Existing law requires the State Air Resources Board to adopt rules and regulations that will achieve ambient air quality standards required by the federal Clean Air Act, as specified. Existing law requires the state board to, following a noticed public hearing, adopt airborne toxic control measures to reduce emissions of toxic air contaminants from nonvehicular sources. Pursuant to this authority, the state board has adopted the Airborne Toxic Control Measure for Fuel Sulfur and Other Operational Requirements for Ocean-Going Vessels within California Waters and 24 Nautical Miles of the California Baseline regulation to require the use of low sulfur marine distillate fuels in order to reduce emissions of particulate matter, diesel particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur oxides from the use of auxiliary diesel and diesel-electric engines, main propulsion diesel engines, and auxiliary boilers on ocean-going vessels.
This bill would, for purposes of any application, interpretation, or enforcement of any regulation adopted by the state board with respect to the use of auxiliary engines, main engines, and auxiliary boilers on an ocean-going vessel, declare that specified alternative fuels are presumed to meet or exceed the performance specifications for the use of marine diesel oil or marine gas oil, or any other petroleum-based fuel, as specified, and that an alternative fuel is presumed to consist of a mixture that only contains an alternative fuel, as provided.