Amended  IN  Assembly  March 09, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 530

Introduced by Assembly Member Boerner Horvath

February 08, 2023

An act to amend Section 39731 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to greenhouse gases.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 530, as amended, Boerner Horvath. Methane emissions.
Existing law requires the State Air Resources Board, no later than January 1, 2016, to complete a comprehensive strategy to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants in the state. Existing law requires the state board, no later than January 1, 2018, to approve and begin implementing the comprehensive short-lived climate pollutant strategy to achieve a reduction in the statewide emissions of methane by 40%, hydrofluorocarbon gases by 40%, and anthropogenic black carbon by 50% below 2013 levels by 2030. Existing law requires the state board to take specified actions and conduct specified analyses with respect to methane emissions. undertake certain tasks, including consulting with federal and state agencies, independent scientific experts, and any other appropriate entities to gather or acquire the necessary information to carry out a life-cycle greenhouse gas emission analysis of natural gas produced and imported into the state using the best available and cost-effective scientific and technical methods, and to update relevant policies and programs to incorporate this information and other specified information.

This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation related to methane emissions.

This bill would additionally require the state board to consult with the aforementioned stakeholders to gather and acquire the necessary information to estimate, using the best available and cost-effective scientific and technical methods, methane emissions from landfills in the state. The bill would require the state board, no later than December 31, 2024, to update relevant policies and programs to incorporate this information. The bill would require the state board to consider additional policies to encourage the use of natural gas produced in the state with the lowest life-cycle emissions.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NOYES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 39731 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

39731.
 The state board shall do all of the following:
(a) Undertake, Monitor and measure, in consultation with districts that monitor methane, monitoring and measurements of high-emission methane hot spots in the state using the best available and cost-effective scientific and technical methods.
(b) Consult with federal and state agencies, independent scientific experts, and any other appropriate entities to gather or acquire the necessary information for the purpose of carrying to estimate, using the best available and cost-effective scientific and technical methods, methane emissions from landfills in the state and carry out a life-cycle greenhouse gas emission analysis of natural gas produced and imported into the state using the best available and cost-effective scientific and technical methods. state.
(c) Update Update, no later than December 31, 2024, relevant policies and programs to incorporate the information gathered and acquired pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b).
(d) Consider additional policies to encourage the use of natural gas produced in the state with the lowest life-cycle emissions.

(d)

(e) Review, in consultation with independent scientific experts, the most recent available scientific data and reports on the atmospheric reactivity of methane as a precursor to the formation of photochemical oxidants.

SECTION 1.

It is the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation related to methane emissions.