SACRAMENTO, California — Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed legislation Monday that would have expanded requirements for California refiners to monitor and report air pollution.
State Sen. Lena Gonzalez’s S.B. 674, approved by the state Assembly on Aug. 8, would have required refineries to report emissions from biofuels and would have covered more activities adjacent to refineries, like oil storage and electricity generation. It sought to impose more stringent standards across the state, rather than leaving specifics to regional districts.
Newsom said in a message accompanying his veto that the bill could end up costing the state if it has to reimburse companies to implement the “highly prescriptive measures” in the bill. Noting California already has “some of the most stringent refinery air monitoring and pollution standards in the world,” he said regional districts should retain their authority.
“While I share the author’s desire to protect communities from air pollution, local air quality management districts are already carrying out the necessary action to do just that,” Newsom said in the message.
