Bills will invest and create healthier border communities
(COACHELLA, CA.)—Another two pieces of legislation from Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella) were signed by Governor Brown earlier today. The first bill that was enacted was AB 1059, which would require the California Office of Environmental Health and Hazard Assessment to update and expand its CalEnviroScreen 2.0 air monitoring program along the California-Mexico border region to address severe air quality concerns. The second bill, AB 1071 which was dually authored by Garcia and Speaker Toni Atkins would require the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) to establish a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) or policy to assist environmental justice communities along the border.
“It is our very own California-Mexico border communities that are most impacted by poor water and air quality standards,” said Assemblymember Garcia “With today’s action by the Governor, our communities will now have the needed resources to combat and address the negative environmental and public health issues that impacts their neighborhoods—and Environmental Justice Supplemental Environmental Projects are a direct environmental and public health investment in these neighborhoods.”
Below is a description on both of Garcia’s signed bills:
AB 1059 (E. Garcia) –Cal Enviroscreen 2.0, Border Environmental Data: The bill will improve public health for the communities along the California-Mexico border region by expanding the CalEnviroScreen, to capture relevant environmental data and put monitors on the border to access and generate data on the current air quality.
AB 1071 (E. Garcia/Atkins) – Supplemental Environmental Projects: This bill would require promote greater use of Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEP) by requiring a portion of local fine money to be used for SEP’s, and also that there be a nexus between the SEP project and the community impacted by the activity that lead to the fine.
