This bill protects California communities by halting the construction of dangerous battery storage sites until proper safety standards are in place. AB 434 enacts a two-year moratorium on new battery site permits, requires the State Fire Marshal to create minimum safety standards, and restores local control over site approval. After multiple fires like those in Moss Landing and Otay Mesa that forced evacuations and released toxic smoke, this bill ensures that fire-prone lithium-ion battery facilities no longer threaten public health and safety.
