BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2501
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 14, 2008
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
Loni Hancock, Chair
AB 2501 (Wolk) - As Amended: February 21, 2008
SUBJECT : Water: climate change and bond funding
appropriations.
SUMMARY : Requires the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to
include climate change analysis, to the extent applicable, in
all its water management reports and plans; appropriates
existing bond funding for high-priority water projects.
EXISTING LAW : Authorizes or directs DWR and local water
agencies to prepare water planning documents. The California
Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32) requires all state
agencies to consider and implement strategies to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown; appropriates $600,890,000 in currently
authorized bond funds.
THIS BILL :
1)Requires DWR to include an analysis of the effects of climate
change, to the extent applicable, in all its water management
reports and plans, including the State Water Project (SWP)
delivery capability report California Water Plan, and reports
related to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta).
2)Requires DWR to identify and make available, by July 1, 2009,
peer-reviewed information or best available scientific
information about climate change and water resources for the
state and each of the state's hydrologic regions.
3)Prohibits DWR from approving, after January 1, 2011,
integrated regional water management grants for plans that do
not include climate change information prepared by DWR, unless
the information is not available or does not apply to a
particular planning area.
4)Requires DWR, in collaboration with other state agencies, to
prepare a report by January 1, 2009 quantifying the energy
savings and greenhouse gas emission (GHG) reductions
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associated with water supply development alternatives,
including recycled water.
5)Requires the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and
all regional water quality control boards to consider
reasonably foreseeable effects of climate change on water
quality.
6)Requires urban water suppliers, starting in July 1, 2009, and
agricultural water suppliers, starting in January 1, 2010, to
request climate change information from DWR and consider that
information in preparing urban or agricultural water
management plans, unless climate change information is
unavailable or inapplicable.
7)Appropriates $600,890,000 of bond funds as follows:
a) From Proposition 1E:
i) $50 million to DWR for emergency preparedness in the
Delta.
ii) $150 million to DWR for stormwater flood management
projects.
b) From Proposition 84:
i) $50 million to the State Department of Public Health
(DPH) for small community safe drinking water
infrastructure.
ii) $50,400,000 to DPH for projects to prevent or reduce
groundwater contamination of drinking water supplies
(including $2 million for pilot projects in Salinas and
Tulare).
iii) $40 million to DWR for planning and local
groundwater assistance.
iv) $50 million to DWR for improving drinking water from
the Delta.
v) $60 million to DWR and the Central Valley Flood
Protection Board (CVFPB) for emergency preparedness
relating to levees.
vi) $100 million to DWR/CVFPB for the protection of
Delta resources, consistent with the Delta Vision,
including but not limited to certain identified projects.
vii) $12 million to DWR for planning and feasibility
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studies for new surface storage under the California
Bay-Delta Program.
viii) $15 million to DWR for studies on use of the state's
existing flood protection and water supply systems.
Studies must include climate change information.
ix) $10 million to DWR for climate change planning
(including $2 million for SWRCB).
x) $10 million to DWR for studies to implement the
Delta Vision.
c) From Proposition 13 (2000): $3,490,000 to DWR for
surface storage studies under the California Bay-Delta
Program.
8)Requires SWRCB, with specified agencies, to develop pilot
projects in Tulare Lake Basin and Salinas Valley to improve
understanding of groundwater contamination issues.
9)Sets a deadline of June 30, 2010 for encumbrance of the
appropriated funds.
10)Requires programs receiving bond funds to report to the
Legislature about committed and anticipated expenditures by
January 10, 2009.
11)Makes legislative findings regarding climate change and water
resources.
COMMENTS : This bill reflects two different - but complementary
- efforts to address urgent water issues facing California. The
first requires information about the effects of climate change
to be incorporated into existing water planning efforts by state
and local agencies; DWR must also quantify energy savings and
GHG reductions from the use of recycled water under various
scenarios. The second part of the bill appropriates currently
authorized bond funds to address some of the state's most urgent
water resource challenges, particularly in the Delta.
Water managers increasingly have recognized climate change as a
major threat to western water supply reliability and,
conversely, that water use is a significant contributor to GHG
emissions. For example, climate change has been linked with the
current prolonged drought in the Colorado River Basin. A 2005
California Energy Commission report found that 19% of the
state's energy demand is from conveyance and use of water. The
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state's large urban water agencies have invested substantial
resources to identify strategies to adapt to climate change.
