BILL ANALYSIS Ķ
AB 2139
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Date of Hearing: April 18, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
Das Williams, Chair
AB 2139
(Williams) - As Amended March 28, 2016
SUBJECT: Ocean Protection Council: ocean acidification
SUMMARY: Requires the Ocean Protection Council (OPC) to
facilitate research and compile data on the causes and effects
of ocean acidification. Requires, no later than January 1,
2018, OPC to adopt recommendations for further legislative and
executive actions to address ocean acidification.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Establishes the (OPC, which consists of the Secretary of
Natural Resources Agency (NRA), the Secretary for
Environmental Protection, the Chair of the State Lands
Commission, and two members of the public appointed by the
Governor.
2)Requires OPC to support state agencies' use and sharing of
scientific and geospatial information for coastal- and
ocean-relevant decision making relating to coastal and ocean
ecosystems, including the effects of climate change.
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3)Pursuant to Executive Order S-13-08 (Schwarzenegger), requires
NRA, through the Climate Action Team, to coordinate with
local, regional, state, federal, and private entities to
develop a state Climate Adaptation Strategy (strategy).
Requires the strategy to summarize the best known science on
climate change impacts to California, assess California's
vulnerability to the identified impacts, and outline solutions
that can be implemented within and across state agencies to
promote resiliency.
4)Pursuant to Executive Order B-30-15 (Brown), in addition to
establishing a 40% GHG emission reduction goal by 2030,
requires several actions on adaptation, including:
a) Requires NRA to update the strategy every three years
and ensure that its provisions are fully implemented.
Requires the strategy to:
i) Identify vulnerabilities to climate change by sector
and region, including, at a minimum, the following
sectors: water, energy, transportation, public health,
agriculture, emergency services, forestry, biodiversity
and habitat, and ocean and coastal resources;
ii) Outline primary risks to residents, property,
communities, and natural systems from these
vulnerabilities, and identify priority actions needed to
reduce these risks; and,
iii) Identify a lead agency or group of agencies to lead
adaptation efforts in each sector.
b) Requires each sector lead to prepare an implementation
plan by September 2015 to outline the actions that will be
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taken as identified in the strategy, and report back on
those actions to the NRA.
c) Requires state agencies to take climate change into
account in their planning and investment decisions and
employ full life-cycle cost accounting to evaluate and
compare infrastructure investments and alternatives.
d) Requires state agencies' planning and investment to be
guided by the principles of climate preparedness for
uncertain climate impacts, protective of vulnerable
populations, and prioritization of natural infrastructure
solutions.
e) Requires the state's Five-Year Infrastructure Plan to
take current and future climate change impacts into account
in all infrastructure projects.
f) Requires OPR to establish a technical, advisory group to
help state agencies incorporate climate change impacts into
planning and investment decisions.
g) Requires the state to continue its rigorous climate
change research program focused on understanding the
impacts of climate change and how best to prepare and adapt
to such impacts.
5)Requires the NRA to update its climate adaptation strategy,
the Safeguarding California Plan (Plan), by July 1, 2017, and
every three years thereafter by coordinating adaption
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activities among lead state agencies in each sector.
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown
COMMENTS:
1)Ocean Acidification. The ocean absorbs about a third of the
carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere each year
from the burning of fossil fuels and other human activities.
As the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere increase, so do
the levels in the ocean. This changes the chemistry of the
water and threatens marine ecosystems and coastal communities
dependent on the health of the sea. Ocean acidification is
the lowering of the pH of the ocean and changing of the
ocean's chemistry, which can lead to low dissolved oxygen
water (hypoxia) in ocean ecosystems. Ocean acidification will
likely have major impacts on the fisheries and aquaculture
industries in California. It could also have a profound
effect on marine ecosystems leading to large-scale die-offs
and over the long-term reduced biodiversity. Record hot
temperatures in the Pacific Ocean caused by global warming and
a powerful El Niņo have fueled the worst coral bleaching event
ever seen in portions of Australia's famed Great Barrier Reef
According to the author's office, "Ocean acidification has
cost the oyster industry in the Pacific Northwest $110 million
and jeopardized 3,200 jobs."
The Plan includes a sector on Oceans and Coastal Resources and
Ecosystems. That sector released a sector plan that discusses
ocean acidification, but there are no specific recommendations
for legislative or executive action. On April 4, 2016, the
West Coast Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Science Panel
(Panel) released a synthesis of the current state of
scientific knowledge about ocean acidification and hypoxia in
California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. The
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Panel's final report included what management options might be
used to address ocean acidification on the west coast. This
bill would require OPC to develop California specific
recommendations on how the state can address ocean
acidification.
2)Related legislation.
SB 1363 (Monning) requires OPC, in coordination with the State
Coastal Conservancy, to establish and administer the Ocean
Acidification and Hypoxia Reduction Program. This bill is
awaiting hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
California Coastkeeper Alliance
Center for Biological Diversity
Natural Resources Defense Council
Oceana
Surfrider Foundation
Opposition
None on file
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Analysis Prepared by:Michael Jarred / NAT. RES. / (916) 319-2092