Water quality: state board certification.

Under existing law, the State Water Resources Control Board and the California regional water quality control boards prescribe waste discharge requirements in accordance with the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act. Under federal law, any applicant seeking a federal license or permit for an activity that may result in any discharge into the navigable waters of the United States is required to first seek a state water quality certification, as specified. The Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act authorizes the state board to certify or provide a statement to a federal agency, as required pursuant to federal law, that there is reasonable assurance that an activity of any person subject to the jurisdiction of the state board will not reduce water quality below applicable standards. The federal act provides that if a state fails or refuses to act on a request for this certification within a reasonable period of time, which shall not exceed one year after receipt of the request, then the state certification requirements are waived with respect to the federal application. Existing law authorizes the state board to issue the certificate or statement before completion of the required environmental review if the state board determines that waiting until completion of that environmental review to issue the certificate or statement poses a substantial risk of waiver of the state board's certification authority under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act or any other federal water quality control law, as provided. This bill would require the state board to issue the certificate or statement before completion of the required environmental review if the state board and Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, in consultation with an applicant, jointly determine that the applicant's project will help the state meet its clean energy goals and increase electric reliability and waiting until completion of that environmental review to issue the certificate or statement poses a risk to the applicant of not being eligible for federal tax credits or incentives, as provided.