Oil refineries: public safety.

Existing law establishes the California Environmental Protection Agency under the supervision of the Secretary for Environmental Protection, consisting of various boards, offices, and departments, and vests the agency with authority over various environmental matters. This bill would provide for the California Environmental Protection Agency, in consultation with specified federal, state, and local agencies, to examine ways to improve public and worker safety through enhanced oversight of refineries and to strengthen emergency preparedness in anticipation of any future refinery incident. The bill would require the California Environmental Protection Agency, in consultation with those agencies, to facilitate coordination among those agencies to protect the public, fence line communities, and refinery workers from risks associated with refinery operations throughout the state. The bill would require the California Environmental Protection Agency to hold at least 2 public meetings a year, as specified, to provide members of the public with current information on refinery safety and to receive information from the public regarding health and safety concerns associated with refinery operations.