Bill Text: CA SB696 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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

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Bill Title: Child support: compromise of arrears.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2010-06-29 - Hearing postponed by committee. [SB696 Detail]

Download: California-2009-SB696-Introduced.html

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BILL NUMBER: SB 696	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator Wright

                        FEBRUARY 27, 2009

   An act relating to emission reduction credits.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 696, as introduced, Wright. Air quality: regional districts:
emission reduction credits.
   Under existing law, every air pollution control district or air
quality management district in a federal nonattainment area for any
national ambient air quality standard is required to establish by
regulation, a system by which all reductions in emissions of air
contaminants that are to be used to offset certain future increases
in the emission of air contaminants are banked prior to use.
   This bill would state that it is the intent of the Legislature to
enact legislation to ensure that there are sufficient credits
available for the South Coast Air Quality Management District to
issue permits for essential public services and new clean efficient
power plants.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated 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) Under existing law, new or modified sources of air pollutants
within a federally designated nonattainment area that result in
emission increases over specified thresholds are required to provide
emission reduction credits from other sources so that, in aggregate,
there is no net increase in emissions.
   (b) The air basins regulated by the South Coast Air Quality
Management District are designated nonattainment areas for PM2.5,
PM10, and ozone, the majority of which is due to mobile sources.
   (c) Due to strict emission limits on stationary sources and the
inability to create material amounts of new emission reduction
credits without shutting down businesses and losing jobs, there is a
severe shortage of emission reduction credits for sources of PM2.5
and PM10 in the air basins regulated by the South Coast Air Quality
Management District.
   (d) In the South Coast Air Quality Management District, certain
emission sources, including essential public services, rely on
emission credits contained in the district's internal accounts. The
district obtains credits for its internal bank from surplus emission
reductions not otherwise used for credits. Emission reduction credits
have to be real, surplus, enforceable, quantifiable, and permanent.
   (e) The South Coast Air Quality Management District recently
amended Rule 1309.1 to make emission credits from its internal bank
available to new clean, efficient power plants. The South Coast Air
Quality Management District also enacted a new rule governing the
accounting and tracking of offsets.
   (f) A recent court decision invalidated the South Coast Air
Quality Management District rule specifying how the district accounts
for and calculates the amount of emission reduction credits
available. As a result of that court decision permits that rely on
credits from the district internal bank cannot be issued.
   (g) The South Coast Air Quality Management District regulates more
than 28,000 stationary sources, and administers more than 80,000
permits. The Legislature needs act to avoid business shutdowns and
job losses, and to ensure electric system reliability.
  SEC. 2.  It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation
to ensure that there are sufficient real, surplus, enforceable,
quantifiable, and permanent emission reduction credits available so
that essential public services, and new clean efficient power plants
needed to maintain system reliability and integrate renewable
resources can be permitted by the South Coast Air Quality Management
District.