Governor signs Senator Cortese's Legislation Protecting the Public from Environmental Hazards
Governor Gavin Newsom announced today that he had finished approving Senator Cortese’s 2023 legislation to protect the public from air pollution and other hazards. The bills, SB 69 and SB 642, raise transparency around California’s environmental review process for new development projects, and authorize California’s counties to prosecute entities for hazardous waste violations.
“The Governor recognizes that climate change has left California with an uncertain future, with communities facing sweltering heat, erratic wildfires, devastating floods, rising sea levels, and unpredictable drinking water supplies. Any further risks to the environment should be brought to light, and violators should be brought to justice,” said Senator Cortese (D-San Jose). “It’s my honor to carry on the progress of my father, former Assemblymember Dominic Cortese, in identifying hazardous sites, mitigating their harm to the public, and taking legal action against bad actors.”
The public depends on accessing notices related to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to learn about the environmental impacts of particular development projects, and to provide their input. SB 69 mandates that all CEQA notices be published on the State Clearinghouse website, making them easily accessible to the public in one centralized location. The Governor announced today that he has signed SB 69 into law.
“The Laborers value an open and transparent public engagement process. SB 69 further strengthens this process and protects community groups and stakeholders seeking to provide input on local projects,” said Joseph Cruz, Executive Director at the California State Council of Laborers. “We commend the Governor for signing SB 69 into law.”
In counties where district attorneys have limited resources and heavy criminal caseloads, they sometimes lack the resources to enforce hazardous waste violations. To help, SB 642 gives county counsels full authority to enforce civil penalties for hazardous waste violations. SB 642 builds on Senator Cortese's 2021 bill, SB 461, which broadened the scope of county counsels' jurisdiction to address unfair competition cases.
The Governor approved SB 642 in early September.
SB 642 builds on the work of Senator Cortese’s father, Assemblymember Dominic Cortese, who in 1985 established the ‘Cortese List’ that took inventory of hazardous sites across California. The Cortese List is an annually updated planning document used to inform the public about the location of hazardous material release sites.
Senator Dave Cortese represents Senate District 15, which encompasses San Jose and much of Santa Clara County in the heart of Silicon Valley. Visit Senator Cortese’s website: https://sd15.senate.ca.gov
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