Youll want to take your time with this lengthy list of new laws, but heres a quick glance at the environmental measures that make the cut, according to KQED News: :: Plastic bag ban — or not (SB270) Phases out use of single-use plastic bags at large grocery stores and supermarkets such as Wal-Mart and Target starting in July and convenience stores and pharmacies in 2016. The law does not apply to bags used for fruits, vegetables or meats, or to shopping bags used at other retailers. It allows grocers to charge a fee of at least 10 cents for using paper bags. Few legislative fights in 2014 were more intense, and the plastic bag industry quickly ponied up $3 million to gather signatures for a referendum asking voters to overturn the law — and it appears to have enough to make that happen in November 2016. If the signatures are valid, the new law will be put on hold, allowing the plastic bag industry to keep selling for at least another 16 months. :: Public notices for gas pipeline work (AB1937) There have been an increasing number of evacuations from schools and hospitals due to gas pipelines being struck during maintenance or excavation work. The new law requires gas companies to provide schools and hospitals with timely public notice of such work. :: Groundwater management rules (SB1168) Requires agencies in fast-depleting basins to draw up sustainability plans and allows for water meters and fines for monitoring and enforcement. According to AP, the law “does not go as far as other Western states by granting state agencies the power to authorize or prohibit groundwater withdrawals, but the California Water Resources Control Board can now intervene if locals fail to act or come up with inadequate solutions.” The timetable for implementation of regulations on groundwater, California’s biggest source of water, is decades.
Posted on: Fri, 02 Jan 2015 19:51:49 +0000
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