Press Release
September 11, 2019
CONTACT:
Melissa Romero
[email protected] / 916-223-5894
Sacramento, CA — Yesterday, Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins released amendments to Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), the California Environmental, Public Health and Worker’s Defense Act of 2019. The bill would provide state agencies with greater authority and flexibility to respond to Trump administration federal rollbacks in protections for Californians. The amendments clear the way for the bill to be passed by the State Assembly this week and forwarded to Governor Newsom for his signature.
One of Senator Atkins’ amendments removes language regarding the State Water Resources
Control Board’s wetlands policy. That policy was adopted last April in response to federal
weakening of Clean Water Act protections for the wetlands that help provide clean drinking
water and flood protection benefits. However, the late introduction of the language created
new opposition and it was removed to avoid further confusion about the bill.
A second amendment reinforces the flexibility that SB 1 provides to the Department of Fish and
Wildlife (CDFW) to respond to federal rollbacks that affect California’s threatened and
endangered species. The amendment provides further clarification that SB 1’s provisions
ensure that CDFW has the ability to respond rapidly to federal rollbacks while ensuring that the
best available science is incorporated. This amendment was requested by multiple water users.
The amendments kept intact SB 1’s provision that reinforces California’s existing requirement
that the California Endangered Species Act applies to the Trump Administration’s management
of the Central Valley Project, the largest in the state. SB 1 supporters agree that this provision
is essential to the overarching purpose of this bill, particularly in response to the recent Trump
Administration’s overt political decision to sideline federal scientists and weaken protections
for Southern Resident Killer Whales, salmon, and other Bay-Delta fish species.
Mary Creasman of the California League of Conservation Voters said, “There has never been an Interior
Secretary with more blatant conflicts of interest than the Trump Administration’s David
Bernhardt. As a former lobbyist for oil, gas, and water barons, he’s wasted no time doing
everything in his power to undermine critical wildlife, environmental, and worker safety
protections for his old clients. It’s no secret that the weakening of these strong and popular
laws by the Trump Administration has been planned and calculated for years by the very people
who stand to benefit financially. The effort to weaken and defeat SB 1 is an effort to continue
this corporate polluter agenda. Our future is on the line. California leaders must step up to the
challenge and reject the Trump Administration by passing SB 1.”
The supporters of SB 1 offered the following comments:
Kim Delfino, Defenders of Wildlife: “The Trump administration is recklessly undermining
dozens of critical federal protections to benefit powerful special interests. Last month, the
administration launched an unprecedented attack on the Endangered Species Act, rolling back
critical protections for imperiled species and their habitat at a time when our world is facing an
extinction crisis. SB 1 will provide the necessary flexibility for California to respond to the
damaging federal rollbacks as they fight to protect California residents and natural resources.”
Kate Poole, Natural Resources Defense Council: “Senator Atkins has shown tireless leadership
to pass SB 1, as well as for new amendments that resolve all legitimate outstanding issues. The
only remaining issue is a demand by the Westlands Water District, a Trump Administration
favorite, to strike a requirement that the massive federal Central Valley Project must comply
with State law. This provision is essential to protect dangerously vulnerable fish, orca, the
salmon fishing industry, as well as the water supplies of other water users – all of whom are
subject to the state law that the Trump Administration hopes to ignore.”
Kathryn Phillips, Sierra Club California: “Certain water users have offered red herrings to
explain their opposition to requiring the Trump Administration to obey state law. But their real
goal, confirmed by their own statements, is to pressure the Newsom administration into
supporting the Trump Administration’s attacks on California’s environment. We anticipate the
legislature and the governor will stand up to Trump’s mischief by supporting SB 1.”
Sean Bothwell, California Coastkeeper Alliance: “When Trump took office, California promised
a wall of resistance against his Administration and federal rollbacks. It’s now time to act on that
promise for our environment. SB 1 ensures California will not bow to the pressures of Trump
and those who will benefit from his rollbacks. With the amendments taken yesterday, the only
remaining sticking point is whether California is going to defend its own Endangered Species
Act, or cave to Trump’s rollbacks and federal water users. We hope the Governor sticks to his
promises.”
John McManus, Golden Gate Salmon Association: “The Trump Administration is in the process
of gutting existing federal protections for Bay-Delta salmon, the backbone of our industry.
Those rollbacks threaten California’s 23,000 job, $1.4 billion salmon fishery. SB 1 provides
responsible, science-based interim state protections essential to hard working fishing families.
The desert agribusiness barons in the Westlands Water District already have installed their
lobbyist, David Bernhardt, as the Secretary of the Interior. Now, they’re asking the legislature
and the Governor to waive state sovereignty over our rivers and streams and instead hand it
over, no questions asked, to the Trump administration to do as it will.”
Michael Lynes, Audubon California: “SB 1 presents the California Legislature and Governor
Newsom with a choice: whether to uphold the State’s authority and powers to protect
vulnerable wildlife for all Californians and future generations, or to allow the Trump
administration’s environmental rollbacks to push more species in the state toward
extinction. The Westlands Water District and other Trump administration allies feel they have
won at the federal level as their friends – and former employees – roll back environmental
protections at a frantic pace, so they are working hard to stop California from protecting its
natural resources. The Governor and legislators have the opportunity to stop the Trump
administration’s toxic policies from degrading California.”
ABOUT CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL VOTERS
California Environmental Voters (formerly the California League of Conservation Voters) believes the climate crisis is here and this moment requires transformative change. California has the policy solutions to stop climate change but lacks the political will to do it at the rate and scale that’s necessary. EnviroVoters exists to build the political power to solve the climate crisis, advance justice, and create a roadmap for global action. We organize voters, elect and train candidates, and hold lawmakers accountable for bold policy change. We won’t stop until we have resilient, healthy, thriving communities, and a democracy and economy that is just and sustainable for all. Join us at www.envirovoters.org and on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. See more press releases.
