BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2529
Page 1
REVISED - May 25, 2004
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 2529 (Kehoe)
As Amended May 20, 2004
Majority vote
WATER, PARKS & WILDLIFE 9-6 APPROPRIATIONS 16-5
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|Ayes:|Canciamilla, Berg, |Ayes:|Chu, Berg, Calderon, |
| |Frommer, Goldberg, Kehoe, | |Corbett, Correa, |
| |Lowenthal, Matthews, | |Firebaugh, Goldberg, |
| |Pavley, Wolk | |Leno, Nation, Negrete |
| | | |McLeod, Oropeza, Pavley, |
| | | |Ridley-Thomas, Wesson, |
| | | |Wiggins, Yee |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Leslie, Daucher, Shirley |Nays:|Runner, Bates, Daucher, |
| |Horton, Keene, Parra, | |Haynes, Keene |
| |Spitzer | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Establishes the Marine Managed Areas (MMA) Program in
the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) as a means of
allocating bond funds. Specifically, this bill :
1)States the intent of the Legislature to improve water quality
in coastal and marine waters, particularly those waters that
affect marine protected areas and marine managed areas.
2)Authorizes projects that restore and protect the water quality
and environment of marine managed areas, as defined in the
Ocean Plan.
3)Establishes the MMA Program.
4)Requires that projects funded through grants must be able to
contribute to sustained, long-term water quality or
environmental restoration for a period of 20 years, address
the causes of degradation rather than the symptoms, and be
consistent with water quality control plans and resource
protection plans developed by other responsible agencies.
AB 2529
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5)Requires that an applicant for funding submit to SWRCB a
monitoring and reporting plan with specified information.
6)Requires that, upon completion of a project, a grant recipient
submit a report to SWRCB.
7)Sets other conditions upon the award of grants.
8)Requires SWRCB to appoint a MMA water quality task force
comprised of individuals representing breadth and diversity of
coastal communities, interested non-profit groups, and marine
resource users, to review all proposals for grant funding.
EXISTING LAW requires SWRCB to formulate and adopt a water
quality control plan for ocean waters of the state, and requires
SWRCB to review the Ocean Plan every three years.
FISCAL EFFECT : No immediate costs. This bill will have an
effect on future allocations of bond funds.
COMMENTS : Clean water is essential to the health of marine
resources. Pollution that threatens that health can come from
direct (or "point source") discharges or from runoff from the
land ("non-point source" discharges). Plumes of contaminated
runoff can float on top of heavier seawater and have been shown
to extend 25 miles or more offshore. Nutrient pollution can
create toxic algae blooms or "red tides." Many of these sources
of pollution depend on activities and practices on nearby land
areas or along streams that flow into the ocean.
There are many programs at the state, federal, and local levels
devoted to monitoring and assessing sources of pollution in the
ocean. The state's Bay Protection and Toxic Cleanup Program and
Mussel Watch Program, the San Francisco Bay Regional Monitoring
Program, the Southern California Bay Regional Study, and the
National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's Status
and Trends Program are a few of the programs.
Monitoring and assessment information from these programs is
used to determine compliance with state and federal statutes
such as the federal Clean Water Act and the state's
Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, as well as with permit
regulations and water quality standards protecting marine
resources and their habitats. Also, the state has the Ocean
Plan, a water quality control plan administered by SWRCB.
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Proposition 50, which was passed by the voters in 2002, provides
$80 million to restore and protect coastal waters. The author
expects to fund the MMA Program with some of that money. The
most recent amendments have removed all opposition.
Analysis Prepared by : Jeffrey Volberg / W., P. & W. / (916)
319-2096
FN: 0005956