Last year Gov. Gavin Newsom strongarmed the State legislature into gutting the California Environmental Quality Act. Newsom told the legislature that he wouldn’t sign off on the State’s $321 billion spending plan unless they approved his “reforms”.
Many legislators were worried that the bill Newsom was pushing for, SB 131, would create a slew of exemptions from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). While exemptions had already been created for housing and transit projects, SB 131 would allow exemptions for “advanced manufacturing” projects. These legislators were concerned because approval of the bill involved removing language from the State’s Public Resources Code that defined what could be considered an “advanced manufacturing” project. People in leadership said, don’t worry, we’ll fix this before the end of the session.
But of course, nothing got fixed. The definitions weren’t clarified. While there’s a push now in the legislature to clarify the definitions, it will be an uphill battle because well-financed business interests prefer the lack of clarity.
What kinds of “advanced manufacturing” projects might now be exempt from environmental review now that SB 131 has passed? Here’s a partial list from the web site Legal Planet.
aerospace manufacturing
animal feed and organic fertilizer
plastic bottle manufacturing
semiconductor fabrication
lithium ion batteries
lithium recovery and processing
rare earth materials production
Among the most concerning would be last four on the list. Making semiconductors involves the use of toxic materials such as arsenic and antimony, as well as toxic chemicals like sulfuric acid and hydrofluoric acid. Lithium processing involves the production of significant toxic waste, and many rare earth minerals are themselves toxic.
Would you be okay with one of these “advanced manufacturing” projects being approved in your neighborhood? If not, you might want to to contact your representatives in the State Assembly and the State Senate.
Here’s an article from CalMatters that gives an overview of the whole disturbing mess.
California Blew a Hole in Environmental Planning Law. Now, Lawmakers Are Trying to Fix It
The Horizon and the Skyline 