Governor Newsom Signs SB 1420, Hydrogen Project Streamlining Bill that Could Harm Communities and the Environment

SACRAMENTO, CA — Governor Newsom has signed SB 1420 (Caballero), a bill that allows streamlining of the permitting for hydrogen production projects that could have a negative impact on communities and the environment. 

This bill could fast track the construction and permitting process for hydrogen projects that are known to utilize health-harming production methods. Governor Newsom’s signing of SB 1420 disregards concerns raised by communities that will be impacted by these projects. 

Community-based and environmental organizations from across the state—including NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), Sierra Club California, the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice (CCAEJ), Californians Against Waste, Climate Action California, the California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA) and others—have been opposed to SB 1420 since it was introduced.  

“We are dismayed to see that SB 1420 has been signed into law,” said Marven Norman, Policy Director at (CCAEJ). “As local communities grapple with the fallout from rapid pushes by industry to rush through hydrogen projects, SB 1420 will hinder the ability of those impacted to get the information they need to ensure that the projects are healthy and safe. It is disappointing to see that the State would seek to silence the frontline communities which stand to suffer the most as the hydrogen industry puts profits over people."  

While amendments taken as the bill made its way through the legislature made SB 1420 less harmful, this coalition of environmental justice and environmental organizations remains opposed due to community opposition to projects that are now eligible for streamlining benefits from this bill.  

“The streamlining of harmful hydrogen projects undermines our state’s ability to move towards an equitable, healthy, and low-carbon economy,” said Merrian Borgeson, policy director for California clean energy at NRDC. “There are protections in place for a reason - full review and oversight are needed to avoid further harm to communities already overburdened by pollution.” 

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).   

The Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice (CCAEJ) is a progressive equity-based organization dedicated to bringing people together to improve their social and natural environments. Located in Jurupa Valley, CCAEJ champions regenerative change by nurturing resilient BIPOC intergenerational leadership and cultivating inclusive, self-sustaining communities. 

Sierra Club California is the legislative and regulatory arm of Sierra Club’s 13 local chapters in California, representing half a million members and supporters. 

Californians Against Waste is a non-profit environmental research and advocacy organization that identifies, develops, promotes and monitors policy solutions to pollution and conservation problems posing a threat to public health and the environment. Californians Against Waste's history has demonstrated it to be one of the nation's oldest and most effective non-profit environmental organization advocating for the implementation of waste reduction and recycling policies and programs. 

Climate Action California is a volunteer-led non-profit organization that advocates for science-based legislation and policy, with focus on reducing emissions from short-lived climate pollutants, transportation electrification, and measures that will accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy. 

The California Environmental Justice Alliance is a statewide, community-led alliance that works to achieve environmental justice by advancing policy solutions. We unite the powerful local organizing of our members in the communities most impacted by environmental hazards – low-income communities and communities of color – to create comprehensive opportunities for change at a statewide level to alleviate poverty and pollution.