BILL ANALYSIS
AB 21
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Date of Hearing: April 29, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Kevin De Leon, Chair
AB 21 (Lowenthal) - As Amended: April 2, 2009
Policy Committee: E. S. and T.
M.Vote: 5 - 0
Agriculture 5 - 1
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR)
to review the assessment of the environmental impact of Methyl
Bromide from the eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties
to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer
and the twentieth meeting of the Parties to the Montreal
Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer by the
Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP). In addition,
the bill requires DPR to make comments on the assessment and
submit the review to the Legislature.
FISCAL EFFECT
Costs for associated with DPR reviewing the assessment and
submitting that review to the Legislature would likely be less
than $50,000.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose . According to the author, methyl bromide has a global
warming effect that is five times greater than carbon dioxide
and the majority of it continues to be vented into the
atmosphere from fumigation practices. Even though safety
measures may ensure that residents near commodity fumigation
facilities are safe, trace amounts of methyl bromide
contribute to poor ambient air quality in communities near the
ports where the chemical is used to treat containers of
imported produce from other countries.
The sponsors, the Coalition for Clean Air, suggest that the
AB 21
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state needs to examine technologies that can best reduce or
eliminate methyl bromide emissions from commodity fumigation
facilities. The DPR is best poised to evaluate emission
reduction technologies for methyl bromide. TEAP is preparing
a report on methyl bromide alternatives and emission control
technologies. The draft report is scheduled to be complete in
July of this year. This bill is intended to require DPR to
conduct a comprehensive review of the draft report and provide
the Legislature with its findings and recommendations for
state action.
2)Methyl Bromide is a pesticide used to control insects,
nematodes, weeds, pathogens, and rodents. In the United
States, methyl bromide is used in agriculture, primarily to
fumigate the soil for tomatoes, strawberries and peppers and
for commodity treatments, primarily for grapes, raisins,
cherries, nuts, and imported fruits and vegetables. When used
in commodity treatment, the gas is injected into a chamber or
tarp containing the commodities. Commodities can be treated
several times during storage and shipment.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, methyl
bromide is a toxic material. Exposure to this chemical will
affect not only the target pests it is used against, but
non-target organisms as well. Because methyl bromide
dissipates so rapidly to the atmosphere, it is most dangerous
at the actual fumigation site itself. Human exposure to high
concentrations of methyl bromide can result in central nervous
system and respiratory system failure, as well as specific and
severe deleterious actions on the lungs, eyes, and skin.
3)The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone
Layer . The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty
developed to protect the earth from the detrimental effects of
ozone stratospheric depletion. Since its initial signing by
the United States and 26 other countries in 1987, virtually
the whole world has signed on to the treaty (191 countries).
The parties to the Montreal Protocol agreed to specific
reduction steps that lead to the phase-out of production and
import of ozone-depleting substances, including methyl
bromide.
AB 21
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Analysis Prepared by : Julie Salley-Gray / APPR. / (916)
319-2081