Editorial: SB 49 passage vital to defend environmental protections
California has the opportunity to continue to lead the way on protecting the environment, no matter what comes out of Washington D.C.
Many of the laws established to protect the air, land and water have been adopted by other states and even become national policy. This state has worked in tandem with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as well as the federal fish and wildlife agency and others to set and enforce environmental standards.
But all that seemed to change when President Trump took office. The Trump administration so far — lacking any new deals with “Chuck” and “Nancy” — has pulled back on climate change policy and begun relaxing federal environmental regulations while cutting funding for environmental programs.
Which makes it incumbent on California to resist any dismantling of laws and regulations that have cleaned up the air and water supply. Backed by Gov. Jerry Brown, key leaders in the state have already gone to court to push back against these threats to environmental policies.
Today, in Sacramento, legislators can take an even more meaningful step to prevent this regulatory erosion by passing SB 49, the California Environmental Defense Act.
SB 49 would require state agencies to continue enforcing current federal air, water, endangered species and worker safety standards if the Trump administration or Congress weakens them. The bill, written by Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) and Sen. Henry Stern (D-Agoura Hills), would let California incorporate any environmental standard in effect when Trump took office in January and makes the federal Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act and Endangered Species Act standards the minimum for California. The bill would also continue a citizen’s right to sue to enforce environmental laws if that right is weakened or removed from federal law.
SB 49 continues to be opposed by the state Chamber of Commerce, which calls it a “job killer” — but this makes no sense since California maintains a strong economy even with some of the toughest environmental regulations in the country. It’s also opposed by lobbyists for the oil and chemical industries, Critics say it’s an overreach, that Trump’s initial bluster will veer more to the center as time goes on and he continues to seek legislative support from Democrats.
No doubt, the overreach has been in Washington in creating the over-regulatory state, but many Californians do not want any wholesale dismantling of environmental protections vital to cleaning up our state.
The bill, not surprisingly, has significant support from environmental and fish and wildlife groups. Salmon fishermen, for instance, don’t want to see federal salmon protections weakened by Congress or by federal neglect. Without federal protections, say representatives of state salmon fishermen, state agencies will be simply overwhelmed by federal rollbacks.
This is critical, because the salmon fishing industry in California has been in deep distress since 2009, and it’s an industry that generates $1.4 billion in economic activity a year and employs 23,000 people. Legislation has already been introduced in the House weakening salmon protections — which would bring additional threats to healthy salmon runs.
We hope California Republicans also step up in support. After all, it was a Republican President. Richard Nixon, who created the EPA.
All Californians benefit from clean air and water, and land and wildlife protections. SB 49 seeks to emphasize California’s ongoing commitment to environmental oversight — regardless of what the federal government does.
Going backward is not an option. State lawmakers should hold the line and hold back the Trump administration’s assault on environmental protections by passing SB 49.