Bill Text: CA AB1871 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Amended

California Assembly Bill 1871 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Coastal resources: development: water supply projects.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2016-11-30 - From committee without further action. [AB1871 Detail]

Download: California-2015-AB1871-Amended.html

BILL NUMBER: AB 1871	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 18, 2016

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Waldron

                        FEBRUARY 10, 2016

   An act to  amend Section 12947 of the Water Code,
   add Section 30603.2 to the Public Resources Code,
  relating to  desalination.   coastal
resources. 


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1871, as amended, Waldron.  Desalination. 
 Coastal resources: development: water supply projects. 

   Existing law, the California Coastal Act of 1976, requires any
person wishing to perform or undertake any development in the coastal
zone, as defined, in addition to obtaining any other permit required
by law from any local government or from any state, regional, or
local agency, to obtain a coastal development permit from the local
government or California Coastal Commission, as specified.  

   This bill would limit the growth-inducing impacts the commission
may consider in its review of a coastal development permit for a
water supply project.  
   Existing law, the Cobey-Porter Saline Water Conversion Law, states
the policy of this state that desalination projects developed by or
for public water entities be given the same opportunities for state
assistance and funding as other water supply and reliability
projects, and that desalination be consistent with all applicable
environmental protection policies in the state. The law provides that
is it the intention of the Legislature that the Department of Water
Resources shall undertake to find economic and efficient methods of
desalting saline water so that desalted water may be made available
to help meet the growing water requirements of the state. 

   This bill would provide that it is the intention of the
Legislature that when a state agency considers an application
relating to desalination that the agency, when considering
alternatives, should consider the cost of those alternatives in order
to ensure that project financing does not become significantly more
expensive or difficult. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   SECTION 1.    Section 30603.2 is added to the 
 Public Resources Code   , to read:  
   30603.2.  Notwithstanding any other law, if a coastal development
permit for a water supply project is to be obtained from the
commission pursuant to Section 30601 or an action taken by a local
government on a coastal development permit application for a water
supply project is on appeal to the commission pursuant to Section
30603, and if the commission is considering the growth-inducing
impacts of the water supply project, the commission shall be limited
to considering the following growth-inducing impacts:
   (a) How the proposed project augments existing water supplies.
   (b) How the proposed project increases regional water supply
reliability as a response to drought or climate change impacts.
   (c) How the proposed project achieves the state policy of reducing
reliance on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, as described in
Section 85021 of the Water Code.  
  SECTION 1.    Section 12947 of the Water Code is
amended to read:
   12947.  (a) The Legislature finds and declares that the growing
water needs of the state require the development of cost-effective
and efficient water supply technologies. Desalination technology is
now feasible to help provide significant new water supplies from
seawater, brackish water, and reclaimed water. Desalination
technology can also provide an effective means of treating some types
of contamination in water supplies. Desalination is consistent with
both state water supply and efficiency policy goals, and joint
state-federal environmental and water policy and principles promoted
by the Cal-Fed Bay Delta Program.
   (b) It is the policy of this state that desalination projects
developed by or for public water entities be given the same
opportunities for state assistance and funding as other water supply
and reliability projects, and that desalination be consistent with
all applicable environmental protection policies in the state.
   (c) It is the intention of the Legislature that the department
shall undertake to find economic and efficient methods of desalting
saline water so that desalted water may be made available to help
meet the growing water requirements of the state.
   (d) It is the intention of the Legislature that when a state
agency considers an application relating to desalination that the
agency, when considering alternatives, should consider the cost of
those alternatives in order to ensure that project financing does not
become significantly more expensive or difficult.