Resolving Uncertainty: State-Identified Information.
The climate change part of this bill substantially mirrors last
year's AB 224 by the same author. After some water agencies
noted that they were not sure which climate change information
was reliable, the bill was amended to require DWR to identify
which information should be used, and then specified that use of
DWR-specified information was sufficient. Alternatively, a
water supplier may use other information in its possession. If
DWR does not identify such information, then local water
suppliers are exempt from these requirements.
Study of Greenhouse Gas Effects of Water Supply Development
The bill requires certain state agencies to investigate ways to
mitigate the effects of climate change on water use. Under DWR,
state agencies would assess the greenhouse gas effects and
reductions from water supply alternatives such as water
recycling and conservation. In recent months, state agencies
have increased their activities related to climate change and
water resources, establishing the "WETCAT" - the water and
energy sub-team of the Climate Action Team.
Existing Bond Appropriations
The other major element of this bill appropriates existing bond
funds to address key water priorities, including the Delta,
worthy of near-term funding. The source of these appropriations
is last year's SB 1002 (Perata), which Governor Schwarzenegger
vetoed. This bill excludes specific projects identified in SB
1002 and provides clearer direction on funding for climate
change and water planning. Delta appropriations include:
$100 million of Delta levee funding to protect Delta
resources, including certain "no regrets" projects;
$50 million for emergency preparedness;
$50 million to improve drinking water from the Delta,
which may include movement of drinking water intakes;
$10 million for studies to implement the Delta Vision;
$15 million to complete surface water storage facility
feasibility studies under the CALFED Bay-Delta Program.
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Budget Connection?
While this bill's appropriations are similar to the Governor's
budget proposals, there is no direct connection between the two.
The bill focuses only on the most critical priorities for
appropriating existing water bond funding. Last year, these
appropriations were removed from the budget and placed in
Senator Perata's SB 1002. This year, the author is advancing a
revised version that reflects her priorities. It will proceed
through policy committee review and, at some later point, may be
incorporated into the budget.
Suggested amendments
1)Page 7, line 34 should read: "?on of before January 1, 2010
2009
2)Page 10, line 30 should read: "?sum of fifty four million
dollars ($ 50,000,000 $54,000,000 )?."
3)Page 12, lines 39-40, and page 13, lines 1-3 should read:
(4) Pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 75029 of the Public
Resources Code, the sum of fifty million dollars ($50,000,000)
to the department for projects that improve the quality of the
drinking water supply from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in
accordance with that subdivision.
Pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 75029 of the Public
Resources Code, the sum of fifty-five million dollars
($55,000,000) to the department for drinking water intake
facility projects that improve the quality of drinking water
supply from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and are
identified in the June 2005 Delta Region Drinking Water
Quality Management Plan. Funding shall be made available for
environmental review, design and construction. Projects
seeking funding for construction shall meet all the following
criteria:
(A) Have completed documentation required under the
California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13, commencing
with Section 21000 of the Public Resources Code) and a notice
of determination has been filed prior to June 30, 2008.
(B) Have demonstrated multiple benefits in conveyance and
Delta operations to achieve protection or improvement to delta
pelagic fisheries as well as drinking water quality
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improvement and public health protection.
(C) Are able to complete design and commence construction
prior to June 30, 2009.
(D) Have local and/or federal cost sharing funds available
immediately.
4)Page 13, line 4 should read: "Section 75033 75032 of the
Public Resources Code the sum of one hundred sixty million
dollars ($160,000,000) to the department and working in
conjunction with the Central Valley Flood Protection Board, as
follows:"
5)Page 15, lines 27-31 should read: "(c) Of the funds made
available pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 79550 of the
Water Code , the sum of three million four hundred ninety
thousand dollars ($3,490,000) seven hundred sixty thousand
($3,760,000) is hereby appropriated to the department for
planning and feasibility studies associated with surface
storage under the California Bay-Delta Program.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Natural Resources Defense Council
San Diego County Water Authority
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Dan Chia / NAT. RES. / (916) 319-2092