LegAlert #97-2

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Call Assembly Appropriations Today, and Ask Them to Bring Back
Truth in Environmental Advertising!
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AB 362 (Bowen) - In 1990, the legislature enacted the Truth in
Environmental Advertising Law (AB 3994, Sher), which established
minimum standards for making environmental claims in advertising and on
product labels. In 1995, the legislature repealed that law (SB 426, Leslie)
over the opposition of environmentalists.

Assemblymember Debra Bowen, chair of the Assembly Natural Resources
Committee, has introduced AB 362 in order to bring back Truth in
Environmental Advertising. The bill would make it unlawful to represent a
consumer good as "ozone friendly," "biodegradable," "photodegradable,"
or "recycled," unless the good meets specific definitions of those terms.
Further, it requires manufacturers and distributors of goods with other
environmental claims to document the validity of the claim and to open that
documentation to the public.

Action Needed: AB 362 failed to pass through the Assembly
Appropriations Committee on its first try, due to "no" votes by three
Democrats: Tony Cardenas, Lou Papan, and Helen Thomson. The bill will
be reheard on Wednesday, May 14, and these three legislators need to hear
your concerns about misuse of terms like "recycled" and "environmentally
friendly." If you live in one of these legislators' districts, your voice is
especially important! All three votes will be needed in order to pass this
important bill on to the Floor. Please get your letters out today!

In addition, two important bills by Ted Lempert may go to the floor as
early as next week. These bills need our support!
AB 667 - This bill would expand the Lempert-Keene-Seastrand Oil Spill
Prevention and Response Act (OSPRA) to include inland waterways. It is
a much-needed response to the large number of spills that occur every year
from the handling and transportation of hazardous chemicals, especially
intrastate pipelines that carry petroleum products and other hazardous
liquids. Criminalizing the discharge of oil into inland waterways would
provide a strong legal deterrent to intentional and negligent practices that
cause pollution to rivers and streams.

AB 1188 - AB 1188 is a key part of the coastal legislation package that
will be considered this year. The bill works towards protecting coastal
access in a number of ways: it prohibits existing coastal access easements
from being given away or abandoned, except where specific legislative
approval has been obtained; it accepts existing coastal access dedications
which may expire if the legislature does not act soon; and it provides
money to open, operate, and maintain unimproved coastal accessways. In
addition, the bill funds a process by which the relative importance of
existing easements can be assessed so that good decisions can be made
about prioritizing opening easements to the public.

Action Needed: These bills will be on the Assembly Floor as soon as next
week. Please call or write your Assembly members and urge them to
support these bills which will help to maintain the health of California's
coast and inland waters.

ADDRESS YOUR LETTERS TO:
Assemblymember/Senator ______
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814

To find out who your state legislators are, call:
(916) 445-3614 (Assembly)
(916) 445-4251 (Senate)

• Next message: megan.mullin@sfsierra.sierraclub.org: "LegAlert #97-1"

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