BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2224
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 28, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 2224 (Ruskin) - As Amended: March 25, 2010
Policy Committee: Environmental
Safety and Toxic Materials Vote: 9-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
Yes Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This Bill requires the California Environmental Protection
Agency (Cal EPA), by January 1, 2011, to develop a process by
which local agencies can verify that the number identifying an
underground storage tank is the number assigned to that tank by
the Board of Equalization (BOE). Requires the local agency
responsible for annual inspection of an underground storage tank
to use Cal EPA's process to verify the accuracy of the tank
number.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)Minor, absorbable one-time costs to Cal EPA to develop
process.
2)Minor, absorbable one-time costs to BOE and local agencies to
consult with Cal EPA in developing the tank number
verification process.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale . The author contends this bill will allow
permitting agencies to better ensure all tank owners have
established accounts with BOE for remitting related fees
before the agencies approve or renew tank permits. The author
intends this bill to fulfill a recommendation made in a recent
audit of the Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Fund program.
2)Background .
a) Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Fund Program .
AB 2224
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California's Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Fund program
was established by the Barry Keene Underground Storage Tank
Cleanup Fund Act of 1989 (Senate Bill 299). The program
enables petroleum underground storage tank owners and
operators to meet the federal and state financial
responsibility requirements; reimburses eligible owners for
costs of cleanup of contaminated soil and groundwater
caused by an unauthorized release of petroleum from
underground storage tanks; and require owners of
underground storage tanks to pay a fee of 2 mils per gallon
of petroleum stored in an underground tank.
b) Recent Audit of Program Recommend . In February of this
year, Sjoberg Evashenk Consulting, on behalf of the State
Water Resources Control Board, completed an audit of the
underground storage tank program. The report made numerous
recommendations to improve the program. Among those
recommendations was that Cal EPA and local agencies should
work to develop procedures that require and ensure all
permitting agencies verify that tank owners have
established accounts with BOE for remitting required tank
maintenance fees before approving or renewing permits.
3)Supporters include the California Independent Oil Marketers
Association (the bill's sponsor) and a number of related
industry groups.
4)There is no registered opposition to this bill.
Analysis Prepared by : Jay Dickenson / APPR. / (916) 319-2081