BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1062
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ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB
1062 (Bonta)
As Amended April 7, 2015
Majority vote
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|Committee |Votes |Ayes |Noes |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+--------------------+----------------------|
|Natural |9-0 |Williams, Dahle, | |
|Resources | | | |
| | | | |
| | |Cristina Garcia, | |
| | |Hadley, Harper, | |
| | |McCarty, Rendon, | |
| | |Mark Stone, Wood | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+--------------------+----------------------|
|Appropriations |17-0 |Gomez, Bigelow, | |
| | |Bonta, Calderon, | |
| | |Chang, Daly, | |
| | |Eggman, Gallagher, | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | |Eduardo Garcia, | |
| | |Gordon, Holden, | |
| | |Jones, Quirk, | |
| | |Rendon, Wagner, | |
| | |Weber, Wood | |
| | | | |
AB 1062
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| | | | |
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SUMMARY: Specifies that physical projects that improve the
environment or the environmental health of a community, or that
address a specific environmental justice need are eligible for
grants awarded from the Environmental Justice Small Grant Program
(Program) and increases the total grant program from up to $1.5
million to not less than $5 million annually. Specifically, this
bill:
1)Allows grants awarded under the Program to include physical
projects, including planning, engineering and construction,
monitoring or filtering technology, and environmental
assessments that improve the environment or the environmental
health of the community, or that address a specific
environmental justice need.
2)Requires the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA)
to expend not less than $5 million per year for environmental
justice grants. Requires each board, department, or office
within CalEPA to allocate appropriated funds from special funds,
settlements, and penalties to implement this program.
EXISTING LAW establishes the Program to provide grants to eligible
community groups that are located in areas adversely affected by
environmental pollution and hazards and that are involved in work
to address environmental justice issues.
1)Grants are awarded on a competitive basis for projects that are
based in communities with the most significant exposure to
pollution. They are limited to purposes of resolving
environmental problems through information, improving
coordination among public agencies and stakeholders, expanding
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community understanding about environmental issues, developing
guidance on environmental risks, promoting community
involvement, and using data to enhance community understanding
and decision-making.
2)Grants cannot be used for other state grant programs, lobbying
or advocacy activities, litigation, funding of lawsuits, or for
opposing technical assessments prepared by a public agency.
3)The maximum amount of a grant shall not exceed $50,000, and the
Secretary for CalEPA can expend up to $1.5 million per year for
the program.
4)Authorizes CalEPA to allocate funds from various special funds,
settlements, and penalties to implement the Program.
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, 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: 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%). Throughout California,
people of color face a 50% higher risk of cancer from ambient
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concentrations of air pollutants listed under the Clean Air Act.
These impacts are felt by all Californians. 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.
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.
In 2012, SB 535 (De León), 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 on areas that are in the greatest need of
assistance.
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. 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
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include:
1)Improve access to safe and clean water;
2)Reduce potential for exposure to pesticides and toxic chemicals;
3)Promote community capacity building and improve communities' and
tribes' understanding of the technical and procedural aspects of
environmental decision making;
4)Promote the development of community-based research that
protects and enhances public health and the environment; and,
5)Address cumulative impacts through collaboration between
community-based organizations and local governments.
This bill provides increased funding for the Program by requiring
the boards, departments, and offices within CalEPA to contribute.
This bill also adds one grant objective to the program:
implementation of physical projects that address environmental
justice issues, such as planning for open-space in park-poor areas
or installation of air filters to address poor air quality.
Analysis Prepared by:
Elizabeth MacMillan / NAT. RES. / (916) 319-2092
FN:
0000682
AB 1062
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