BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1062
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Date of Hearing: April 29, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
1062 (Bonta) - As Amended April 7, 2015
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable:
SUMMARY:
This bill increases the total Environmental Justice Small Grant
Program (Program) from up to $1.5 million to not less than $5
million annually and requires each board, department or office
within CalEPA to allocate appropriated funds from special funds,
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settlements and penalties to implement the Program.
Additionally, this bill allows grants awarded under the Program
to include physical projects to improve the environment or
environmental health of a community or address a specific
environmental justice need.
FISCAL EFFECT:
Increased costs of up to $5 million annually from various
special funds, settlements and penalties within CalEPA and its
constituent boards, offices and departments.
CalEPA awarded $540,000 in its most recent round of Program
grants. Existing law authorizes CalEPA to spend up to $1.5
million per year but does not require it.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. According to the author, this bill will ensure
Environmental Justice Small Grants will be continuously
funded by requiring the Boards, Departments and Agencies to
contribute a total of $5 million to the Program annually.
2)Background. According to the Office of Environmental Health
Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), approximately 8 million
Californians (21%) live in zip codes that are considered
"highly impacted" by environmental, public health, and
socioeconomic stressors. Nearly half of all Californians live
within six miles of a facility that is a significant
greenhouse gas emitter (46%), but they are disproportionately
people of color (62%).
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Throughout California, people of color face a 50% higher risk
of cancer from ambient concentrations of air pollutants listed
under the Clean Air Act. The Air Resources Board estimates
that air pollution exposure accounts for 19,000 premature
deaths, 280,000 cases of asthma, and 1.9 million lost work
days every year.
3)The Program. CalEPA Environmental Justice Small Grants,
established in 2002, are available to help eligible non-profit
community groups/organizations and federally recognized Tribal
governments address environmental justice issues in areas
adversely affected by environmental pollution and hazards. In
2013, $249,175 was awarded through Environmental Justice Small
Grants projects. In 2014-15 $540,000 was awarded.
A minimum of $250,000 in grant funds was made available for
the 2015/2016 grant cycle. SB 861 (Budget and Fiscal Review),
Chapter 35, Statutes of 2014, increased the maximum grant from
$20,000 to $50,000 and authorized CalEPA to expend up to $1.5
million annually for the program. The stated goals of the
program include:
a. Improve access to safe and clean water;
b. Reduce potential for exposure to pesticides and
toxic chemicals;
c. Promote community capacity building and improve
communities' and tribes' understanding of the technical
and procedural aspects of environmental decision making;
d. Promote the development of community-based research
that protects and enhances public health and the
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environment; and,
e. Address cumulative impact through collaboration
between community-based organizations and local
government.
This bill adds the implementation of physical projects such as
planning for open-space in park poor areas or the installation
of air filters to address poor air quality to the list of
objectives.
4)Environmental Justice. Environmental justice is the fair
treatment of people of all races, cultures, and incomes with
respect to the development, adoption, implementation, and
enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
SB 89 (Escutia), Chapter 728, Statutes of 2000, required CalEPA
to convene the Environmental Justice Working Group and develop
an agency-wide environmental justice strategy. Follow-up
legislation, SB 828 (Alarcon), Chapter 765, Statutes of 2001,
established a timeline for these requirements and required
CalEPA to update its report to the Legislature every three
years. In October of 2004, CalEPA released its Environmental
Justice Action Plan.
In 2012, SB 535 (De Leon), Chapter 830 required CalEPA to
identify disadvantaged communities for investment
opportunities using the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.
Pursuant to this requirement, OEHHA has developed the
California Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool
(CalEnviroScreen) that uses existing environmental, health,
and socioeconomic data to determine the extent to which
communities across the state are burdened by and vulnerable to
pollution. OEHHA states that the results generated by
CalEnviroScreen are not intended to assign responsibility for
any issues identified. The intent is to provide information
that enables the state to focus time, resources, and programs
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on areas that are in the greatest need of assistance.
5)The CalEPA Environmental Justice Small Grant Program was
established to provide grants to eligible community groups
that are located in areas adversely affected by environmental
pollution and hazards. Grants are awarded on a competitive
basis and are limited to purposes of resolving environmental
problems through information, improving coordination among
public agencies and stakeholders, expanding community
understanding about environmental issues, developing guidance
on environmental risks, promoting community involvement, and
using data to enhance community understanding and
decision-making.
Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916)
319-2081
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