BILL NUMBER: SR 22 INTRODUCED
BILL TEXT
INTRODUCED BY Senators Allen, Beall, Block, De León, Galgiani,
Hertzberg, Hill, Hueso, Jackson, Lara, Leno, Leyva, Liu, McGuire,
Monning, Pavley, Wieckowski, and Wolk
APRIL 13, 2015
Relative to California Earth Day.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
HOUSE OR SENATE RESOLUTIONS DO NOT CONTAIN A DIGEST
WHEREAS, Forty-five years ago, on the first Earth Day, millions of
Americans of all ages, walks of life, and political affiliations
joined together and took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to
demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive
coast-to-coast rallies; and
WHEREAS, Public awareness of environmental issues, fostered by the
first Earth Day, has led to the enactment of key federal laws,
including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and to the creation of the federal
Environmental Protection Agency, which was established to implement,
administer, and enforce laws protecting the environment; and
WHEREAS, The spirit of the first Earth Day has continued to
increase public environmental awareness, inspiring many Californians
to make individual decisions that reduce adverse environmental
impacts; and
WHEREAS, The California environment, including its rocky coasts,
sandy beaches, redwood forests, deserts, and towering mountains, is
among the most beautiful in the nation; and
WHEREAS, California is recognized as a global leader in
environmental protection and economic innovation; and
WHEREAS, The Legislature recognizes and has helped safeguard the
state's unique scenic beauty, natural resources, and the quality of
its water, air, and land through the enactment of laws including the
California Environmental Quality Act, the California Coastal Act of
1976, the Hazardous Waste Control Law, the California Integrated
Waste Management Act of 1989, the California Global Warming Solutions
Act of 2006, the Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act
of 2008, the Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization
Act of 2008, and the California's Safer Consumer Products Law; and
WHEREAS, The voters have ratified the intent of the Legislature to
protect the environment by approving the Safe Drinking Water, Clean
Water, Watershed Protection, and Flood Protection Bond Act of 2000,
the Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean Water, Clean Air, and Coastal
Protection Bond Act of 2000, the California Clean Water, Clean Air,
Safe Neighborhood Parks, and Coastal Protection Act of 2002, the
Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection
Act of 2002, the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood
Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006, and the
California Clean Energy Jobs Act; and
WHEREAS, California residents have stated that the health impacts
of poor air quality is their highest environmental health priority;
and
WHEREAS, California has made tremendous efforts in improving the
air quality in the Los Angeles Basin, effectively reducing asthma and
respiratory illnesses in children and the elderly; and
WHEREAS, The Legislature has recognized the need to protect
California's drinking water through the passage of the California
Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, leading to the
establishment of a public health goal for methyl tertiary-butyl
ether (MTBE) in 1999 and for perchlorate in 2004; and
WHEREAS, The work done by the Office of Planning and Research, the
California Environmental Protection Agency, the Environmental
Justice Advisory Committee, and the Interagency Working Group on
Environmental Justice, acting on legislative mandate, through the
Environmental Justice Program, has effected public health and
environmental protection programs, policies, and activities in a
manner that is designed to promote equality and afford fair
treatment, full access, and full protection to all Californians,
including low income and minority populations; and
WHEREAS, Clean energy jobs are growing across the state, and the
protection of California's natural resources helps stimulate our
economy, especially for industries relating to tourism, fishing, and
new technologies, and enhances our quality of life; and
WHEREAS, Activities to celebrate, on April 22, 2015, the 45th
anniversary of the first Earth Day, will focus public attention on
and encourage personal and community participation in environmental
protection through recycling, conserving energy and water,
encouraging use of renewable resources, using efficient
transportation such as alternative fueled vehicles, adopting
sustainable building practices, and other environmentally responsible
personal actions; and
WHEREAS, Earth Day 2015 will provide an impetus for additional
protection of the environment and our health, and the continued
local, state, national, and international efforts that will be
required at an unprecedented level during the next decade in order to
remedy the environmental problems that we face; now, therefore, be
it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That April 22,
2015, is hereby declared to be "California Earth Day"; and be it
further
Resolved, That the Senate reaffirms its commitment to the
fundamental principles that underlie the state's environmental laws,
including the protection of human health from environmental hazards
through the prevention of environmental risks and the maintenance of
health-based standards; the continuance of programs to safeguard air
and water quality; the recycling and reuse of materials, whenever
feasible, to reduce the economic and environmental costs of disposal,
and to recapture the value of these materials for the state's
economy; the effective cleanup of pollution of the state's land, air,
and water resources; the preservation of natural ecosystems; and
maintenance of the fundamental right of the public to know about
environmental hazards and to fully participate in public decisions
regarding the environment; and be it further
Resolved, That the Senate recognizes the importance of the
environment and encourages residents to include in their daily lives
those activities that promote the goals of Earth Day 2015.