BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1496
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CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB
1496 (Thurmond)
As Amended September 4, 2015
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |57-18 |(June 2, 2015) |SENATE: |25-14 |(September 9, |
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Original Committee Reference: NAT. RES.
SUMMARY: Requires the California Air Resources Board (ARB) to
1) monitor high-emission methane hot-spots in the state, 2)
consult with specified entities to gather information for
purposes of carrying out life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions analyses of natural gas imports, 3) update relevant
policies and programs based on those updated life-cycle
analyses, and 4) review scientific information on atmospheric
reactivity of methane as a precursor to the formation of
photochemical oxidants.
The Senate amendments:
1)Require monitoring and measurements of high-emission methane
hot spots in the state by ARB be cost-effective.
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2)Require ARB to consult with federal and state agencies,
independent scientific experts, and any other appropriate
entities to gather or acquire the necessary information for
the purpose of carrying out a life-cycle GHG emission analysis
of natural gas produced and imported into the state.
3)Remove requirement that ARB update GHG emission factors for
electric generation with natural gas and the use of natural
gas as a transportation fuel.
4)Remove evaluation of whether methane should be reclassified as
a contributor to the formation of air pollution.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Requires ARB, pursuant to California Global Warming Solutions
Act of 2006, AB 32 (Núñez), Chapter 488, Statutes of 2006, to
adopt regulations to achieve maximum technologically feasible
and cost-effective reductions in emissions of greenhouse
gases, including methane.
2)Requires ARB to complete a comprehensive strategy to reduce
emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs), including
methane, by January 1, 2016.
3)Designates ARB as the air pollution control agency responsible
for the coordination of the activities of air pollution
control districts and air quality management districts for the
purposes of the federal Clean Air Act.
4)Requires air districts to adopt and enforce rules and
regulations to achieve and maintain the state and federal
ambient air quality standards in all areas affected by
non-vehicular emission sources under their jurisdiction.
5)Generally prohibits a person from discharging air contaminants
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or other material that cause injury, detriment, nuisance, or
annoyance or endanger the comfort, repose, health or safety to
any considerable number of persons, or to the public, or that
cause, or have a tendency to cause injury or damage to a
business or property.
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee:
1)Ongoing annual staffing costs of $350,000 and a $700,000
contract with the Jet Propulsion Lab to the Cost of
Implementation Account (special) to identify and monitor
high-emission methane hot spots.
2)Ongoing annual staffing costs of $350,000 and a $150,000
contract to the Cost of Implementation Account (special) to
conduct a life-cycle GHG emission analysis of natural gas
produced in and imported into the state.
COMMENTS: As part of AB 32's direction that ARB adopt a
statewide GHG emissions limit equivalent to 1990 levels by 2020
and adopt regulations to achieve maximum technologically
feasible and cost-effective GHG emission reductions, AB 32
requires ARB to prepare and approve a scoping plan at five-year
intervals.
The first AB 32 scoping plan, adopted by ARB in 2008, described
the specific measures ARB and others must take to reduce
statewide GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. In May 2014,
ARB adopted a scoping plan update. The scoping plan update
discusses the objective of achieving an 80% reduction by 2050
and the need for a midterm target, but does not propose or adopt
a specific target. According to ARB, the update defines ARB's
climate change priorities for the next five years and sets the
groundwork to reach California's long-term climate goals. Among
its provisions, the update commits ARB to develop a SLCP
strategy by 2015 that will include an inventory of sources and
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emissions, the identification of additional research needs, and
a plan for developing SLCP control measures. SB 605 (Lara),
Chapter 523, Statutes of 2014, requires ARB to complete a
comprehensive SLCP strategy by January 1, 2016.
Methane is a gas that is emitted from both natural and human
sources. Its concentration in the global atmosphere has more
than doubled since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.
Methane is a SLCP with a lifetime of only about 12 years when
released into the atmosphere. It is an extremely potent GHG,
with 20 to 30 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over a
100-year period (and more than 80 times over a 20-year period).
Methane also impacts local air quality and community health
through its participation in the formation of ozone, as well as
water vapor, the most powerful of the common causes of warming.
Analysis Prepared by:
Lawrence Lingbloom / NAT. RES. / (916) 319-2092
FN:
0002363