BILL ANALYSIS
AB 580
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 580 (Huber)
As Amended June 1, 2009
Majority vote
ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 7-0
APPROPRIATIONS 12-0
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|Ayes:|Chesbro, Jeffries, Davis, |Ayes:|De Leon, Ammiano, Charles |
| |Feuer, Monning, Ruskin, | |Calderon, Davis, Fuentes, |
| |Smyth | |Hall, John A. Perez, |
| | | |Price, Skinner, Solorio, |
| | | |Torlakson, Krekorian |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+---------------------------|
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Requires the State Water Resources Control Board
(SWRCB) regulations for onsite water treatment systems (OWTS) to
include regulatory tiers based on the demonstrated risk posed to
public health and the environment by the system.
EXISTING LAW provides, under the provisions of AB 885 (Jackson)
Chapter 781, Statutes of 2000, that SWRCB shall establish
statewide minimum requirements related to the permitting and
operation of OWTS.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriation
Committee, this bill will result in a minor, absorbable cost to
SWRCB.
COMMENTS : The author intends to provide general direction to
SWRCB as it revises its proposed OWTS regulations to ensure that
those regulations allow local agencies to implement the SWRCB's
regulations or standards for OWTS.
According to the SWRCB, the current practice of regulating OWTS
has led to inconsistencies among the various Regional Water
Quality Control Boards and among the numerous local agencies in
California's counties. California is one of only two states
that do not have statewide OWTS regulations. The inconsistency
in regional and local OWTS requirements and related lack of
statewide regulations, along with the public health and
environmental issues and related incidents, are the primary
AB 580
Page 2
goals of AB 885.
AB 885 requires the SWRCB to develop statewide OWTS regulations
in consultation with Department of Public Health, the Coalition
of California Directors of Environmental Health, the California
Coastal Commission, counties, cities, and other interested
parties.
The SWRCB officially submitted regulations in response to the
requirements of AB 885 on 11/7/09 and made them available for
public comments along with a Draft Environmental Impact Report.
On February 23, 2009, the SWRCB closed the public comment period
for draft regulations regarding OTWS. According to the SWRCB,
during the comment period the SWRCB received more than 2,500
e-mail comments and hundreds of comments from 12 public
workshops held throughout the state. Based on the public input
on the proposed regulations, the SWRCB is formulating
substantial changes to the regulations. Those revised
regulations are anticipated to be developed by August of 2009.
Analysis Prepared by : Bob Fredenburg / E.S. & T.M. / (916)
319-3965 FN:
0001135