Wieckowski Bill to Improve Enforcement Against Polluters Passes Assembly
Assembly Member Bob Wieckowski
Press Release
05/20/2011
The state Assembly approved a bill by Assemblymember Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) yesterday to expedite enforcement against polluters. The bill, AB 246, passed 47-29 and now goes to the state Senate.
"This bill will streamline enforcement by allowing local prosecutors to file civil charges against polluters," said Wieckowski, the chairman of the Assembly’s Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee. "The current system places unnecessary barriers in front of state regulators and district attorneys from effectively prosecuting violators who dump toxic materials into our waterways."
An anomaly in state law prevents Regional Water Quality Control Boards from referring civil cases to district attorneys and city attorneys. Under the current law, civil cases involving violations of the Porter-Cologne Act, can only be pursued by the Attorney General.
By expediting civil cases through district attorneys and city attorneys, AB 246 will reform water quality law to bring it into conformity with other environmental prosecution areas.
The bill is supported by a variety of environmental and law enforcement organizations, including Attorney General Kamala Harris, the California District Attorneys Association, the Sierra Club, and the California Coastkeeper Alliance.
The Assembly also approved Wieckowski’s AB 929 by a vote of 54-21. The bill provides assistance for people who are struggling through bankruptcy. It increases the amounts of exemption for the person’s vehicle and so-called "tools of the trade" to help them better recover from financial insolvency. Under federal and state laws, the purpose of the exemptions is to save families from extreme hardships.
