BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 93|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
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UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Bill No: SB 93
Author: De León (D) and Lara (D), et al.
Amended: 4/6/16
Vote: 21
PRIOR VOTES NOT RELEVANT
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 76-0, 4/14/16 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT: Budget Act of 2015
SOURCE: Author
DIGEST: This bill amends the Budget Act of 2015 to adopt
expenditures related to the cleanup of the Exide Technologies
facility in the City of Vernon.
Assembly Amendments delete the Senate version of the bill, which
expressed the intent of the Legislature to enact statutory
changes relating to Budget Act of 2015, and insert the current
language.
ANALYSIS:
This bill:
1)Transfers $176.6 million as a loan from the General Fund to
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the Toxic Substances Control Account.
2)Stipulates that funds may be used for any of the following
activities:
a) cleanup and investigation of properties contaminated by
lead in communities surrounding the Exide Technologies
facility in the City of Vernon;
b) provide job training related to the cleanup and
investigation activities; and
c) take action to pursue all remedies against potential
responsible parties including, but not limited to, cost
recovery.
3)Specifies that, to the extent cost recoveries are not
sufficient to fully repay the loan, the Director of Finance
may forgive any remaining balance provided the director
submits a notice and report of that action to the Joint
Legislative Budget Committee.
Background
Exide Technologies is located in the City of Vernon, about five
miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The facility occupies
15 acres in a heavily industrial region with surrounding
residential areas. Facility operations included recycling
lead-bearing scrap materials obtained from spent lead-acid
batteries. This facility ceased operations in 2014 and
permanently closed after the Department of Toxic Substances
Control notified Exide that its application for a new permit
would be denied. The department then ordered Exide to test and
clean up residential properties and conducted its own testing.
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The department's analysis indicates that releases from the
facility deposited lead dust across an area of southeast Los
Angeles County, resulting in contamination extending 1.7 miles
from the facility and impacting up to 10,000 properties,
including residences, parks, and schools.
In August 2015, the Legislature and the Governor approved $7
million of emergency funding to test up to 1,500 residential
properties, parks, schools, and daycare centers in the
surrounding community; develop a comprehensive cleanup plan; and
begin cleanup of the highest priority sites based on the degree
of lead contamination and other exposure factors. To date, the
department has removed more than 10,000 tons of contaminated
soil and analyzed more than 20,000 soil samples from hundreds of
properties. The department has also established an advisory
group of community leaders, local residents, business leaders,
scientists, and elected officials to help guide closure and
cleanup efforts.
This bill provides additional funding from the Toxic Substances
Control Account to test the remaining properties, schools,
daycare centers, and parks in the 1.7 mile radius and remove
contaminated soil at the properties that have the highest lead
levels and greatest potential exposure to residents. In
addition, the department will conduct specialized tests and
analyses to conclusively identify the source of the
contamination and hold Exide - and any other responsible parties
- accountable.
The plan provides resources to expand community engagement in
the testing and cleanup process, enhance coordination and job
training for community residents, and promote the use of local
business and labor for contracting purposes.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.:YesLocal: No
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SUPPORT: (Verified4/5/16)
None received
OPPOSITION: (Verified4/5/16)
None received
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 76-0, 4/14/16
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Travis Allen, Arambula, Atkins, Baker,
Bigelow, Bloom, Bonilla, Bonta, Brough, Brown, Burke,
Calderon, Campos, Chang, Chau, Chávez, Chiu, Chu, Cooley,
Cooper, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Dodd, Eggman, Frazier, Beth
Gaines, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gatto,
Gipson, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gray, Grove, Hadley, Harper,
Roger Hernández, Holden, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Kim, Lackey,
Linder, Lopez, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, McCarty,
Medina, Mullin, Obernolte, O'Donnell, Olsen, Patterson, Quirk,
Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas, Santiago, Steinorth, Mark
Stone, Thurmond, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wilk, Williams,
Wood, Rendon
NO VOTE RECORDED: Irwin, Levine, Melendez, Nazarian
Prepared by:Catherine Freeman / B. & F.R. / (916) 651-4103
4/15/16 14:10:40
**** END ****
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