AB 1496, as amended, Thurmond. Methane emissions.
begin insertThe California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 establishes the State Air Resources Board as the state agency responsible for monitoring and regulating sources emitting greenhouse gases. Existing law requires the state board to complete a comprehensive strategy to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants, as defined, in the state.
end insertbegin insertThis bill would require the state board to take specified actions and conduct specified analyses with respect to methane emissions.
end insert(1) Existing law generally vests the State Air Resources Board with the primary responsibility for the control of vehicular air pollution, and air pollution control and air quality management districts with the primary responsibility for the control of air pollution from all sources other than vehicular sources.
end deleteThis bill would require the state board, in consultation with the air districts, to adopt a program to measure, monitor, regulate, and reduce emissions of methane.
end delete(2) Existing law makes a violation of any rule, regulation, or order of the state board or an air district a misdemeanor. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
end deleteThe 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.
end deleteThis bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
end deleteVote: majority.
Appropriation: no.
Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: begin deleteyes end deletebegin insertnoend insert.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
begin insertThe Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:end insert
3(a) Methane is a gas that is emitted from both natural and
4human sources. Its concentration in the global atmosphere has
5more than doubled since the beginning of the industrial revolution.
6Methane is a short-lived climate pollutant with a lifetime of only
7about 12 years when released into the atmosphere. It is an
8extremely potent greenhouse gas, with 20 to 30 times the warming
9power
of carbon dioxide over a 100-year period and more than
1080 times over a 20-year period.
11(b) The life-cycle greenhouse gas emission from the drilling,
12production, and transportation of natural gas can result in methane
13leaks, and there is a need for much better information on the
14life-cycle methane emissions resulting from California’s imports
15of natural gas.
16(c) Recent satellite studies have shown methane hot spots in the
17San Joaquin Valley and higher levels of emissions than were
18previously estimated from the principal sources of methane in
19California. There is an urgent need to improve the monitoring and
20measurement of methane emissions from the major sources in
21
California.
begin insertSection 39731 is added to the end insertbegin insertHealth and Safety Codeend insertbegin insert,
23to read:end insert
The state board shall do all of the following:
25(a) Undertake, in consultation with districts that monitor
26methane, monitoring and measurements of high-emission methane
P3 1hot spots in the state using the best available scientific and
2technical methods.
3(b) Carry out a life-cycle greenhouse gas emission analysis of
4natural gas produced and imported into the state using the best
5available scientific and technical methods.
6(c) Update greenhouse gas emission factors for electric
7generation with natural gas and the use of natural gas as a
8transportation fuel.
9(d) Review, in
consultation with independent scientific experts,
10the most recent available scientific data and reports on the
11atmospheric reactivity of methane as a precursor to the formation
12of photochemical oxidants and evaluate whether methane should
13be reclassified as a contributor to the formation of air pollution.
Article 10 (commencing with Section 42100) is
15added to Chapter 3 of Part 4 of Division 26 of the Health and Safety
16Code, to read:
17
No later than January 1, 2017, the state board, in
21consultation with the districts, shall adopt a program to measure,
22monitor, regulate, and reduce emissions of methane in order to
23protect air quality and public health and reduce global warming.
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
25Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because
26the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school
27district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or
28infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty
29for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of
30the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within
31the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California
32Constitution.
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