Section 39763 Of Chapter 4.7. Agricultural Biomass Utilization Account From California Health And Safety Code >> Division 26. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 4.7.
39763
. (a) The funds appropriated by paragraph (2) of subdivision
(a) of Section 39762, less administrative costs, shall be dedicated
for grants to persons that utilize rice straw.
(b) Grants shall be provided pursuant to this chapter in a manner
to be determined by the department, and shall include, but shall not
be limited to, grants on a per-ton basis and a per-project basis.
(c) On or before July 1 of each year, the secretary shall set the
per-ton grant level in an amount of not less than twenty dollars
($20) per ton of rice straw so utilized.
(d) Grants shall not be provided pursuant to this section for the
purchase of any rice straw for which a tax credit has been claimed
pursuant to Section 17052.10 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
(e) A per-ton grant may be provided pursuant to this chapter only
if the applicant is the "end-user" of agricultural biomass. For
purposes of this subdivision, "end user" means a person who uses
agricultural biomass for any of the following purposes:
(1) Processing.
(2) Generating energy.
(3) Manufacturing.
(4) Exporting.
(5) Preventing erosion.
(6) Any other environmentally sound purpose, excluding open-field
burning, as determined to be appropriate by the department.
(f) Criteria to be considered by the department in determining
whether to award a grant pursuant to this chapter shall include, but
shall not be limited to, the following:
(1) Quantity of biomass to be utilized.
(2) Whether the proposed use offers other environmental or public
policy benefits, including but not limited to, landfill avoidance,
pollution prevention, electrical generation, and sustainability.
(3) The degree to which the proposed grant would assist in moving
the commodity group toward an eventual free market utilization of
biomass without the assistance of government.
(g) The secretary shall select grant recipients in consultation
with the State Air Resources Board, the Integrated Waste Management
Board, and the advisory committee created pursuant to subdivision (
l) of Section 41865 from a list of potential grantees recommended by
the Department of Food and Agriculture.