AB 2113

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Under existing law, the State Water Resources Control Board and the 9 California regional water quality control boards regulate water quality and prescribe waste discharge requirements in accordance with the federal national pollutant discharge elimination system (NPDES) permit program established by the federal Clean Water Act and the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act. Existing law requires each regional board to formulate and adopt water quality control plans for all areas within the region, as provided. Existing law authorizes the imposition of civil penalties for violations of certain waste discharge requirements and requires that penalties imposed pursuant to these provisions be deposited into the Waste Discharge Permit Fund, to be expended by the state board, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for specified purposes related to water quality. For violations of certain other waste discharge requirements, including the violation of a waste discharge requirement effluent limitation, existing law imposes specified civil penalties, the proceeds of which are deposited into the continuously appropriated State Water Pollution Cleanup and Abatement Account, which is established in the State Water Quality Control Fund. This bill would create within the Waste Discharge Permit Fund the Waterway Recovery Account, the Citizen Monitoring Account, the Community Capacity Building Account, and the Stormwater Innovation Account, and, subject to future legislation, would annually transfer from the annual proceeds of the State Water Pollution Cleanup and Abatement Account, subject to a future legislative act, the following amounts: 30% to the Waterway Recovery Account; 5% to the Citizen Monitoring Account, but in no instance less than $250,000; 10% to the Community Capacity Building Account, but in no instance less than $500,000; and 5% to the Stormwater Innovation Account. The bill would require moneys in the Waterway Recovery Account to be distributed by the state board, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to each regional board on a pro rata basis to expend on specified purposes, including, among others, restoration projects that improve water quality. The bill would provide that moneys in each of the other 3 accounts created by the bill are available for the state board to expend, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the following purposes: for the Citizen Monitoring Account, to fund a specified state board program to increase water quality monitoring or to establish a priority water-contact recreation site monitoring program; for the Community Capacity Building Account, to create and fund a community capacity program to increase disadvantaged and tribal community participation in state board outreach and regulatory processes; and for the Stormwater Innovation Account, for specified activities relating to stormwater best management practices.