The Metro Chamber-sponsored bill, SB 1662, carried by David Cox, R-Sacramento, was approved 68-4 by the state Assembly and now awaits Gov. Schwarzenegger's signature, after the state budget snafu is resolved. SB 1662 will enable the transfer of emission reduction credits.

"SB 1162 makes an important technical change that continues to protect our air quality while allowing reasonable economic expansion," said Tom Stallard, chair of the Clean Air Partnership and Metro Chamber small business vice chair.

SB 1662 is one of the first bills in recent Metro Chamber history to be sponsored by the chamber. It will provide a significant positive economic impact and improve air quality by allowing emission reduction credits to be transferred to portions of El Dorado and Placer counties from other areas within the Sacramento Metro Federal Nonattainment Area.

In May, the state Senate gave unanimous approval of SB 1662.

“Although the bill is a technical fix to an existing regulation, it will help the Sacramento region implement the award-winning Blueprint land-use strategy,” said Matt Mahood, Metro Chamber president & CEO, “as it will empower El Dorado County to locate jobs next to housing.”

Currently, El Dorado County does not have a significant amount of emission reduction credits in reserve, so if SB 1662 goes into law, Mahood explained, it would allow business in El Dorado County to expand, thus creating more jobs in the county and reducing commute traffic from El Dorado County to Sacramento County.

“The proposed legislation simply recognizes that the state boundaries of air quality basin are artificial in that they are drawn in conjunction with political boundaries and don’t conform to the real wind patterns, as correctly pointed out by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency,” said Michael Faust, Metro Chamber, senior vice president for public policy.

Sponsoring and supporting the proposed legislation enables the region’s businesses to stay and expand in the region and helps keep them from moving jobs to other parts of the country and world, Faust said. This is part of the Metro Chamber’s mission in the six-county region that includes El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties.

“We know that 80 percent of new employment comes from existing businesses,” Faust said. “If passed, SB 1662 will enable businesses in El Dorado County and possibly elsewhere, to expand. And in our current business climate, it's essential that we take proactive measures to keep employers thriving.”

SB 1662 heads now to the Assembly.

For more information, contact Faust at 916-321-9115 or mfaust@metrochamber.org.