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June 3, 2015 - Presented to: Budget Conference Committee
April 29, 2015 - The Beverage Container Recycling Program has operated with an annual structural deficit averaging about $90 million since 2008-09 and is currently forecast to run an average deficit of almost $60 million from 2014-15 to 2017-18, absent any changes to reduce expenditures or increase revenues. In this report, we make several recommendations that could eliminate the structural deficit and improve overall program effectiveness. Specifically, we recommend (1) requiring beverage manufacturers to pay for the full cost of recycling their containers, (2) evaluating program activities to determine how cost-effective they are at achieving recycling and litter reduction goals, (3) giving recyclers more flexibility in where they locate and piloting a new recycler payment structure in order to improve convenience for consumers, and (4) adjusting the administrative payments to program participants to reflect their actual costs.
March 19, 2015 - Presented to: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 2 on Resources, Environmental Protection, Energy and Transportation
March 18, 2015 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Resources and Transportation
March 12, 2015 - Presented to: Assembly Budget Committee
March 12, 2015 - Presented to: Assembly Budget Committee
March 5, 2015 - Presented to: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 2 on Resources, Environmental Protection, Energy, and Transportation. Hon. Lois Wolk, Chair
February 19, 2015 - The Governor’s budget for 2015-16 proposes a total of $9.3 billion in expenditures from the General Fund, various special funds, bond funds, and federal funds for resources and environmental protection programs. In this report, we assess many of the Governor’s budget proposals related to these programs and recommend various changes.
February 12, 2015 - Presented to the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee Hon. Mark Leno, Chair
February 11, 2015 - In August 2014, the Legislature approved Chapter 188, Statutes of 2014 (AB 1471, Rendon), which placed before the voters a water bond measure primarily aimed at increasing the supply of clean, safe, and reliable water and restoring habitat. On November 4, 2014, voters approved the water bond measure—Proposition 1. In this report, we (1) describe Proposition 1, (2) review the Governor’s proposals to implement the bond, (3) identify key implementation principles, and (4) recommend steps for the Legislature to ensure that the bond is implemented effectively.
February 10, 2015 - Presented to: Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife
January 15, 2015 - The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) is a biodiverse ecosystem that covers about 1,150 square miles and supports over 700 species of fish and wildlife. The Delta is an important source of water for the state and is used to convey water from Northern California to Southern California. The Delta faces several significant problems, including: (1) a decline in key native fish species, (2) reductions in the amount of Delta water available for use elsewhere, (3) water pollutants that cause harm to species and increase treatment costs, and (4) levees at significant risk of failure. The state has engaged in numerous efforts to address these problems and achieve its "coequal goals" for the Delta: water supply reliability and ecosystem restoration. There are many opportunities for the Legislature to improve the success of these efforts. We identified several issues for its consideration, including (1) demands for Delta water, (2) uncertain funding sources and slow implementation of some key activities, (3) limits on the effectiveness of governance in the Delta, and (4) challenges to restoring the Delta ecosystem. By addressing some of these issues, the Legislature can improve the likelihood that its goals and objectives for the Delta will be realized.
August 4, 2014 - This letter responds to a request concerning the effects of including transportation fuels in California's cap-and-trade program.