The State Water Resources Control Board voted unanimously today
to implement a statewide ban on the watering of non-functional
turf in the commercial, industrial, and institutional sectors, as
well as regulations requiring local agencies to implement water
use restrictions.
These new regulations come amid the possibility that water
supplies may be up to 20% lower than average due to extreme
weather. The orders do not affect recreation areas.
Democrats in the California released their
budget priorities, which includes the CSAC supported request
for Dam Safety funding. The water and drought provisions within
the package proposes $7.5 billion in state and federal funds to
build a climate resilient water system including:
The deadline for the Legislature to introduce new bills has
passed and it is a banner year for cannabis legislation. Over the
next several months CSAC will continue to keep counties apprised
as cannabis legislation moves through the legislative process.
For now, CSAC is seeking feedback on the following measures:
As we enter another year of dry conditions, CSAC is working on
behalf of counties to bring a unified voice to water
discussions—from groundwater policy dialogue to watershed
networks to updating the California Water Plan. Here are
some useful tools the state has unveiled to help local
communities keep abreast of water conditions at the local,
regional, and state levels. For more information, please contact
Catherine Freeman at cfreeman@counties.org.
The State Water Resources Control Board has funding
available to provide relief to wastewater agencies and
wastewater billing entities for unpaid customer debt accrued
during the Pandemic. The California Water and
Wastewater Arrearage Payment Program covers residential
and commercial customer debt accrued March
4, 2020 through June 15, 2021. Cities, counties,
and special districts that bill for
wastewater are encouraged to apply. Wastewater
treatment providers that bill customers directly can also apply.
This week, the Newsom Administration released their draft of a
statewide
Extreme Heat Action Plan, aimed at better protecting
communities during high heat events.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) and U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are hosting two Waters of
the United States (WOTUS) webinars specifically for state and
local officials and association staff. The webinars will take
place on Monday, January 24, 2022 from 9:00 a.m. –
12:00 p.m. and on Thursday, January 27, 2022
from 7:00 – 10:00 a.m.
The
SB 1383 Local Assistance Grant Program application is now
open! Applications are due by February 1,
2022. This one-time, non-competitive grant program will
provide $57 million to assist local governments in the
implementation of SB 1383 requirements for organic waste
diversion. Funding is available to cities, counties, cities and
counties, Regional or Joint Powers Authorities, and special
districts directly responsible for solid waste collection
services.
This week, the rulemaking on State Minimum Fire Safe Regulations
opened for a
15-day public comment period following revisions to the draft
rule text. The comment period ends Wednesday, January 19,
2022 at 5:00 p.m.
Governor Newsom met the October 10 deadline to take action on
measures approved by the Legislature and delivered to his desk.
To keep counties informed of new laws that impact them, CSAC will
be publishing a series of articles to spotlight those laws in
each policy area. This week, the Agriculture, Environment and
Natural Resources policy area provides information on new laws
affecting drought, wildfire and waste management and hazardous
waste.
The new laws listed below become effective January 1, 2022 unless
otherwise noted.
The Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) is seeking
applicants for the
Cannabis Advisory Committee (CAC) who reflect the
diversity of California and the communities impacted by
commercial cannabis ac
The 2021 CSAC Annual Meeting was held in Monterey County
from November 29 through December 3. More than 600 registrants
attended the conference, engaging with County Supervisors,
policy stakeholders, and CSAC staff. All of CSAC’s policy
committees met in person to hear from key policy makers and
influencers and update priorities for the
2022 legislative session. Please find a brief recap of
each policy committee meeting below.
CalRecycle is seeking public comment on their
proposed criteria for their SB 1383 Local Assistance Grant
Program for 2021-22. A total of $60 million will be made
available to local governments for a wide variety of eligible
activities including collection, education and outreach, edible
food recovery, capacity planning, procurement, record keeping,
and enforcement. This is a non-competitive grant opportunity.
The CA Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) has
announced the 2021
Notice of Funding Opportunity for FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation
Grant Program (HMGP).
This week, the state released a
proposed regulation that would prohibit the construction of
new oil and gas wells and facilities within a 3,200-foot setback
from homes, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and other
sensitive locations. The proposed regulation, set forth by the
Department of Conservation’s Geologic Energy Management Division
(CalGEM), would also require pollution controls for existing
wells and facilities within the same 3,200-foot setback area.
The Governor announced this week that additional counties would
be added to the drought
State of Emergency, which officially places all 58 California
counties under drought emergency. The new counties include Los
Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San
Francisco, and Ventura.
