Environment: California-Mexico border.

Existing law creates the California Border Environmental and Public Health Protection Fund. The money in that fund is available, upon appropriation, to the Secretary for Environmental Protection to assist local governments in implementation of projects to identify and resolve environmental and public health problems that directly threaten the health or environmental quality of California residents or sensitive natural resources of the California border region, to provide technical assistance, to provide funds for equipment and labor costs associated with emergency abatement of environmental and public health problems imposed on residents of California due to cross-border impacts of pollutants originating from Baja California, and to provide analytical and scientific equipment and services needed by border area public agencies to identify and monitor the sources of environmental and public health threats posed by the cross-border transmission of environmental pollutants and toxics. This bill would, contingent upon the execution of an agreement with the City of Calexico for the purpose of providing the necessary funding, require the California-Mexico Border Relations Council to develop a strategic plan containing specific elements to guide the implementation of the New River Improvement Project. The bill would authorize the council to appoint, convene, and oversee a technical advisory committee that would advise the council regarding the necessary studies and activities to carry out the project. The bill would create the New River Improvement Project Account in the fund and moneys in the account, upon appropriation by the Legislature, would be expended for activities related to the New River.