BILL NUMBER: AB 646 CHAPTERED 10/13/07 CHAPTER 604 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE OCTOBER 13, 2007 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR OCTOBER 13, 2007 PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 30, 2007 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY MAY 10, 2007 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Wolk FEBRUARY 21, 2007 An act to amend Section 2715.5 of the Public Resources Code, relating to public resources. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 646, Wolk. Public resources: Cache Creek Resource Management Plan. (1) The Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1975, governs surface mining operations and reclamation of mined lands, and provides, among other things, for the submission of reclamation plans to, and issuance of permits by, lead agencies to persons engaging in surface mining operations. Until December 31, 2008, a site specific plan in conjunction and consistent with the Cache Creek Resource Management Plan is to be considered a functional equivalent of a reclamation plan for purposes of the act. The board of supervisors of the county in which the Cache Creek Resource Management Plan is to be implemented are required, until December 31, 2008, to prepare and forward to the Director of Conservation annually a report containing specified information relating to mining operations. This bill would extend these provisions until December 31, 2012. By extending the duties of the board of supervisors of the county in which the Cache Creek Resource Management Plan is to be implemented, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 2715.5 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read: 2715.5. (a) The Cache Creek Resource Management Plan, in conjunction with a site specific plan deemed consistent by the lead agency with the Cache Creek Resource Management Plan, until December 31, 2012, shall be considered to be a functional equivalent of a reclamation plan for the purposes of this chapter. No other reclamation plan shall be required to be reviewed and approved for any excavation project subject to the Cache Creek Resource Management Plan that is conducted in conformance with an approved site specific plan that is consistent with the Cache Creek Resource Management Plan, and the standards specified in that plan governing erosion control, channel stabilization, habitat restoration, flood control, or infrastructure maintenance, if that plan is reviewed and approved by a lead agency pursuant to this chapter. (b) For purposes of this section, the board of supervisors of the county in which the Cache Creek Resource Management Plan is to be implemented shall prepare and file the annual report required to be prepared pursuant to Section 2207. (c) Nothing in this section precludes an enforcement action by the board or the department brought pursuant to this chapter or Section 2207 if the lead agency or the director determines that a surface mining operator, acting under the authority of the Cache Creek Resource Management Plan, is not in compliance with the requirements of this chapter or Section 2207. (d) "Site specific plan," for the purposes of this section, means an individual project plan approved by the lead agency that is consistent with the Cache Creek Resource Management Plan. Site specific plans prepared in conformance with the Cache Creek Resource Management Plan shall, at a minimum, include the information required pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 2772, shall comply with the requirements of Article 9 (commencing with Section 3700) of Subchapter 1 of Chapter 8 of Division 2 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, and shall be provided along with a financial assurance estimate to the department for review and comment pursuant to Section 2774. Notwithstanding the number of days authorized by paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) of Section 2774, the department shall review the site specific plan and the financial assurance estimate and prepare any written comments within 15 days from the date of receipt of the plan and the estimate. (e) Prior to engaging in an excavation activity in conformance with the Cache Creek Resource Management Plan, a surface mining operation shall be required to obtain financial assurances that meet the requirements of Section 2773.1. (f) This section shall not become operative until the date the State Mining and Geology Board notifies the Secretary of State in writing that the board has approved an ordinance adopted by the Board of Supervisors for the County of Yolo that governs in-channel noncommercial extraction activities carried out pursuant to the Cache Creek Resources Management Plan. (g) This section shall remain in effect only until December 31, 2012, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute that is enacted before December 31, 2012, deletes or extends that date. SEC. 2. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because a local agency or school district has the authority to levy service charges, fees, or assessments sufficient to pay for the program or level of service mandated by this act, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code.