BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1059
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB
1059 (Eduardo Garcia)
As Introduced February 26, 2015
Majority vote
--------------------------------------------------------------------
|Committee |Votes |Ayes |Noes |
|----------------+------+-----------------------+--------------------|
|Environmental |7-0 |Alejo, Dahle, | |
|Safety | |Gallagher, Gonzalez, | |
| | |Gray, McCarty, Ting | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+-----------------------+--------------------|
|Appropriations |17-0 |Gomez, Bigelow, Bloom, | |
| | |Bonta, Calderon, | |
| | |Chang, Daly, Eggman, | |
| | |Gallagher, Eduardo | |
| | |Garcia, Holden, Jones, | |
| | |Quirk, Rendon, Wagner, | |
| | |Weber, Wood | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
--------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Requires the addition of border environmental health
data in the California Communities Environmental Health Screening
Tool (CalEnviroScreen 2.0) program. Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires the Office of Environmental Health and Hazard
Assessment (OEHHA) to update its CalEnviroScreen 2.0 tool by
using any relevant environmental data relating to known impacts
AB 1059
Page 2
of air pollution, water pollution, and toxic sites on the
environmental quality of the communities in the
California-Mexico border region.
2)Requires OEHHA to make a report to the Legislature at the
earlier of next update of the tool or by January 1, 2017, on any
barriers to accessing the data.
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, absorbable additional costs, if any.
COMMENTS:
Need for the bill: According to the author, "The levels of air
pollution in the border region cannot be accurately assessed
without additional air quality monitoring in the area. This
current lack of reliable information may impact funding for
pollution reduction from carbon fees implemented in AB 32
[(Núñez), Chapter 488, Statutes of 2006]."
Investing in priority community investments areas and most
impacted and disadvantaged communities: SB 535 (De León), Chapter
830, Statutes of 2012, required California Environmental
Protection Agency (CalEPA) to identify disadvantaged communities
for investment opportunities using the Greenhouse Gas Reduction
Fund (GHGR Fund). Pursuant to this requirement, OEHHA has
developed the CalEnviroScreen that will use existing
environmental, health, and socioeconomic data to determine the
extent to which communities across the state are burdened by and
vulnerable to pollution. Current law provides for the allocations
for GHGR Fund investments in projects within priority community
investment areas if certain investment levels related to those
communities are not met. A minimum of 10% of revenues deposited
into the GHGR Fund is required to be allocated to fund programs or
projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions or mitigate direct
health impacts of climate change in the "most impacted and
AB 1059
Page 3
disadvantaged communities" in California.
According to OEHHA, CalEnviroScreen 2.0 is primarily designed to
assist CalEPA in carrying out its environmental justice mission to
conduct its activities in a manner that ensures the fair treatment
of all Californians, including minority and low-income
populations.
CalEnviroScreen and border health concerns: Areas of concerns or
gaps in the data used by CalEnviroScreen 2.0 that may need to be
addressed include how pollution originating in Mexico contributes
to the pollution burden in census tracts along the
California-Mexico border. Some of the specific areas of concern
include:
1)Air monitoring data for ozone and particulate matter (PM) 2.5
from Mexico may be needed to account for the air quality impacts
on United States (U.S.) border communities;
2)Diesel particulate matter impacts from idling trucks at the
border crossings;
3)Traffic density measurement from roads in Mexico in close
proximity to communities along the U.S.-Mexico border; and
4)Toxic releases and hazardous waste from Mexican facilities in
proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border and their potential for
adverse effects.
The California State Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic
Materials (ESTM) Committee hearings on cross border river water
quality: On March 19, 2015, and March 20, 2015, the ESTM
Committee held a two-part series of hearings in Southern
California focusing on California's role in managing binational
AB 1059
Page 4
river water quality issues and on ensuring that border
communities, especially disadvantaged communities, are not left
behind in water quality restoration efforts. The first hearings
focused on the progress and challenges facing the Tijuana and the
New River restoration efforts.
Analysis Prepared by:
Bob Fredenburg / E.S. & T.M. / (916) 319-3965 FN:
0000230