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Office of the Secretary

The mission of the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) is to restore, protect and enhance the environment to ensure public health, environmental quality and economic vitality. Cal/EPA’s vision is of a California that enjoys a clean, healthy, sustainable environment that enhances the quality of life for current and future generations, and protects our diverse natural resources.

Accomplishments During the Second Half of 2000

1. Strategic Vision. Cal/EPA’s Strategic Vision, setting forth the Agency’s vision, mission, core values, goals and objectives, was disseminated internally, to Cal/EPA staff, and externally, to stakeholders, governmental partners, and constituents. The Strategic Vision was also placed on CalEPA’s Web site for broad access and information-sharing purposes. A Strategic Vision Implementation Work plan was developed and a cross-organizational team was formed to link Cal/EPA’s Strategic Vision to Board, Department and Office strategic plans.
2. Organizational and Fiscal Review. Cal/EPA is developing legislation (SB 1011) to implement several recommendations embodied in the report, “A Structural and Fiscal Review of the California Environmental Protection Agency” that was presented to the Governor and to the Legislature in early 2000.
3. Children’s Environmental Health Center. Cal/EPA, to implement the requirements of SB 25 (Escutia, 1999), established the position of Assistant Secretary for Children’s Environmental Health. This position will function as the director of the Children’s Environmental Health Center within Cal/EPA.
4. CALFED. The Secretary signed the Record of Decision for the CALFED Bay-Delta Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement and Report (EIS/EIR) on August 28, 2000. The Record of Decision represents the culmination of the National Environmental Policy Act and the California Environmental Quality Act processes. The ROD reflects the final selection of a long-term plan (Preferred Program Alternative) to fix the Bay-Delta, describes a strategy for implementing the plan, and identifies complementary actions the CALFED agencies will pursue. The CALFED Bay-Delta Program is an unprecedented effort to build a framework for managing California’s most precious resource: water. The Secretary and the Executive Director of the State Water Resources Control Board serve on the CALFED Policy Council.
5. Cal/EPA Environmental Management System Program. An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a process by which an entity (public or private, regional or statewide) identifies both regulated and unregulated environmental impacts of its activities, and develops targets and plans to achieve measurable reductions in those impacts. Cal/EPA has been involved in the following activities related to EMS:

• EMS Pilot Project. Cal/EPA formed two working groups in Northern and Southern California. The working groups are comprised of environmental public interest groups, government, the regulated community, environmental consultants, and members of academia. Cal/EPA has sponsored training of these groups to facilitate a common understanding and terminology among working group members on EMS issues. To date, three pilot project facilities (IBM, Benziger Family Winery, and Artistic Plating) have shared their EMS implementation information and provided facility tours.
• Sustainability Project. In cooperation with the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group and the Silicon Valley Environmental Partnership, Cal/EPA, along with other state and local regulatory agencies, has initiated the “Sustainable Silicon Valley Project.”

6. Border Environmental Affairs. The 2000 Budget Act appropriated funds to Cal/EPA and its boards, departments, and offices to address environmental impacts along the California-Mexico border region, to support Mexican and binational efforts to improve the border environmental and public health, and to participate fully in binational work groups addressing pollution issues along the California-Mexico border. To that end, Cal/EPA and its boards, departments, and office have begun work to address cross media and binational issues. In the past six months, Cal/EPA has:

• Border Affairs Unit. Established a Border Affairs Unit, and recruited an Assistant Secretary for Border Affairs to develop policy and coordinate activities of the boards, departments, and office on California-Mexico border environmental issues. The Assistant Secretary is the advisor to the Governor and Secretary of Cal/EPA on California-Mexico border environmental matters.
• Border XXI. Worked with the federal government in developing priorities with a regional focus and conducting outreach to involve local stakeholders in the decision-making process. Also participated in the development of a federal/state transition paper for the incoming U.S. and Mexico administrations.
• Border Web Page. Developed a comprehensive Border Web page that includes up-to-date information on environmental projects, infrastructure, meetings, related documents and links.
• Tijuana Smog Check. At the request of the Mayor of Tijuana and the Bureau of Automotive Repair, assisted in the development of a pilot smog check program for the City of Tijuana.
• Border Governors Conference. As follow-up to the XVIII Border Governors Conference held in Sacramento and its related joint declarations, took the lead in implementing several of the declarations, including urging the U.S. Congress to increase the appropriation to the Border Environment Infrastructure Fund. As a result, the appropriation was increased by 50%.

