AgdaPkt 2008-07-28 Clsd and Reg - Laserfiche WebLink

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9A Page 7 Cities Should Voice Comments on Climate Change Scoplng Plan The California State Air Resources Board (ARB) recently released its Draft Scoplng Plan. Responsible for the implementation of California's climate change law (AB 32), the draft represents ARB's proposal on how to reach California's climate change goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) to 1990 levels by 2020. A copy of ARB's Plan can be found online at the State's Climate Change Web portal. http://www.arb.ca.aovJccJscopinoplanJdocumentJdraftscopinoolan.htm The League encourages cities to comment on the draft which represents California's plan on how to reduce GHG in the state. League staff will be drafting comments for review by the League's Climate Change Working Group and other interested city officials. A copy of that draft will be available as early as Tuesday, July 22. City officials who wish to share comments or review the proposed League comments should contact League Legislative Representative Kyra Ross (kross{Q}caclties.oro) by July 28. Although the ARB Web site indicates that Aug. 1 is the final day for comments on the draft, it appears from conversations with ARB staff that they indicated to accept comments well beyond the Aug. 1 deadline. Comments can be submitted on the State's Draft Scoplng Plan Web site.http://www.arb.ca.aov/cclscopinaolanlspcomment.htm. Submitted organizational and individual comments are also available for viewing on this Web site. Water Boards Take Action on Minimum Mandatory Penalty Violation Enforcement The State Water Resources Control Board recently sent a letter to the California State Legislature to inform members that state and regional water boards are undertaking a significant enforcement Initiative to eliminate their backlog of Mandatory Minimum Penalty (MMP) violations. State law mandates the imposition of minimum penalties of $3,000 per occurrence for specific violations of the federal Clean Water Act permits issued by the water boards. The letter, dated July 3, explained that historically water boards have not consistently taken action to enforce MMP violations primarily due to resource constraints and other competing priorities. Consequently, there Is a sizable backlog of MMP violations for which formal enforcement action has not been taken. Current data from the water boards shows that action has not been taken on more than 7,200 MMP violations at 477 separate facilities which occurred between Jan. 1,2000, and Dec. 31,2007. These violations represent over $21 million In potentially uncollected administrative civil liability. The water boards intend to substantially reduce this backlog by the end of 2008. The water boards plan to use a phased approach of first resolving uncontested MMP violations by sending letters to all facilities with MMPs and offering them the opportunity to resolve their violation(s) by acknowledging them, and providing full payment of any accrued penalties. Based on the response to the initial contact correspondence to facilities subject to the MMPs, the water boards will review and process the remaining contested MMPs through formal enforcement hearings. The water boards are also implementing controls to ensure that new violations subject to MMPs are addressed promptly. 7