BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 939
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 939 (V. Manuel Pérez)
As Amended March 30, 2011
Majority vote
ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 5-1
APPROPRIATIONS 12-3
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|Ayes:|Wieckowski, Campos, |Ayes:|Fuentes, Blumenfield, |
| |Davis, Feuer, Bonnie | |Bradford, Charles |
| |Lowenthal | |Calderon, Campos, Davis, |
| | | |Gatto, Hall, Hill, Lara, |
| | | |Mitchell Solorio |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Morrell |Nays:|Harkey, Donnelly, Nielsen |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Makes technical corrections to the existing New River
Improvement Project (NRIP). Specifically, this bill :
1)Applies the existing definitions that govern the creation and
operation of the NRIP to the broader provisions of the code
that govern the protection of the environment and public
health at the California-Mexico border.
2)Establishes a New River Water Quality, Public Health, and
River Parkway Development within the California Environmental
Protection Agency (CalEPA) to coordinate implementation of the
NRIP.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee this bill would result in minor, absorbable state
costs to the CalEPA, the State Water Resources Control Board and
other state agencies that might provide funding to the project
to align contractual and administrative requirements for
financial assistance.
COMMENTS :
The New River - one of the most polluted rivers in the United
States: According to the State Water Resources Control Board,
AB 939
Page 2
"The New River carries urban runoff, untreated and partially
treated municipal wastes, untreated and partially treated
industrial wastes, and agricultural runoff from the Mexicali
Valley into the United States. By the time the New River
reaches the Salton Sea, about 2/3 of its flow consists of
wastewater in the form of agricultural runoff from Imperial
County."
The New River has been recognized as a significant pollution
problem since at least the late 1940s, primarily because of its
extremely high concentrations of fecal coliform bacteria and
offensive odor. In 1955, it was estimated that raw sewage from
approximately 25,000 people was being discharged into the New
River from Mexicali. In 1975, the population jumped to over
100,000 people. The present population of Mexicali is reported
as 764,902 by Mexico, but some believe it is close to 1 million.
A focal point of early complaints regarding New River pollution
was odor. In the early fifties, the odor of the river near the
boundary, particularly at night, was oftentimes overpowering.
Beginning around 1956, the flows of the New River at the
boundary increased considerably due to development of
agricultural drainage return flows from Mexicali Valley. In the
mid-1980s the extent of the problem was finally recognized, and
Mexico and the United States began to work cooperatively to
address New River pollution from Mexico.
Prior legislation :
AB 1079 (V. Manuel Pérez) Chapter 382, Statutes of 2009,
established the NRIP to study, monitor, remediate, and enhance
New River water quality in the County of Imperial to protect
human health and develop a river parkway suitable for public use
and enjoyment.
Analysis Prepared by : Bob Fredenburg / E.S. & T.M. / (916)
319-3965
FN: 0000307