7. Enforcement.

• Cross Media Training. A cross-media training inspector certification program for all Cal/EPA Board and Department field staff has been developed. The training, called “Cal/EPA Academy,” covers many basic investigation/inspection subjects including multi-media issues. Actual training is planned to begin in the next 6 months for a total of three sessions during 2001. It is anticipated that this training will eventually be offered to local agency counterparts such as air districts, CUPAs and LEAs.
• Cross Media Investigations. Cal/EPA made additional referrals to the Attorney’s General’s Office and local District Attorney offices pursuant to the authority granted by Government Code section 12812.2.
• Cross Media Enforcement Unit. An intra agency task force has been assembled to coordinate use of the Air Resources Board staff available pursuant to the memorandum of Understanding signed earlier this year, and to coordinate use of other BDO staff for cross media investigations.

8. Environmental Justice. To date, Cal/EPA has accomplished the following:

• Established an Environmental Justice Program and recruited for an Assistant Secretary for Environmental Justice. The Assistant Secretary for Environmental Justice will be responsible for developing Cal/EPA’s environmental justice mission statement, managing the agency’s environmental justice activities, and coordinating and overseeing the environmental justice activities of the agency’s boards, departments, and offices. Additionally, the Assistant Secretary will also serve as the agency’s primary point-of-contact on environmental justice issues with the public, business, federal and local governmental agencies, and other state agencies.
• Developed a draft unified mission statement and draft operating principles with the participation of the boards, departments and office.
• Convened a Cal/EPA-wide environmental justice coordinating work group to discuss and coordinate environmental justice activities at each of the boards, departments, and office. Developed a timeline for implementing environmental justice activities.
• Participated in the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research environmental justice steering committee and in U.S. EPA’s environmental justice Training Collaborative, and has explored other opportunities for environmental justice partnerships with U.S. EPA.

9. Military Base Remediation and Reuse. During the last half of 2000 Cal/EPA, in concert with its constituent boards and departments was able to make significant progress toward simplifying and accelerating assistance to local governments as they absorb closed military facilities into existing infrastructures, and as they make plans for their full inclusion in their local economies. Specifically, these efforts have included:

• Assistant Secretary for Military Base Remediation and Reuse. Established the Assistant Secretary for Military Base Remediation and Reuse to open and enhance lines of communication and to shepherd efforts to complete environmental regulatory reviews as quickly and efficiently as possible, typically through concurrent rather than sequential reviews.
• Petitions for Early Transfer. Assisted communities in their petitions for early transfer of military properties. Recommended to the Governor that he approve the early transfers of:
• Fleet Industrial Supply Center, Oakland
• Fleet Industrial Supply Center, Alameda
• Portions of Ft. Ord Military Reservation to the City of Marina
• Naval Training Center, San Diego

• Additional Early Transfers. Numerous additional properties throughout the state were transferred. Specific accomplishments include transfers at:
• McClellan Air Force Base
• Mather Air Force Base
• Mare Island Naval Shipyard
• Hunter’s Point Naval Shipyard
• Treasure Island
• Long Beach Naval Shipyard

• Land Use Control Policy. To protect future Californians from uses not contemplated at the time of transfer, instituted a land use control policy to ensure that environmental safeguards are automatically triggered should more sensitive land uses be opted for in the future.
• Military Base Retention and Re-Use Commission. Participated on the Governor’s Military Base Retention and Re-Use Commission as well as various panels, conferences, and seminars on military base closure issues throughout California and nationally.

10. New Cal/EPA Building.

• Move-in. Approximately 3,100 Cal/EPA employees were relocated to Cal/EPA’s new Headquarters Building between August and December. In addition to this coordinated, large-scale, phased move-in of the Office of the Secretary and Cal/EPA’s six boards departments and offices, parking resources were allocated to staff through a lottery-based distribution process, all move-related information was distributed to staff through an Internet-based system (EPANet), and an Internet-based scheduling system was developed to manage the new buildings many conference rooms. Two of four major public art pieces were completed and installed in the building as well.
• Orientation. From the end of July 2000 through early December 2000, approximately 60 “New Building Orientation” sessions were conducted for all Cal/EPA staff members. These sessions were aimed at easing the transition of staff to the new office facilities. Each session was timed one to two weeks prior to each move-in phase. Orientation consisted of a professionally designed PowerPoint presentation that highlighted building floor plans, amenities and features, as well as a tour of the building.

11. Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Awards. On November 20, 2000 the annual Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Awards were presented to the following nine recipients:

• The Collaborative for High Performance Schools
• South Orange County Permit Consolidation Zone
• The Los Angeles & San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council
• The City of Palm Desert
• The Riverside County Integrated Project
• Nissan North America, Incorporated
• The Sentra, California Container Recycling Alliance’s Optical Sort of Recycled Glass
• The Yolo Basin Foundation’s Yolo Bypass Working Group
• Mr. Roger Bouddaert for Project 2000

The recognition event was held at the California State Railroad Museum, with approximately 100 people in attendance.

