(a) Prior to awarding grant funds from moneys made available from the fund, the Department of Food and Agriculture shall review the applicant’s analysis identifying potential adverse impacts of the proposed project, including a net increase in criteria pollutants, toxic air contaminants, and hazardous air pollutants; groundwater and surface water impacts; and truck traffic and odor.

(b) A project shall not receive funding unless the applicant has demonstrated to the Department of Food and Agriculture that the applicant has done all of the following:

(1) Conducted outreach in areas that will potentially be adversely impacted by the project.

(2) Determined potential adverse impacts of the project.

(3) Committed to measures to mitigate impacts.

(c) In making awards, the Department of Food and Agriculture shall prioritize projects based on the criteria pollutant emission benefits achieved by the project.

(d) A project funded by the Department of Food and Agriculture that results in localized impacts in disadvantaged communities shall not be considered to provide a benefit to disadvantaged communities for the purposes of Section 39713 of the Health and Safety Code.

(e) This section shall apply only to grants awarded pursuant to Provision 1 of Item 8570-101-3228 of the Budget Act of 2016, as added by Section 13 of Chapter 370 of the Statutes of 2016, for projects that utilize digester technology as part of livestock manure management operations and dairy manure management operations.

(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 26, Sec. 63. (SB 92) Effective June 27, 2017.)