used only to supply natural gas to that school or neighborhood, or other nearby schools. (D) A site that is within 500 feet of the edge of the closest traffic lane of a freeway or other busy traffic corridor. (2) (A) The school district, as the lead agency, in preparing the environmental impact report or negative declaration has notified in writing and consulted with the administering agency in which the proposed schoolsite is located, pursuant to Section 2735.3 of Title 19 of the California Code of Regulations, and with any air pollution control district or air quality management district having jurisdiction in the area, to identify both permitted and nonpermitted facilities within that district's authority, including, but not limited to, freeways and busy traffic corridors, large agricultural operations, and railyards, within one-fourth of a mile of the proposed schoolsite, that might reasonably be anticipated to emit hazardous emissions or handle hazardous or extremely hazardous substances or waste. The notification by the school district, as the lead agency, shall include a list of the locations for which information is sought. (B) Each administering agency, air pollution control district, or air quality management district receiving written notification from a lead agency to identify facilities pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall provide the requested information and provide a written response to the lead agency within 30 days of receiving the notification. The environmental impact report or negative declaration shall be conclusively presumed to comply with subparagraph (A) as to the area of responsibility of an agency that does not respond within 30 days. (C) If the school district, as a lead agency, has carried out the consultation required by subparagraph (A), the environmental impact report or the negative declaration shall be conclusively presumed to comply with subparagraph (A), notwithstanding any failure of the consultation to identify an existing facility or other pollution source specified in subparagraph (A). (3) The governing board of the school district makes one of the following written findings: (A) Consultation identified no facilities of this type or other significant pollution sources specified in paragraph (2). (B) The facilities or other pollution sources specified in paragraph (2) exist, but one of the following conditions applies: (i) The health risks from the facilities or other pollution sources do not and will not constitute an actual or potential endangerment of public health to persons who would attend or be employed at the proposed school. (ii) Corrective measures required under an existing order by another agency having jurisdiction over the facilities or other pollution sources will, before the school is occupied, result in the mitigation of all chronic or accidental hazardous air emissions to levels that do not constitute an actual or potential endangerment of public health to persons who would attend or be employed at the proposed school. If the governing board makes a finding pursuant to this clause, it shall also make a subsequent finding, prior to occupancy of the school, that the emissions have been so mitigated. (iii) For a schoolsite with a boundary that is within 500 feet of the edge of the closest traffic lane of a freeway or other busy traffic corridor, the governing board of the school district determines, through analysis pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 44360 of the Health and Safety Code, based on appropriate air dispersion modeling, and after considering any potential mitigation measures, that the air quality at the proposed site is such that neither short-term nor long-term exposure poses significant health risks to pupils. (C) The facilities or other pollution sources specified in paragraph (2) exist, but conditions in clause (i), (ii), or (iii) of subparagraph (B) cannot be met, and the school district is unable to locate an alternative site that is suitable due to a severe shortage of sites that meet the requirements in subdivision (a) of Section 17213 of the Education Code. If the governing board makes this finding, the governing board shall adopt a statement of overriding considerations pursuant to Section 15093 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations. (b) As used in this section, the following definitions shall apply: (1) "Hazardous substance" means any substance defined in Section 25316 of the Health and Safety Code. (2) "Extremely hazardous substances" means an extremely hazardous substance as defined pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (g) of Section 25532 of the Health and Safety Code. (3) "Hazardous waste" means any waste defined in Section 25117 of the Health and Safety Code. (4) "Hazardous waste disposal site" means any site defined in Section 25114 of the Health and Safety Code. (5) "Hazardous air emissions" means emissions into the ambient air of air contaminants that have been identified as a toxic air contaminant by the State Air Resources Board or by the air pollution control officer for the jurisdiction in which the project is located. As determined by the air pollution control officer, hazardous air emissions also means emissions into the ambient air from any substances identified in subdivisions (a) to (f), inclusive, of Section 44321 of the Health and Safety Code. (6) "Administering agency" means an agency authorized pursuant to Section 25502 of the Health and Safety Code to implement and enforce Chapter 6.95 (commencing with Section 25500) of Division 20 of the Health and Safety Code. (7) "Handle" means handle as defined in Article 1 (commencing with Section 25500) of Chapter 6.95 of Division 20 of the Health and Safety Code. (8) "Facilities" means any source with a potential to use, generate, emit, or discharge hazardous air pollutants, including, but not limited to, pollutants that meet the definition of a hazardous substance, and whose process or operation is identified as an emission source pursuant to the most recent list of source categories published by the California Air Resources Board. (9) "Freeway or other busy traffic corridors" means those roadways that, on an average day, have traffic in excess of 50,000 vehicles in a rural area, as defined in Section 50101 of the Health and Safety Code, and 100,000 vehicles in an urban area, as defined in Section 50104.7 of the Health and Safety Code.