12. Unified Program.

• CUPA Enforcement. During the past year Cal/EPA and the Certified Unified Program Agencies (CUPAs) jointly developed and delivered training to improve CUPA enforcement. The training focused on use of the administrative penalty authority available to the CUPAs in the hazard waste program. Future training will focus on other enforcement tools. Cal/EPA and the CUPAs are working on improving enforcement consistency.
• Data System. Cal/EPA completed the Feasibility Study Report for the Internet-based data system that will allow for entry, modification, and retrieval of hazardous materials related data by businesses, Unified Program Agencies, and the State.

13. California Environmental Technology Certification Program (CalCert). CalCert evaluates environmental technologies, equipment and processes, providing regulators, financiers and purchasers with credible information about environmental performance and benefits. During the second half of 2000, Cal/EPA issued certifications for:

• Penetrometer. A site characterization and analysis penetrometer system to provide near real-time field screening of volatile organic compounds in groundwater;
• In-situ Water Sampling. An automated, in-situ water sampling device to assess contaminant mobility across the sediment/water interface;
• On-line Monitor. A continuous, on-line monitor for detecting aromatic hydrocarbons in water.

Cal/EPA also formed a partnership with the California Dairy Quality Assurance Program to evaluate and certify confined animal waste treatment technologies. Currently there are approximately 100 manufacturers seeking recognition of their treatment technologies.

14. Permit Assistance Centers. Cal/EPA’s Permit Assistance Centers continued their expanding service rate (overall a 19.38% increase in customers served over the previous year). Cal/EPA’s CalGOLD business assistance Web site was also frequently visited. To further enhance the CalGOLD Web site and outreach to California’s business community, Cal/EPA and California State University, Sacramento redesigned the site and created a radio public service announcement for statewide distribution.

Additionally, the CalGOLD Web site was translated into Spanish to be a more effective resource for Cal/EPA’s Spanish-speaking customers. The PAC’s involvement and partnership with local communities were expanded to include Pollution Prevention and local environmental health permit activities. The PAC’s relationship with the California Technology Trade and Commerce Agency has continued to strengthen with the coordination and sharing of outreach and training activities.

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Priorities for the First Half of 2001

1. Strategic Vision. Cal/EPA’s Strategic Vision will be incorporated into each of Cal/EPA’s Board, Department, and Office strategic planning documents to strengthen cross-media coordination and communication, and to reinforce measurable environmental results. Cal/EPA’s Strategic Vision Implementation Team will oversee the implementation of Cal/EPA’s Strategic Vision and collaborate in the development of each Board, Department and Office strategic plan.
2. Children’s Environmental Health Center. In early 2001, Cal/EPA filled the position of Assistant Secretary for Children’s Environmental Health. The Center’s director will establish advisory committees on children’s exposure and risk assessment methodology, exposures and risks in classrooms and on playgrounds, and will also focus on outreach and educational efforts. The Center’s director will prepare a work plan for the preparation of legislatively mandated reports to the Governor and Legislature. The Center will also coordinate within Cal/EPA’s Boards and Departments and with other state and federal agencies regarding regulatory efforts, research and data collection and availability, and other programs and services that impact the environmental health of children.
3. CALFED. Cal/EPA will continue to participate as a voting member of the CALFED Policy Group. As a signatory to the Record of Decision on the Programmatic EIS/EIR, Cal/EPA will focus on implementation of the Record of Decision. Cal/EPA will work with the Governor’s Office and the Legislature to establish a long-term governing body for CALFED.
4. Cal/EPA Environmental Management System Program. In the next six months, the following activities will occur:

• EMS Pilot Projects. Working group meetings soliciting input on the EMS pilot projects will continue through the spring. The first of two data updates on the results of EMS implementation will be completed early in 2001. The seven existing pilot projects are providing data to both California’s and the national studies. Data is being gathered on environmental performance, regulatory compliance, pollution prevention, stakeholder involvement, costs and benefits, and data availability. This information, and responses to the California Supplemental Data Protocol, will be used in implementing and demonstrating the requirements of AB 1102.
• Sustainability Project. By July, the “Sustainable Silicon Valley Project” expects to identify significant regional and statewide environmental and resource pressures, identify current and projected conditions in the identified pressure areas, target improved performance in one or more of the pressure areas, and identify regulatory barriers to enhanced environmental performance.
• Environmental Excellence Projects. Cal/EPA will initiate environmental excellence projects at individual facilities to test the conditions under which businesses can and will act to achieve “beyond compliance” and “significantly beyond current” environmental performance. The projects are also intended to test the willingness or ability of regulatory agencies to make procedural adjustments to facilitate the achieving of the targeted performance.

