Attorney General Bonta Celebrates Signing of New Law Promoting Environmental Justice and Community Engagement
OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta celebrated Governor Gavin Newsom signing Assembly Bill (AB) 1457 into law. The new law, authored by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles) and sponsored by Attorney General Bonta and the Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment (CRPE), amends Senate Bill (SB) 1000 (Leyva, 2016) to set a compliance deadline for local governments with disadvantaged communities in their planning areas to address environmental justice in their general plans and promote transparency and community engagement in the process. With this new law, Attorney General Bonta is proud to uplift community voices in local planning processes and ensure local governments consider environmental justice in their local planning so that no community is left behind in our fight for a healthier, more just future.
“California won’t stand idly by as our disadvantaged communities face significant environmental threats, including disproportionate exposure to polluted air, water, and soil. In 2016, SB 1000 promised that local planning would address the health burdens of communities living with the heaviest pollution burdens. Now, we’re building on that promise to make sure local governments do their part expeditiously and ensure the impacted communities have a voice in the process,” said Attorney General Bonta. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: When it comes to protecting our planet, we all have a part to play. A firm deadline means local governments cannot put this planning off, because every Californian should have the opportunity to live in a community that is healthy and safe.”
"Disadvantaged communities in California have been waiting over a decade to see a meaningful response to the environmental hazards impacting their lives and health on a daily basis,” said Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles). “AB 1457 ensures their voices will finally be heard."
“The approval of AB 1457 is a resounding victory for environmental justice communities that have been waiting for a decade for the prioritization of their health,” said Alma Martinez, Policy Advocate, Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment. “Residents in these communities can now look forward to elevating their voice to ensure their neighborhoods’ wellbeing.”
AB 1457
AB 1457 requires local governments subject to SB 1000 that have not yet adopted an environmental justice element, or related policies, goals, and objectives in other general plan elements, to do so by June 30, 2031. It also expands transparency and public engagement requirements to ensure that local governments meaningfully involve impacted communities in the development of environmental justice elements and policies, including by providing opportunities for public input on drafts.
Under existing law, SB 1000 requires local governments with disadvantaged communities in their planning areas to adopt an environmental justice element (or related policies, goals, and objectives in other elements) in their general plans; however, that requirement is only triggered when a local government concurrently adopts two or more elements of its general plan. The last 10 years have shown that this is not an effective trigger. Local governments operate on different planning calendars and follow different processes for adopting general plan updates, and many with disadvantaged communities have yet to act. AB 1457 ensures that SB 1000 is fully realized so that marginalized communities are not left behind.
BACKGROUND
Attorney General Bonta expanded the Bureau of Environmental Justice within the Department of Justice in 2021 to increase oversight and protect communities that endure a disproportionate share of environmental pollution and public health hazards. The Bureau of Environmental Justice has developed significant expertise in environmental justice considerations in land use planning and has been actively engaged in SB 1000 implementation through comment letters, enforcement action, and providing technical assistance through published SB 1000 guidance promoting environmental justice for marginalized communities across California.
Attorney General Bonta remains committed to fighting for environmental justice so that all Californians have access to a healthier, more just future. This year, he sponsored additional environmental legislation to ensure that settlements of Proposition 65 violations provide public benefit and continues to challenge federal actions that perpetuate and worsen environmental injustice. In July, Attorney General Bonta secured a court order requiring the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to move forward with the implementation of National Ambient Air Quality Standards for soot. Previously, he submitted an amicus brief supporting Earthjustice, Public Rights Project, and Southern Environmental Law Center in their class action lawsuit against the EPA for unlawfully terminating the Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grant program. He also previously issued multistate guidance affirming the necessity and legality of environmental justice initiatives despite the Trump Administration’s recent efforts to mislabel and undermine these critical efforts.
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