Get Involved During the Legislative Recess
Clean Transportation Rules Underway at the Air Resources Board
The legislature will leave for its month-long recess on Friday July 16, hitting pause on what many in the environmental community consider to be a disappointing year for climate and energy legislation.
This year we’ve seen the legislature fail to advance legislation that would create setbacks around oil and gas wells; pass bills to ban online retailers from using non-recyclable plastic for shipping; or pass bills that would have helped get harmful gas out of new and existing buildings.
Yet there are some important bills still moving that need your help. Sierra Club California is supporting many of them, but just to name a few:
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SB 47 (Limón) will increase the amount of funds available to plug and abandon deserted oil wells and protect public health.
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SB 343 (Allen) would prohibit manufacturers from labeling products with the word “recyclable” or the chasing-arrows symbol associated with recycling if they are not recyclable.
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AB 1346 (Berman) will reduce air pollution by requiring CARB to develop and adopt regulations that prohibit the sale of small off gas-powered engines, such as the ones frequently found in lawn and garden equipment.
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AB 1183 (Ramos) will increase opportunities for desert conservation and access to natural habitats by establishing a desert conservancy program at the Wildlife Conservation Board.
During the recess, I urge you to arrange a virtual visit with your legislators while they are in the district and share your support for the bills above.
You can find a list of our other priority bills and our positions on those bills here.
The transportation sector spews 40% of California’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 80% of its nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions. To create healthy, breathable air in the state and slow the climate crisis, we must transition to zero emission transportation as soon as possible.
Luckily, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is developing two key rulemakings with the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and toxic air pollution. Sierra Club California is fiercely advocating that these rules drastically improve air quality and curb fossil fuel pollution in the communities that need it most.
The Advanced Clean Fleets rule is a complement to last year’s first-in-the-nation Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) standard. While the ACT established that, at a minimum, more than half of the trucks sold in the state will be electric by 2035, the Fleet rule will determine how, where and when these zero-emission vehicles will hit California’s roads and provide a blueprint for how we get to 100% electric trucks.
The Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) rule is designed to reduce emissions from passenger cars and trucks, and to ensure that California meets the Governor’s executive order requiring that 100% of cars sold in the state be zero emission by 2035.
Both of these rulemakings will be up for a vote at CARB within the next year or so. Over the next few months, CARB staff will host workshops and open comment periods that allow our members to engage. If you are interested in participating in, or staying up to date on these workshops, you can follow the ACF rulemaking and the ACC II rulemaking here.
Industry interests are constantly looking for ways to slow down, weaken, and derail these health-protective rulemakings. We need CARB to hear from the public that we can no longer tolerate the air quality crisis in California. The time for zero-emission transportation is NOW!
Keep an eye on your inboxes for action alerts providing opportunities to make your voice heard at the Air Resources Board, calling for strong and urgent action on these rulemakings.
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) will be hosting a series of webinars in preparation for the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Delta tunnel project. The draft EIR is scheduled to be released in 2022, and the webinars are designed to engage stakeholders and keep members of the public informed on the development process of the EIR.
Each webinar will include a presentation from technical staff and an opportunity for the audience to ask clarifying questions on the material being presented. Closed captioning and Spanish translation services will be provided.
Sierra Club CA has long been opposed to any and all forms of a tunnel project in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (Bay-Delta). The lack of fresh water flows in the Delta due to excessive diversions has led to loss of natural habitat for species and has nearly driven numerous fish and wildlife species to extinction. This has impacted the prosperity of those living in Delta communities, while also severely decreasing the amount of freshwater for local residents.
You can attend these webinars and urge DWR to think critically about the impact the tunnel will have on Delta communities and ecosystems. You can find talking points for each webinar here.
Below is the webinar schedule and the topics that will be covered as well as the links to register:
Operations of the State Water Project and Delta Conveyance
Wednesday, July 14, 2021 | 6:00pm – 8:00pm | REGISTER HERE
Topics include basics of the State Water Project (SWP), how the Delta operates, and methods for environmental review of the Delta tunnel project.
Fisheries
Tuesday, August 3, 2021 | 6:00pm – 8:00pm | REGISTER HERE
Topics include data on fish species, and migration patterns, models, and methods for evaluating impacts of the Delta tunnel project on fisheries.
Climate Change
Wednesday, August 25, 2021 | 6:00pm – 8:00pm | REGISTER HERE
Topics include overview of DWR’s Climate Action Plan, methods, and models for analyzing environmental impacts of the Delta tunnel project (including increased traffic and air quality impacts).
Environmental Justice
Thursday, September 16, 2021 | 6:00pm – 8:00pm | REGISTER HERE
Topics include overview of results from the DWR environmental justice survey and impacts on communities in the Delta.
Read more about our campaign to stop the Delta tunnel and join our Stop the Delta Tunnel Facebook group for timely updates and ways you can take action.
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