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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 

Attachment:

Original File Name:

Date and Time Comment Was Submitted: 2016-08-12 09:47:12



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