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Comment 57 for EJAC Community Meeting Comments (ejac-comm-mtgs-ws) - 1st Workshop.
First Name: Amy
Last Name: Mmagu
Email Address: amy.mmagu@calchamber.com
Affiliation:
Subject: EJAC Community Meetings Comments
Comment:
To whom it may concern: On behalf of the California Chamber of Commerce, we appreciate the opportunity to comment on the Environmental Justice Advisory Committee (EJAC) Workshops. We attended numerous workshops throughout the state and enjoyed learning about and hearing input from the people within communities. CalChamber is the largest broad-based business advocate in the state, representing the interests of over 13,000 California businesses, both large and small. Many of CalChamber’s larger members are directly covered by regulations under the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32) and the cap-and-trade regulation, while many other smaller members will likely experience indirect impacts in the form of new costs passed down from upstream fuel and energy providers. California is at the forefront of climate policies and is working diligently to achieve the goals of AB 32. Businesses in the state have a very strong interest in the way in which we implement our climate policies. They want to be innovative, efficient and provide jobs. While much of the discussion in the community meetings has surrounded the emissions from industry within the communities, there was very little credit given to them for the reduction in their emissions, willingness and participation in complying with the law and the benefits they bring to the state and communities they operate in. Businesses located in disadvantaged communities provide jobs, tax base as well as many programs and partnerships which benefit the communities they operate in. In addition, industry has every incentive to reduce emissions, waste, water and energy. California already has the cleanest energy and lowest emitting industrial facilities in the nation. Small businesses and low-to-moderate income communities already spend a higher than average percentage of their budgets on utilities and energy. As California has among highest per kilowatt hour energy rate, there is a huge incentive to reduce usage in order to reduce bills. Unfortunately, there was not the ability to express these perspectives of businesses and industry at many of the community meetings. When providing recommendations to the CARB, the EJAC should focus on greenhouse gas emissions reductions and the scoping plan update as directed under AB 32. While there has been a push at these meetings to confuse air pollution and GHGs, AB 32 specifically directs the CARB to reduce GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Much of the focus of recommendations are outside the purview of the CARB and the direction given to the EJAC. We have been participating in the implementation of AB 32 since its inception and will continue participating to ensure that our climate policies are implemented in the most cost effective and technologically feasible manner as described in AB 32. Thank you again for the opportunity to provide comments. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions. Sincerely, Amy Mmagu
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Date and Time Comment Was Submitted: 2016-08-12 09:47:12
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