|  Senate Passes Perata Bills to Coordinate State Research on Climate Change and Plan for Water Storage
California Political Desk
The California Political Desk provides information, news releases, and announcements obtained from communication and public relations offices throughout the state.
Legislation to centralize research on climate change and its impacts, and separately, to boost flood protection and water storage – both by Senate President pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland) – passed the Senate Friday.
The two measures, SB 660 and SB 1002, respectively, anchor Senate Democrats’ sweeping bill packages on climate change and water planning.
SB 660 establishes the Strategic Clean Technology and Climate Change Research, Development and Demonstration Program in the Resources Agency to coordinate state spending on research and development. The measure also creates the Strategic Research Investment Council to set research priorities for climate-related activities.
SB 1002 expands water storage and supply by capturing more snow melt, rain and runoff and directs the state to evaluate surface storage proposals. It also aims to integrate the state’s flood protection efforts with water supply and conveyance planning.
“These bill packages show that the Senate is very serious about responding to the challenges of climate change and water planning,” Perata said. “California must turn to cleaner fuels, smarter planning and wiser water management.”
The other bills in these two packages passed by the Senate this week include:
SB 5, by Mike Machado (D-Linden), seeks to clarify the roles and responsibilities of the state and local flood management agencies, cities and counties, developers and other property owners for managing flood risk.
SB 9 and SB 19, by Senator Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), both implement measures to reduce diesel, black carbon, and other pollutants emissions from ports, diesel trucks, heavy construction equipment, and other sources. The bills use Proposition 1B funds to help fund these reductions.
SB 17, by Senator Dean Florez (D-Shafter), reforms the make-up and expectations of the Reclamation Board, which is charged with oversight for California’s aging and vulnerable levees.
SB 140, by Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego), requires the California Air Resources Board to conduct an assessment of bio-diesel fuel to ensure it maintains or improves environmental quality. If the assessment concludes the use of renewable diesel is beneficial, the board will modify the definition of diesel to include 2 percent renewable diesel. Two years later it will increase to 5 percent.
SB 375, by Senator Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), requires state transportation planning agencies to revise their planning guidelines to show progress in meeting state climate change targets as articulated in law and in the Climate Action Team Report.
SB 378, by Senator Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), implements Proposition 1E by expediting project approval and completion to reduce flood risk as soon as possible; developing an investment strategy that identifies projects, their costs and the state, federal and local resources available to pay for them; and improving the state’s real-time flood management system.
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Related Resources: risk assessment, risk management, air quality
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