California Assembly Bill AB1454 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 1454AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 26, 2015 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member  Linder   Wagner  FEBRUARY 27, 2015 An act to amend Section  13142   13170.2  of the Water Code, relating to the State Water Resources Control Board. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1454, as amended,  Linder   Wagner  . State policy for water quality  control.   control: California Ocean Plan  . Under existing law, the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, the state policy for water quality control is required to consist of water quality principles and guidelines for long-range resource planning, water quality objectives, and other principles and guidelines deemed essential by the State Water Resources Control Board for water quality control.  The act requires the state board to formulate and adopt a water quality control plan for ocean waters of the state, which is known as the California Ocean Plan, and requires the plan to be reviewed at least every 3 years.   This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to that provision.   This bill would instead require the plan to be reviewed at least every 4 years.  Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  no   yes  . State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION 1.   Section 13170.2 of the   Water Code   is amended to read:  13170.2. (a) The state board shall formulate and adopt a water quality control plan for ocean waters of the  state   state,  which shall be known as the California Ocean Plan. (b) The plan shall be reviewed at least every  three   four  years to guarantee that the current standards are adequate and are not allowing degradation to indigenous marine species or posing a threat to human health. (c) In formulating the plan, the state board shall develop bioassay protocols to evaluate the effect of municipal and industrial waste discharges on the marine environment. (d) The state board shall adopt the bioassay protocols and complementary chemical testing methods and shall require their use in the monitoring of complex effluent ocean discharges. For purposes of this section, "complex effluent" means an effluent in which all chemical constituents are not known or monitored. The state board shall adopt bioassay protocols and complementary chemical testing methods for complex effluent ocean monitoring by January 1, 1990, and shall require their use in monitoring complex effluent ocean discharges by entities discharging 100 million gallons per day or more by January 1, 1991. The state board shall also adopt a schedule for requiring the use of these protocols for complex effluent ocean discharges of under 100 million gallons per day by January 1, 1992.  SECTION 1.   Section 13142 of the Water Code is amended to read: 13142. (a) State policy for water quality control shall consist of all or any of the following: (1) Water quality principles and guidelines for long-range resource planning, including groundwater and surface water management programs and control and use of recycled water. (2) Water quality objectives at key locations for planning and operation of water resource development projects and for water quality control activities. (3) Other principles and guidelines deemed essential by the state board for water quality control. (b) The principles, guidelines, and objectives shall be consistent with the state goal of providing a decent home and suitable living environment for every Californian.