Natural Environment. Public Health. Bonds.

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. PUBLIC HEALTH. BONDS. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Requires regulation of pesticide use to protect food and agricultural worker safety. Phases out use on food of pesticides known to cause cancer or reproductive harm, chemicals that potentially deplete ozone. Requires reduced emissions of gases contributing to global warming. Limits oil, gas extraction within bay, estuarine and ocean waters. Requires oil spill prevention, contingency plans. Creates prevention, response fund from fees on oil deliveries. Establishes water quality criteria, monitoring plans. Creates elective office of Environmental Advocate. Appropriates $40,000,000 for environmental research. Authorizes $300,000,000 general obligation bonds for ancient redwoods acquisition, forestry projects. Summary of estimate of Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: State costs of $300 million in bond principal, $235 million in projected bond interest for acquisition of ancient redwood stands and forestry grant projects. Unknown loss of state and local revenues resulting from acquisition of ancient redwood stands. One time cost of $17 million and annual costs of $40 to $70 million to state agencies to administer pesticide, air emission, marine resources and other required programs. One time state appropriation of $750,000 for elected Environmental Advocate and $40 million for environmental research programs. Approximately $360 million in revenues to the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Fund by 1996-97; unknown additional revenues from potential penalty assessments. Indefinite deferral of potentially over $2 billion in future state oil and gas revenues resulting from limits on oil and gas leases in marine waters. Unknown costs and revenue losses to state and local governments if measure changes energy costs and gasoline consumption. Unknown costs to state and local governments if reduced pesticide usage creates higher food costs