Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 04101987 - S.3 TO: BOARD OF' SUPERVISORS -3 FROM: Contra Supervisor Nancy C. Fanden Costa "-BATE: March 3, 1987 @ County SUBJECT: SUPPORT OF SENATE BILL 269 SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATIONS) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION: That the County Administrator draft a Board Resolution in support of Senator Kopp' s bill 269 to remove exemption of public agencies from toxics initiative. BACKGROUND: I have recently received a letter from Senator Quentin L. Kopp advising me that he has introduced Senate Bill 269 which removes the exemption of governmental agencies from the toxics initiative (Proposition 65 ) except for public sewer systems. In his letter he has requested a resolution of support from the Contra Costa Co-dnty Board of Supervisors. Attached is Senator Kopp' s letter and a copy of his bill. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: y;rS SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURES) ACTION OF BOARD ON March 10, 1987 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER X REFERRED to the county Administrator for analysis the request of senator Kopp that the Board adopt a Position of support for proposed legislation SB 269. VOTE OF SUPERVISORS X UNANIMOUS (ABSENT IV I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AYES: NOES- AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN ABSENT: - ABSTAIN: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD' OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN, CC: County.Administrator ATTESTED RIO Bstd.cr, 01srk of the Bond of Supervisors and County Adm.inistratr_ M382/7-83 BY DEPUTY Senator Quentin L . Kopp February 26 , 1987 r FiEG�,IV_a_,D MAR 2 198? ff 9H'.t.BATCHELOR ' fLE K BOl, OF Sul1C ORS E t":�A COSTA C pe ut Honorable Sunne McPeak � '� . . .. 1. Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors 651 Pine Street Martinez , CA 94553 Dear Sunne: I enclose Senate Bill 269 which removes the exemption of governmental agencies from the toxics initiative (Proposition 65) except for public sewer systems. As an endorser (like me) of Proposition 65 , I know you' ll want to plug the loopholes in the law. That' s why I 've authored SB 269 , and why I 'd like a resolution of support from your Board. Let me know if you want me to appear personally on it. Sincp-re,ly yours, E TIN L. KOPP QLK:bly Enclosure }� waer�}�:cTbcrs d(— COLFKy Adnjin;s.iratof --� Coe-:r„�;,i �evetopmeru STATE CAPITOL, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA 95814 (916) 445-0503 DISTRICT OFFICE: 363 EL CAMINO REAL, SO. SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94080 (415) 952-5666 SENATE BILL No. 269 Introduced by Senator Kopp February 2, 1987 An act to amend Section 25249.11 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to toxic chemicals. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST BS 269, as introduced, Kopp. Toxic chemicals: discharges. The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65) prohibits any person in the course of doing business from knowingly discharging or releasing a chemical known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity into water, except as specified, and prohibits any person in the course of doing business to knowingly and intentionally expose any individual to such a chemical without giving a specified warning. These provisions exclude from the definition of a "person in the course of doing business" a city, county, or district, a state or federal agency, or an entity in its operation of a public water system. This bill would include cities, counties, districts, and state and federal agencies within these discharge and exposure prohibitions and would instead exclude an entity in its operation of publicly owned treatment works, as defined in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. Vote: %. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. i 99 50 SB 269 —2— The people of the State of California do enact as follows.- 1 SECTION 1. Section 25249.11 of the Health and '2 Safety Code is amended to read: 3 25249.11. Pe nitiens. 4 Fff For purposes of this chapter: i 5 (a) "Person" means an individual, trust, firm, joint ` 6 stock company, corporation, company, partnership, and 7 association, city, county, district, and the state, or any 8 department or agency thereof, and, to the extent 9 permitted by federal law, the federal government or any 10 department or agency thereof. 11 (b) "Person in the course of doing business" does not 12 include any person employing fewer than tee 10 13 employees in his the person's business,aft�-eit-y-;eettft 14 e- district er edty departmefft ep ageney theree€ of the 15 state e-any er ageney theree€er the federal 16 er arm depaftmeftt er ageney thereof-,or any 17 entity in its operation of a die mer system as defifted 18 itt Seetien 4010.1 publicly owned treatment works, as 19 defined in Section 1292 of Title 33 of the United States 20 Code. 21 (c) "Person in the course of doing business"includes, 22 but is not limited to, any action taken by a public agency 23 in the course of its operations. t 24 (d) "Significant amount" means any detectable 25 amount except an amount which would meet the 26 exemption test in subdivision (c) of Section 25249.10 if an 27 individual were exposed to such an amount in drinking 28 water. 29 {d} 30 (e) "Source of drinking water"means either a present 31 source of drinking water or water which is identified or 32 designated in a water quality control plan adopted by a 33 regional board as being suitable for domestic or 34 municipal uses. 35 fie} 36 (f) "Threaten to violate" means to create a condition 37 in which there is a substantial probability that a violation 38 will occur. 99 90 —3— SB 269 2 (g) "Warning" within the meaning of Section 25249.6 3 few is not required to be provided separately to each 4 exposed individual and may be provided by general 5 methods such as labels on consumer products, inclusion 6 of notices in mailings to water customers, posting of 7 notices, placing notices in public news media, and the 8 like,provided that the warning accomplished is clear and 9 reasonable. In order to minimize the burden on retail 10 sellers of consumer products, including foods, 11 regulations implementing Section 25249.6 shall, to the 12 extent practicable, place the obligation to provide any 13 warning materials such as labels on the producer or 14 packager rather than on the retail seller, except where 15 the retail seller itself is responsible for introducing a 16 chemical known to the state to cause cancer or 17 reproductive toxicity into the consumer product in 18 question. O 99 100 News from Mate Senator Quentin L. Kopp Eighth Senatorial District IRV— CONTACT: Barbara Katz DATE:#3 (916) 445-0503 February 2, 1987 KOPP INTRODUCES BILL TO REMOVE EXEMPTION OF PUBLIC AGENCIES FROM TOXICS INITIATIVE Senator Quentin L. Kopp (I-San Francisco) introduced Senate Bill 269 today (February 2) which removes the exemption of governmental agencies from the toxics initiative (Proposition 65) except for public sewer systems. "The opponents of Proposition 65 make much of the fact that it specifically excluded public agencies from its operation. The explanation of the proponents was that public agencies have no choice in the operations such as sewage systems where all wet sewage must be accepted by a particular sewage system. The proponents , however, concede that such an exemption was too broad. There are many governmental agency operations which are not in a situation similar to a sewage system. For example , public works operations , park and recreational facilities , hydro power districts and other public buildings are clearly different than sewer agencies, " said Kopp. After further examination and reflection, I have concluded that the only conceivable exclusion is the situation faced by our public sewer agencies which have no choice or control over what enters their systems, " Kopp said. "Any sensible regulation must include government agencies because they should be as responsible as private entities in preventing pollution. After all , what' s good for the goose is good for the gander! " , noted Kopp. The timing issue is important as noted by Senator Kopp: "We shouldn' t wait to enact this legislation. It ought to be enacted concomitantly with legislation that implements Proposition 65. " 1.1 CAPITOL OFFICE STATE CAPITOL, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA 95814 TELEPHONE: (916) 4450503 1-1 DISTRICT OFFICE 363 EL CAMINO REAL, SO. SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA TELEPHONE (415) 952-5666