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Public urges Alameda County to back 'Make Polluters Pay' climate fund; supervisors defer to January for outreach
Summary
Public speakers urged the Alameda County PAL Committee to support SB 684 (a proposed 'Make Polluters Pay' climate fund). Staff described the bill as creating a statewide fund paid by major oil and gas companies; supervisors agreed to hold further meetings and return the item in January before deciding on a formal county position.
Alameda County’s Personnel, Administration and Legislation Committee heard a request Dec. 15 for a support position on SB 684, commonly described at the meeting as a "Make Polluters Pay" bill that would require major oil and gas companies to pay into a statewide fund for climate-related damages and resilience projects.
Jessica Blakemore, interim policy director with Alameda County Health, said the bill would create a climate "superfund" modeled on laws in New York and Vermont and that counties would be eligible to receive funding for resilience projects. She told the committee the measure seeks to shift financial responsibility "from taxpayers to companies that have profited from these activities."
Public comment was strongly proponent-driven. Joan Cardellino of Indivisible East Bay said coalition estimates indicate the bill "would generate at least $150,000,000,000 over the next 20 years," a rough projection she said would translate into significant county funding if the bill advances. Rod Fujita, a climate scientist and Indivisible East Bay member, urged Alameda County to pass a supportive resolution, noting the county’s vulnerability to climate impacts and stating that "40% of the $150,000,000,000 would be earmarked for vulnerable communities."
Staff and consulting counsel said SB 684 is a two-year bill and that the authors had recently signaled they might not move it forward this session; staff recommended bringing the item to the full Board ready to act should the authors advance the measure. Supervisors sought time to meet with constituent coalitions and requested scheduling the item for PAL in January for a recommendation to the full Board if needed.
Next steps: Supervisors agreed to a short outreach period before returning the item to PAL in mid-January so members can meet with coalition representatives and finalize a recommendation before the legislative deadlines that apply to two-year bills.
