California Senate Bill SB811 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: SB 811AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 24, 2013 AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 28, 2013 AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 6, 2013 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 3, 2013 INTRODUCED BY Senator Lara FEBRUARY 22, 2013 An act to add Section 103.1 to the Streets and Highways Code, relating to transportation. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 811, as amended, Lara. State Highway Route 710. Existing law provides that the Department of Transportation has full possession and control of the state highway system. Existing law imposes various requirements for the development and implementation of transportation projects. This bill would impose various additional requirements on the department, or on another agency, if that agency agrees to assume responsibility as the lead agency with respect to the I-710 expansion project in the County of Los Angeles from State Highway Route 60 in East Los Angeles to Ocean Boulevard in Long Beach. The bill would require the lead agency, in consultation with all interested community organizations, to  consider   include  , within the environmental review process for the project, alternatives to address the air quality, public health, and mobility impacts the project will have on neighboring communities  , including, in its entirety, Community Alternative 7, as defined, as a complete project alternative  . The bill would require the final environmental document approved by the lead agency to include an investment in identified mitigation measures  and community benefits  for the affected communities and the Los Angeles River. The bill would require the lead agency to submit a report in that regard to the Legislature at least 90 days prior to approving the final environmental document for the project , and would require the Senate Committee     on Transportation and Housing and the Assembly Committee on Transportation to hold a public joint hearing on the proposed   final environmental document at least 60 days prior to approval of the final environmental document  . The bill would make legislative findings and declarations. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 103.1 is added to the Streets and Highways Code, to read: 103.1. (a) As used in this section, the following terms have the following meanings: (1) "I-710 expansion project" means the proposed program of improvements to the State Highway Route 710 Corridor in the County of Los Angeles within the State Highway Route 710 Corridor project study area, which extends from State Highway Route 60 in East Los Angeles to Ocean Boulevard in Long Beach. The I-710 expansion project does not include any extension of State Highway Route 710 through South Pasadena from State Highway Route 10 to State Highway Route 210.  (2) "Community Alternative 7" means an alternative infrastructure plan developed by a coalition of community partners, and submitted for consideration to the I-710 expansion project's lead agency in response to the first draft environmental review document. Community Alternative 7 includes mitigation measures and community benefits to address existing and future public health concerns for the affected area.   (2)   (3)  "Lead agency" means the department, unless another agency agrees to assume responsibility as the lead agency for the I-710 expansion project under the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code), in which case "lead agency" means that other agency.  (3)   (4)  "Los Angeles River" or "river" means the Los Angeles River within the State Highway Route 710 Corridor project study area, including the adjacent tributaries of Compton Creek and Rio Hondo.  (5) "Project committee" means the committee facilitated by the project's lead agency as a part of the I-710 expansion project community participation framework, and is comprised of elected officials from I-710 expansion project corridor communities and funding partner representatives who make recommendations to the funding partners and the department on key assumptions and decisions in the environmental review process. The funding partners include the department, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the Gateway Cities Council of Governments, the Southern California Association of Governments, the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and the Interstate 5 Joint Powers Authority.  (b) The Legislature finds and declares  that the   all of the following:   (1)     The  proposed I-710 expansion project is a project of national significance that is intended to expand capacity on State Highway Route 710 in the County of Los Angeles to accommodate the movement of freight from and to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, thereby providing economic benefits in the region and beyond. However, the I-710 expansion project, as proposed, will have adverse public health, air quality, and quality-of-life impacts on residents residing near the corridor from East Los Angeles to Long Beach.  (2) The proposed I-710 expansion project is a "goods movement" project that should be aligned with the principles laid out in the 2007 Goods Movement Action Plan, prepared by the California Environmental Protection Agency and the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency. These principles require that the project be developed in a way that provides improvements to the communities housing the project. For the I-710 expansion project, these improvements include all of the following:   (A) River improvements including those that contribute to revitalization of the river and green, active space along the river.   (B) Bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure; public transit infrastructure and operations.   (C) Targeted hiring and job training related to the construction and operation of the project.   (D) Improvements to conditions at sensitive sites, such as schools, homes, and elderly care facilities.   (3) The proposed I-710 expansion project is a transportation project that should be aligned with the goals of Assembly Bill 32 (Chapter 488, Statutes of 2006) and Senate Bill 375 (Chapter 728, Statutes of 2008) of reducing greenhouse gases by reducing vehicle miles traveled and increasing public transit use and active transportation.   (4) Community Alternative 7 includes these principles, goals, and improvements. On January 31, 2013, the project committee for the proposed I-710 expansion project voted to recommend that the lead agency consider Community Alternative 7 in its entirety in the draft environmental review document for the project.  (c) The lead agency, in consultation with all interested community organizations, shall  consider   include  , within the environmental review process, alternatives to address the air quality, public health, and mobility impacts the I-710 expansion project will have on neighboring communities  , and shall identify measures to improve conditions presently affecting the communities surrounding the existing Route 710 freeway. One of these alternatives shall be Community Alternative 7, considered in its entirety, as a complete project alternative  . (d) The final environmental document approved by the lead agency for the I-710 expansion project shall include an investment in identified mitigation measures  and community benefits  for the affected communities and the Los Angeles River. (e) At least 90 days prior to approving the final environmental document for the I-710 expansion project, the lead agency shall submit a report to the Legislature describing the identified mitigation measures  and community benefits  that will be included in the project and providing evidence of meeting the requirements of this section. The report shall be submitted pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code.  (f) At least 60 days prior to approval by the lead agency of the final environmental document for the I-710 expansion project, the Senate Committee on Transportation and Housing and the Assembly Committee on Transportation shall hold a public joint hearing on the proposed final environmental document.