RCRC members are encouraged to submit comments on regulatory matters to state and federal regulatory bodies, and to provide a copy to RCRC’s Government Affairs staff. Click “Read More” to access information related to the current status of regulations impacting California’s rural counties.
Proposed Pesticide Use Near School Sites Regulation. While current regulatory requirements for pesticide applications near schools vary from county to county, the proposed regulation will provide minimum statewide standards for all agricultural pesticide applications near public K-12 schools and child day care facilities. The proposed regulation will require growers to notify public K-12 schools, child day care facilities, and county agricultural commissioners when certain pesticide applications made for the production of an agricultural commodity near a school site are planned in the coming year, and again a few days prior to the applications. In addition, certain pesticide applications near these school sites will be prohibited at certain times. Agency: Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) Status: Proposed regulations were released in September 2016, with public comments now due December 9, 2016. There are three public hearings scheduled for November 15, 16, and December 9, 2016 in Oxnard, Tulare, and Salinas, respectively. The public notice with public hearing time and location details and the draft regulations can be accessed here. RCRC Comments: Staff is seeking input from member counties. RCRC Advocate: Mary Pitto mpitto@rcrcnet.org
Amendments to the Portable Engine ATCM and the PERP. Revisions to the Portable Engine Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) and the Statewide Portable Equipment Registration Program Regulation (PERO) are being proposed. The current ATCM requires subject fleets of engines to meet a series of fleet average emission standards for diesel particulate matter (DPM). The ATCM fleet standards became effective in 2013 and become more stringent in 2017 and 2020. Compliance with the future fleet requirements are projected to be very difficult. The proposed amendments include alternatives to the current fleet averages to protect public health while considering economic impacts to regulated fleets. Agency: Air Resources Board (ARB) Status: Draft regulations dated September 9, 2016, with a public workshop on November 10, 2016. These proposed regulations are anticipated to be released in early 2017, and considered at the March 2017 ARB public meeting. The public workshop notice and draft regulations can be accessed here. RCRC Comments: Staff is seeking input from member counties. RCRC Advocate: Mary Pitto mpitto@rcrcnet.org
California Carpet Stewardship Plan 2017-2021. The Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) has submitted a new Carpet Stewardship Plan (Plan) for approval. The purpose of the Plan is to increase the amount of postconsumer carpet diverted from landfills through recycling into secondary products. Agency: CalRecycle Status: Report posted October 18, 2016, with public comments due November 14, 2016. This new Plan will be considered at the December 20, 2016 CalRecycle public meeting. RCRC Comments: Staff is seeking input from member counties. The Plan can be accessed here. RCRC Advocate: Mary Pitto mpitto@rcrcnet.org
Update to the California Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool (Proposed CalEnviroScreen 3.0). The CalEnviroScreen uses a suite of statewide indicators and assigns scores for each indicator in a given geographic area (census tracts). Scores for the pollution burden and population characteristics categories are then multiplied together. The intent of this tool is to provide State agencies with a means to prioritize and direct their resources and make policy decisions intended to benefit the most impacted communities. This latest update incorporates recent data for nearly all indicators, improvements in the way some indicators are calculated, and two new indicators – cardiovascular disease and rent-adjusted income. The update also includes additional information on pollution sources in Mexico. The tool precludes 30 counties (27 RCRC counties) from being defined as having any “Disadvantaged Communities.” Agency: Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment Status: Draft released September 6, 2016, with public comments due October 21, 2016. Draft proposal and related documents can be accessed here. RCRC Comments: Click here. RCRC Advocates: Mary Pitto mpitto@rcrcnet.org and Staci Heaton sheaton@rcrcnet.org
Draft Safety Element Update of the General Plan Guidelines. The draft Safety Element to the General Plan Guidelines implements Senate Bill 379 (Jackson, 2015) and incorporates climate change adaptation and resilience in the Safety Element of the General Plan Guidelines. Agency: The Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) Status: Draft language released October 24, 2016, with comments due by November 4, 2016. Webinars will be held on November 2 and 3, 2016. A copy of the draft and webinar registration can be accessed here. RCRC Comments: Staff is seeking input from member counties. RCRC Advocate: Mary Pitto mpitto@rcrcnet.org
Discussion Draft of Significant Effects and Hazards in the CEQA Guidelines. These proposed revisions specifically address the requirement to analyze hazards that a project may risk exacerbating and are in response to the California Supreme Court’s decision in California Building Industry Association v. Bay Area Air Quality Management District (2015) 62 Cal. 4th 369. Agency: The Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) Status: Draft language released October 21, 2016, with comments due by November 21, 2016. A copy of the draft can be accessed here. RCRC Comments: Staff is seeking input from member counties. RCRC Advocate: Mary Pitto mpitto@rcrcnet.org