SB 34: Air pollution: South Coast Air Quality Management District: mobile sources: Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.

Existing law generally designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency with the primary responsibility for the control of vehicular air pollution, and air pollution control districts and air quality management districts with the primary responsibility for the control of air pollution from all sources other than vehicular sources. Existing law authorizes air districts to adopt and implement regulations to reduce or mitigate emissions from indirect sources of air pollution.

Existing law provides for the creation of the South Coast Air Quality Management District in those portions of the Counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino included within the area of the South Coast Air Basin, as specified. Existing law requires the district to adopt rules and regulations to carry out the south coast district air quality management plan that are not in conflict with state and federal laws and requires those rules and regulations to provide for indirect source controls under certain circumstances.

In the event the board of the district takes an action to amend or adopt a rule or regulation that imposes new or additional emissions reduction requirements on sources of air pollution associated with an operation at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, this bill would require the action to, among other things, require those ports to prepare assessments of energy demand and supply, cost estimates, and funding source, workforce, and environmental impacts associated with the action and create a process by which those ports can request extensions to the timelines developed to achieve the actions targets. The bill would also prohibit the action from, among other things, imposing a cap on cargo throughput or cruise ship passengers at the ports. The bill would repeal its provisions on January 1, 2031.

By imposing additional duties on the district and the ports, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.