California Assembly Bill AB880 Introduced / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 880INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member V. Manuel Prez FEBRUARY 17, 2011 An act to amend Section 21159.1 of the Public Resources Code, relating to the environmental quality. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 880, as introduced, V. Manuel Prez. Environmental quality: CEQA: expedited environmental review. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report (EIR) on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA authorizes the use of a focused environmental impact report for a project that consists solely of the installation of pollution control equipment or for a project that consists solely of the installation of that equipment or other components in compliance with the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to the provision of the act that authorizes the use of a focused environmental impact report. 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. Section 21159.1 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read: 21159.1. (a) A focused environmental impact report may be utilized if a project meets all of the following requirements: (1) The project consists solely of the installation of either of the following: (A) Pollution control equipment required by a rule or regulation of an agency listed in subdivision (a) of Section 21159.4 and  the  other components necessary to complete the installation of that equipment. (B) Pollution control equipment and other components necessary to complete the installation of that equipment that reduces greenhouse gases  , as  required by a rule or regulation of an agency listed in Section 21159.4 pursuant to the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Division 25.5 (commencing with Section 38500) of the Health and Safety Code). (2) The agency  certified   certifies  an environmental impact report on the rule or regulation or  reviewed   reviews  it pursuant to a certified regulatory program, and, in either case, the review  included   includes  an assessment of growth inducing impacts and cumulative impacts of, and alternatives to, the project. (3) The environmental review required by paragraph (2)  was   is  completed within five years of certification of the focused environmental impact report. (4) An environmental impact report is not required pursuant to Section 21166. (b) The discussion of significant effects on the environment in the focused environmental impact report shall be limited to project-specific potentially significant effects on the environment of the project that were not discussed in the environmental analysis of the rule or regulation required pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 21159. A discussion of growth-inducing impacts or cumulative impacts shall not be required in the focused environmental impact report, and the discussion of alternatives shall be limited to a discussion of alternative means of compliance, if any, with the rule or regulation.