5. Border Environmental Affairs. In the next six months, a variety of activities are planned for the border region:

• Strategic Plan. Cal/EPA, in collaboration with its boards, departments, and office, will develop a strategic plan for the border region. The plan, which is due to be completed in spring of 2001, will be cross media and will involve stakeholder input.
• California Border Environmental and Public Health Protection Fund. Cal/EPA will develop plans to manage and implement the California Border Environmental and Public Health Protection Fund requirements set forth in Chapter 742, Statutes of 2000 (Assembly Bill 2317, Ducheny).
• Border Governors Conference. Cal/EPA will coordinate the development of joint declarations at this year’s conference in Tampico, Tamaulipas.
• Tijuana River Discharges. Four new wastewater reclamation plants will be built in 2001 in the Tijuana-Rosarito area. Two of these plants will have the potential to discharge into the Tijuana River drainage basin unless a method is designed to allow for discharge to the South Bay Ocean outfall. Cal/EPA will assist in resolving the discharge issue.
• Diamond of Excellence Program. In conjunction with its boards, departments and office, Cal/EPA will develop a collaborative cross-media pollution prevention program for the maquiladora industries along the border. Training modules are being developed to reduce, recycle or eliminate solvent-based processes, replacing them with water-based processes. Surveys and mapping of the maquiladora industries will also occur.

• Environmental Education K-12 Border Teachers Conference 2001. In partnership with the Autonomous University of Baja California and the Secretariat of Education for the State of Baja California, Cal/EPA will carry out a three-day conference directed at K-12 schoolteachers and focusing on waste reduction, recycling and pollution prevention. The conference is to be held in Tijuana, but will be televised to the cities of Mexicali and Ensenada.
• Border Tire Piles. Cal/EPA will coordinate an effort to characterize the major waste tire piles that have been deposited along both sides of the border.

6. Enforcement.

• Cross Media Training. Implementation and delivery of the “Cal/EPA Academy” is planned to begin in the next 6 months, with a total of three sessions planned during 2001. Cal/EPA will obtain feedback from the participants of the first session and make necessary adjustments to subsequent sessions.
• Cross Media Enforcement Unit. Cal/EPA will draft protocols for the use of cross media investigation resources. Cal/EPA will also coordinate data issues with the IDEA project and any other data initiatives.
• Unified Program. Cal/EPA will be submitting a report to the Legislature that identifies barriers to enforcement consistency in the Unified Program and makes recommendations for improvement.

7. Environmental Justice.

• Assistant Secretary for Environmental Justice. Cal/EPA expects the arrival of its new Assistant Secretary for Environmental Justice, Mr. Romel Pascual from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 9.
• Environmental Justice Mission Statement. Cal/EPA will release its draft Environmental Justice Mission Statement and operating principles, seeking broad public and internal input. In addition, Cal/EPA will work with its constituent boards and departments to develop program specific plans that will govern the activities of each of these entities as they implement their regulatory programs.

8. Military Base Remediation and Reuse.

• Military Base Retention and Re-Use Commission. Cal/EPA will provide position papers to the Governor’s Military Base Retention and Re-Use Commission to define significant environmental issues for the Commission to address, and recommend dividing those issues up for work on Sub-Committees to be formed within the Commission.
• Land Use Control Policy. Cal/EPA will expand the concepts of land use controls to the jurisdictions of all of Cal/EPA’s boards departments.
• Single Point of Contact. Cal/EPA will examine how to provide a single point of contact within the Agency for internal documents, and provide a single point of contact for the Governor’s office to call upon on these issues. To accomplish this, Cal/EPA will be consolidating some internal reporting requirements and working closely with the Office of Military Base Retention and Re-Use at the Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency.

9. New Cal/EPA Building. In the first quarter of 2001, the remaining public art pieces will be installed, the employee service areas will be open and operational, and the building’s second floor will be open to the public and staff. A grand opening celebration will be scheduled in collaboration with the City of Sacramento, property management, and Cal/EPA representatives. Work will continue on the acclimation of staff to the new building in terms of improved communication, collaboration, and increased effectiveness.
10. Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Awards. Planning for the 2001 Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Awards program will commence in collaboration with the Governor’s Office and the Resources Agency.
11. California Environmental Technology Certification Program (CalCert). Cal/EPA will develop a web-based database and interface for CalCert. The Internet site will serve both infusion and diffusion functions for information on technology, allowing technology manufacturers to electronically apply to the program, and technology purchasers and regulators to search for certified technologies, performance information, and other resources.
12. Permit Assistance Centers. Cal/EPA and the Permit Assistance Centers will be actively involved with the Governor’s Clean Energy “Green Team” to facilitate power plant siting in California. Permit Assistance Centers staff will participate in interagency meetings and public workshops to inform power plant developers and local government personnel of permit requirements and processing methods.

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