BILL NUMBER:  AB 234
  VETOED	DATE: 09/30/2010




To the Members of the California State Assembly:

I am returning Assembly Bill 234 without my signature.

This bill requires the Administrator of the Office of Spill
Prevention and Response (OSPR) to develop regulations addressing
"pre-booming" of vessels involved in transfers of oil fuel and oil
cargo.  The bill also increases the per-barrel fee, paid by tankers,
and the non-tank vessel fee, that is used to support OSPR's
administrative functions and authorizes the Administrator to adjust
the maximum per-barrel fee annually for inflation according to the
Consumer Price Index.

This bill is unnecessary.  Pursuant to the authority already provided
under existing law, OSPR is currently in the process of evaluating
the benefit of requiring "pre-booming" standards on fuel transfer
operations where it is safe and effective to do so.  Additionally,
the magnitude of the fee increase proposed to fund OSPR's regulatory
activities per this bill far exceeds what OSPR estimates it would
cost to promulgate the "pre-booming" regulations this bill would
require.

Sincerely,



Arnold Schwarzenegger