Here's your 2024 timeline for California climate and environment issues - OCRegister

Here’s your 2024 timeline for California climate and environment issues - Orange County Register

Will El Niño make this another wet winter, keeping drought and wildfires at bay in California for a second year in a row? Or will we see a return to the climate-fueled “new normal” of hotter, drier weather — and the risks those conditions bring?

Will California’s strained budget mean more cuts to climate programs? Or will lawmakers find creative ways to safeguard that funding?

Will voters uphold a state law that creates a buffer zone between oil wells and sites such as homes, schools and parks? Or will heavy industry lobbying help convince a majority of voters to side with oil companies?

Adrian Martinez, a Los Angeles-based attorney for the climate advocacy group Earthjustice, says one thing is clear:

“2024 is going to be a major year for the environment in California.”

Here’s a timeline of some key climate and environment issues expected to affect Californians over the next 12 months:

Jan. 1: New laws and regulations take effect — Some of the most prominent climate laws passed in 2023 don’t take effect for another year or two, but several bills and regulations passed in recent years do kick in Jan. 1.

These include rules that will “make it easier for us to fix our stuff, tackle plastic waste with better recycling regulations and reduce air pollution from gas-powered vehicles and equipment,” said Jenn Engstrom, state director of CALPIRG, a Los Angeles-based public advocacy group.

To help clean the air, California will ban the sale of some gas-powered lawn equipment, such as mowers and leaf blowers. Also, new air regulator rules will require all new drayage trucks (vehicles that transport cargo between ports and railways) to be zero-emission. And half of the vehicles purchased for state and local government fleets must be emissions free, on the way to reaching 100% clean fleet purchases by 2027.

On the recycling front, two bills (both of which were passed in 2021) kick in Jan. 1. The Truth in Recycling bill will prohibit manufacturers from using the chasing arrows symbol on any product that can’t be recycled in the state. And another bill ensures that plastic exported to other countries for recycling doesn’t count toward California’s recycling goals, since there’s no guarantee the plastic will be reused once it leaves.

To prevent toxins from getting to people and the environment, compact fluorescent light bulbs that contain mercury can no longer be sold in California as of Jan. 1. And cookware manufacturers will have to disclose if toxic “forever” chemicals known as PFAS were added to their products.

Jan. 10: Initial state budget deadline — Gov. Gavin Newsom must present a first draft of his proposed 2024-25 fiscal year budget by this date. He closed a $31 billion budget gap in the 2023-24 budget in part by cutting $6 billion from climate initiatives. The gap is expected to balloon to $68 billion for the next fiscal year, meaning more cuts to climate programs will surely be on the table.

Feb. 16: Bill deadline — Lawmakers have until this date to introduce bills they want considered this session, which will give us a full picture of all climate bills in the mix.

March 5: Primary election — California voters will weigh in on which candidates will advance to the general election during this year’s early primary, with evidence that climate change plans may be a winning strategy for Southern California candidates.

March 21: Hearing on fuel standards — The California Air Resources Board will hold a public hearing to consider amending its Low Carbon Fuel Standard program, which requires fuel companies in California to reduce the carbon-intensity of the products they produce or pay for credits if they miss the mark.

That program already generates up to $4 billion a year for climate programs, Martinez noted. But if state regulators revise it as environmental advocates have requested — to focus on incentivizing zero emissions transportation instead of “cleaner” combustion fuels, such as ethanol and biogas from dairies — Martinez said the program could generate even more money to help “backfill” state budget cuts to zero emissions programs.

May 24: First bill passage deadline — This is the last day for bills to pass the House where they were introduced. That includes a few significant bills that, in 2023, were turned into two-year bills:

- S.B. 252: The state’s two largest public pension funds would have to divest, or stop investing in, major fossil fuel companies by 2031 under this bill from state Sen. Lena Gonzalez, D-Long Beach.
- S.B. 707: Known as the Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2023, this bill from State Sen. Josh Newman, D-Fullerton, would make California the first state to set up a “stewardship program” for its fashion and textile industries, requiring manufacturers to set up collection sites and then donate, repair or recycle items. , turned it into a two-year bill.
- A.B. 1042: To close the so-called “treated seed loophole,” which is the subject of a lawsuit now pending against the state, the Department of Pesticide Regulation would have to develop regulations for seeds treated with pesticides before they’re planted under this bill from Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, D-San Ramon.

June 15: State budget deadline — California lawmakers must pass the budget by this date. That budget will outline which environmental projects will receive funding — and which will face cuts — in the coming fiscal year.

June 27: Ballot measure deadline — This is the last day for measures to qualify for the November ballot (though most have spring deadlines to submit the required number of signatures). That includes several climate-related measures that could end up on the ballot:

- A measure that would let smaller solar farms sell electricity to neighbors without being regulated by the state as public utilities
- One that aims to increase the state’s target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 95% below 1990 levels by 2045 (up from the current 85% goal)
- A measure that would ban most new or modified oil and gas wells within 3,200 feet of sites such as homes, schools, daycares and parks. (See the Nov. 5 entry for more on this issue.)

July 1: Additional laws and regulations kick in — Starting July 1, the Right to Repair Act takes effect. The law requires manufacturers of electronic devices and appliances, such as laptops and washing machines, to offer access, with limits, to the tools, parts and manuals needed to fix those products. Supporters say the new rules will make it easier and more affordable for consumers to repair hardware, and reduce the amount of hazardous electronic waste that ends up in landfills.

The Department of Pesticide Regulation also has until July to wrap up a comprehensive study on how consumer use of pesticides known as neonics affect bees and other pollinators, water systems and human health.

Sometime in the third quarter of the year, the South Coast Air Quality Management District also is expected to consider regulations to clean up air pollution generated at railyards. Since the trucking industry recently failed in challenging a similar rule to clean up air around warehouses, Martinez said he’s optimistic there could be action around railyards in 2024.

Aug. 31: Final bill passage deadline — This is the last day for the House and Assembly to pass bills this session.

Sept. 30: Bill signing deadline — Newsom has until this date to sign or veto all legislation that passed both chambers, determining which climate bills will die, apply immediately or kick in on or after Jan. 1, 2025.

Oct. 1: Port pollution rules — Sometime in the fourth quarter of the year, the South Coast Air Quality Management District is expected to consider regulations to clean up pollution from ports, such as requiring more ships to plug into shoreside electricity while docked.

Nov. 5: Election Day — In addition to electing politicians, California voters will decide if they want to uphold or reject a state law requiring new oil and gas wells to be located at least 3,200 feet away from homes, schools, nursing homes or hospitals. Lawmakers passed the bill in 2022, but oil industry supporters gathered enough signatures to put that question on the fall 2024 ballot.