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2007 California Environmental Scorecard
Year In Review
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What Got Left Behind
Many of the environmental community’s most important bills, however, got left behind in 2007. In addition to the governor’s vetoes, a number of bills never got out of the legislature, including our two top priorities:
SB 375 (Steinberg) would have established a set of financial and regulatory incentives to achieve a number of environmental goals, including reduced air pollution, protection of critical habitat and farmland, and reduced emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) from the transportation sector. Cal/EPA has acknowledged that cleaner fuels and vehicles alone will not produce the GHG reductions from the transportation sector that we must achieve to meet AB 32 targets. Despite vigorous opposition by developers and some local governments, SB 375 passed the Senate and two Assembly policy committees, taking numerous amendments to respond to opposition and legislative concerns. To our surprise and disappointment, the bill was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee at the direction of Assembly Speaker Núñez. SB 375 is a two-year bill and will be heard again in 2008.
SB 974 (Lowenthal) would have established a stable, ongoing, and broad-based funding source to improve infrastructure and mitigate air pollution from goods movement in and around the state’s major ports (Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland). There is wide acknowledgement that the transportation infrastructure bond passed by the voters in 2006 will provide only a small share of the overall cost for needed infrastructure and air quality improvements at the state’s major ports. The state’s voters already have agreed to fund that share through general fund repayment over 30 years. SB 974’s fee of $30 per shipping container would spread the cost of port improvements to all who benefit from the ports, including consumers of the products that move through them. At the request of the governor, Senator Lowenthal agreed to hold SB 974 on the Assembly floor, where we are confident it will be sent to the governor’s desk in 2008.
Other important bills were held in the legislature this year, including:
- AB 493 (Ruskin), which would have established the California Clean Car Discount program, providing rebates on the purchase of new low greenhouse gas-emitting vehicles, offset by one-time fees on the purchase of new high GHG emitters. AB 493 is the environmental community’s top priority still in the house of origin. It must pass the Assembly by January 31.
- AB 923 (Wolk), which would have established a comprehensive wildlife action plan for the state.
- AB 558 (Feuer), which would have created a California Toxics Use Reduction program and improved public information about chemicals used in products.
- SB 411 (Simitian), which would have accelerated the state’s commitment to increase its use of renewable electricity sources.
- SB 412 (Simitian), which would have required the state to conduct a needs assessment before approving new liquefied natural gas terminals.
- SB 1020 (Padilla), which would have increased the state’s solid waste landfill diversion target from 50%, which has been achieved, to 75%.
- AB 706 (Leno), which would have banned the use of toxic flame retardant chemicals in furniture and bedding.
Next page: "Temperatures Rising"
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