SB
649: The Fight to Preserve a 100 Year Old Water Pollution Law
The
state's oil industry decided to gut one of California’s oldest and
toughest anti-water pollution laws in 1995.
The measure easily passed the Senate and the Assembly Water
Committee. It was set for
hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee in 1996 we stepped into
the controversy. We
successfully organized a statewide media controversy over the
legislation, held the bill for 11 days on the Assembly floor, and lost
the vote in the Senate at midnight the last night of the session by a
single one vote margin. In
signing the bill into law Governor Wilson in an unprecedented action the
Governor agreed to push 1997 legislation to clean up the most
controversial elements of SB 649. The “clean up” bill was signed into law in 1997.
Articles
Comic
sketch Sacramento Bee, October 4, 1996
Comic
sketch Sacramento Bee, September 13, 1996
Comic
sketch San Francisco, October 6, 1996
September
24, 1996, “…….law protecting state waterways”
August
26, 1996, “SB 649 key in McPherson-Areias race”
October
1, 1996, “ Penalties eased against polluters”
September
18, 1996, San Jose Mercury News, “Water polluters seek an escape
clause”
August
2, 1996, The Sacramento Bee, “ This spill bill goes too far”
August
9, 1996, The Sacramento Bee, “ Assembly panel favors easing water
protections”
August
9, 1996, San Francisco Daily Journal, “ Water polluter immunity
divides traditional allies”
August
13, 1996, “Prosecutors fight to keep power to move against suspected
polluters”
August
19, 1996, “DA’s environmentalists fight water bill”
August
22, 1996, “ Water law change fails”
August
22, 1996, Los Angeles Times, “Assembly defeats measure to relax laws
used to prosecute polluters”
August
23, 1996, Redding Record, “Wardens warn bill would hurt pollution
enforcement”
August
25, 1996, The Sacramento Bee, “Pollution bill down to wire,” Dan
Walters
August
26, 1996, Ventura County Star, Editorials, “Taking a stand”
September
7, 1996, San Francisco Chronicle, “Wilson gets bill easing water
rules”
September
11, 1996, The Sacramento Bee, “Wilson caught twixt friends,” Dan
Walters
September
13, 1996, Contra Costa Times, Wilson torn between two friends: will he
betray oil industry or the
environmentalists?”
September
13, 1996, “Oil-spill bill tainted by donations, foes charge”
September
20, 1996, “Diluting pollution law” |
