CA SB 601

Title: Water: waste discharge.
Author: Benjamin J. Allen

Summary
SB 601, as amended, Allen. Water: waste discharge. (1) 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 Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act (act) and the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program. Under the act, the State Water Resources Control Board is authorized to adopt water quality control plans for waters for which quality standards are required by the federal Clean Water Act, as specified, and that in the event of a conflict, those plans supersede regional water quality control plans for the same waters.This bill would revise the above-described requirement to demonstrate enrollment with NPDES to instead require demonstrating enrollment with NPDES or the Waste Discharge Requirements (WDR) permit programs by providing the specified information. The bill would require, when applying to a city or a county for a building or construction permit, a person who conducts a business operation that is a regulated industry and seeks permission for construction activities over one acre to demonstrate enrollment with the NPDES or WDR permit programs by providing specified information under penalty of perjury on the initial building or construction permit application, or renewal thereof. By expanding the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would include in this specified information, among other things, the total planned disturbed acreage and WDID or WDID application number issued for the construction or land disturbance activity by the State Water Resources Control Board. By increasing the duties of local officials to administer licenses and permits, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2)Under the act, the State Water Resources Control Board is authorized to adopt water quality control plans for waters for which quality standards are required by the federal Clean Water Act, as specified, and that in the event of conflict, those plans supersede regional water quality control plans for the same waters.This bill would delete the limitation on the state board’s authorization, and instead would authorize the state board to adopt water quality control plans for any waters of the state, which would include nexus waters, which the bill would define as all waters of the state that are not also navigable, except as specified. The bill would require any water quality standard applicable to nexus waters, which was submitted to, and approved by, or is awaiting approval by, the United States Environmental Protection Agency or the state board as of January 19, 2025, to remain in effect, except where the state board, regional board, or United States Environmental Protection Agency adopts a more stringent standard. The bill would require the state board and regional boards to include nexus waters in all processes pursuant to the federal Clean Water Act, including, but not limited to, the California Integrated Report and the establishment of total maximum daily loads, as specified.(3)(2) Existing law requires a regional board, after any necessary hearing, to prescribe requirements as to the nature of any proposed discharge, existing discharge, or material change in an existing discharge, except discharges into a community sewer system, with relation to the conditions existing in the disposal area or receiving waters upon, or into which, the discharge is made or proposed and sets forth what the requirements are to include.This bill would require the above-described discharge requirements to, in the case of discharges to nexus waters, implement the relevant federal standards.(4)(3) The act authorizes the imposition of civil penalties for violations of certain waste discharge requirements, including violation of a cease and desist order or a cleanup and abatement order, and requires that penalties imp

Status
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

Bill Documents
CA SB 601 - 05/23/25 - Amended Senate
05/23/25 - CA SB 601 (05/23/25 - Amended Senate)