Existing law, the California Coastal Act of 1976 (Act) regulates development along the state’s coast and requires that oil and gas development be permitted in certain circumstances. The Act requires that coastal-dependent industrial facilities be encouraged to locate or expand within existing sites, and, where new or expanded coastal-dependent industrial facilities cannot feasibly be accommodated consistent with other policies of the Act, they may nevertheless be permitted if (1) alternative locations are infeasible or more environmentally damaging, (2) to do otherwise would adversely affect the public welfare, and (3) adverse environmental effects are mitigated to the maximum extent feasible.
This bill would, in addition to the requirements listed above, allow permitting of new or expanded coastal-dependent industrial facilities only if the facility is not an oil and gas facility.
The Act requires that oil and gas development be permitted in accordance with the above-described requirements for coastal-dependent industrial facilities, if specified conditions relating to safety and environmental mitigation are met, as prescribed.
This bill would:
- Prohibit new or expanded oil and gas development from being considered a coastal-dependent industrial facility, as provided, and would only permit those developments if they are found to be consistent with all applicable provisions of the act;
- Require the repair and maintenance of existing oil and gas facilities to be permitted in accordance with the above-described requirements, if specified conditions are met.
The Act requires the permitting of new or expanded refineries or petrochemical facilities not otherwise consistent with the act if, among other conditions, it is found that not permitting the development would adversely affect the public welfare.
This bill would remove authorization to permit new or expanded refineries or petrochemical facilities that are not consistent with the act. The bill would instead prohibit new or expanded refineries or petrochemical facilities from being considered a coastal-dependent industrial facility, as provided, and would only authorize the permitting of those facilities if they are found to be consistent with all applicable provisions of the act.
The Act makes legislative findings and declarations relating to the California Coastal Commission and legislative findings and declarations relating to the ports of California. This bill would make revisions to these legislative findings and declarations to include provisions relating to offshore wind development and offshore wind energy generation facilities.
Full bill text and related information.
