Bill Text: CA AB953 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Bill 953

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Coastal resources: voluntary vessel speed reduction and sustainable shipping program.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-2)

Status: (Engrossed) 2023-09-01 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB953 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB953-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 953

Introduced by Assembly Members Connolly and Hart

February 14, 2023

An act to add Section 35618 to the Public Resources Code, relating to coastal resources.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 953, as introduced, Connolly. Coastal resources: voluntary vessel speed reduction and sustainable shipping program.

Existing law establishes the Ocean Protection Council in state government to, among other things, establish policies to coordinate the collection, evaluation, and sharing of scientific data related to coastal and ocean resources among agencies. Existing law requires the council to develop and implement a voluntary sustainable seafood promotion program for the state, to consist of specified components, including a competitive grant and loan program for eligible entities, including, but not limited to, fishery groups and associations, for the purpose of assisting California fisheries in qualifying for certification to internationally accepted standards for sustainable seafood.

This bill would require the council, on or before May 1, 2025, in coordination with various entities, including the State Air Resources Board, to develop and implement a statewide voluntary vessel speed reduction and sustainable shipping program for the California coast in order to reduce air pollution, the risk of fatal vessel strikes on whales, and harmful underwater acoustic impacts. The bill would require the program to include specified components, including, upon an appropriation by the Legislature, financial incentives to program participants based on a percentage of distance traveled by a participating vessel through a vessel speed reduction zone, as provided. The bill would require the council, on or before December 31, 2026, to submit a report to the Legislature regarding the implementation of the program.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) California’s seaports are North America’s primary intermodal gateway to Asia and Transpacific trade. Maritime industry activities at California’s public seaports are responsible for employing more than 500,000 people in the state. Nationwide, more than 2,000,000 jobs are linked to maritime industry business conducted at California’s public seaports, contributing to California having the largest state economy in the United States.

(b) Every year, the world’s largest container ships and auto carriers make thousands of transits along the California coast, with an estimated 120 tons per day of nitrogen dioxides, an ozone precursor, being emitted within 100 nautical miles of the coast. These emissions negatively affect the public health of coastal communities and cause some areas of the coast to be in nonattainment with the national ambient air quality standards for ozone and particulate matter.

(c) Since 2014, the Santa Barbara Air Pollution Control District, Ventura County Air Pollution Control District, and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, with the federal Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, marine sanctuary foundations, and environmental groups, have administered and promoted the Blue Whales and Blue Skies Program, a voluntary vessel speed reduction program off the Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Bay Area coast to encourage transit speeds of 10 knots or less to reduce air pollution, the risk of harmful whale strikes, and the level of ocean noise.

(d) Since its inception, through 2021, the Blue Whales and Blue Skies Program has provided small incentives and publicity to program participants and has achieved 536,211 slow speed miles, a reduction of over 76,000 tons of nitrogen oxides, and an estimated 50 percent decreased risk of whale strikes during prime migration season in the affected coastal areas.

(e) This highly cost effective voluntary pollution reduction program benefits public health, protects the marine ecosystem, and showcases the beneficial partnership between shipping companies, public health agencies, marine sanctuaries, and environmental organizations.

(f) Creation of a statewide vessel speed reduction program and expansion to other areas of the California coast, including the San Diego and Monterey coasts and the North Coast, would yield additional public health and ecosystem benefits.

SEC. 2.

Section 35618 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:

35618.

(a) On or before May 1, 2025, the council shall, in coordination with air pollution control districts and air quality management districts along the coast and in consultation with the federal Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Navy, and the State Air Resources Board, develop and implement a statewide voluntary vessel speed reduction and sustainable shipping program for the California coast in order to reduce air pollution, the risk of fatal vessel strikes on whales, and harmful underwater acoustic impacts.

(b) The program shall build upon any existing local voluntary incentive programs and shall include all of the following components:

(1) A marketing and brand ambassador program to promote voluntary vessel speed reduction and sustainable shipping, and an acknowledgment of the program’s participants.

(2) Data collection on ship speeds along the California coast in order to analyze the program for future refinement, expansion, or both.

(3) Data collection on underwater acoustic impacts or fatal vessel strikes on whales, to the extent data is available.

(4) Data collection and consideration of the regional air quality impacts on the coast and the local air quality and other environmental impacts to disadvantaged communities from oceangoing vehicle traffic.

(5) Financial incentives to program participants based on a percentage of distance traveled by a participating vessel through a vessel speed reduction zone established at 10 knots or less, to the extent that local, state, or federal funding is made available pursuant to an appropriation by the Legislature.

(c) The council may impose additional qualifying criteria on program participants in order to receive financial incentives under the program, including, but not limited to, individual transit speeds, such as maximum speed in transit or maximum transit average speed.

(d) The council shall provide financial incentives pursuant to this section upon appropriation by the Legislature.

(e) (1) On or before December 31, 2026, the council shall submit a report to the Legislature regarding the implementation of the program.

(2) The report required in paragraph (1) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

(3) Pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, the requirement for submitting a report imposed by paragraph (1) is inoperative on December 31, 2030.