Weekly Green: July 22, 2014

In recent headlines:

• California Halts Injection of Fracking Waste;
• Cap-and-trade could aid preservation of California farmland;
• Hefty fines for those who block beaches;
• California adopts $500 criminal penalty for water waste;
• ... and much more!

» Welcome to another edition of the Weekly Green, your no-frills news roundup provided free of charge by the California League of Conservation Voters. If you're not a regular subscriber, sign up today! Get your free subscription here: http://ecovote.org/wg

TOP NEWS

California Halts Injection of Fracking Waste, Warning it May Be Contaminating Aquifers
California officials have ordered an emergency shut-down of 11 oil and gas waste injection sites and a review more than 100 others in the state's drought-wracked Central Valley out of fear that companies may have been pumping fracking fluids and other toxic waste into drinking water aquifers there.
http://www.propublica.org/article/ca-halts-injection-fracking-waste-warning-may-be-contaminating-aquifers

Cap-and-trade could aid preservation of California farmland
So Port embraced a novel approach: in exchange for a payment from state bond money worth about half the value of his land, he agreed to an easement requiring the property to remain farmland. He has since reinvested the money in improvements like fixing up an ancient barn.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/07/19/6568511/cap-and-trade-could-aid-preservation.html

Hefty fines for those who block beaches
When Vonne Barnes heard about a new law that gives the California Coastal Commission more power to impose heavy fines on those who restrict beach access, she quickly shot out a letter.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/access-629331-beach-people.html

Utilities already regulated under cap-and-trade urge Brown to hold fast
With oil industry groups intensifying pressure on Gov. Jerry Brown to delay expanding California’s cap-and-trade program to vehicle fuels in 2015 – a measure they say will result in higher gas prices – utilities already regulated under the program are urging Brown to go forward with the expansion.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/07/18/6566020/utilities-already-regulated-under.html

California adopts $500 criminal penalty for water waste
On Tuesday, amid evidence that existing conservation measures are not working, the State Water Resources Control Board took the unprecedented step of declaring certain types of water waste a criminal infraction similar to a speeding violation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/16/us/forceful-steps-amid-a-severe-drought.html

CALIFORNIA DROUGHT & WATER CONSERVATION NEWS

California drought: Record heat gives some cantaloupe crops sunburn
The temperatures were so hot this year in Joe Del Bosque’s cantaloupe fields that some of the melons could have used sunscreen.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-california-drought-record-heat-sunburns-melon-crops-20140721-story.html

California was hotter than ever during the first half of 2014
Just how fast the state's climate is changing became apparent Monday when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released figures showing the first six months of this year were the hottest the state has ever recorded -- breaking the mark by a single degree after 80 years.
http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_26191435/california-was-hotter-than-ever-during-first-half

New law prohibits some fines for brown lawns during droughts
Californians who let their lawns die during a drought won't risk a slap on the wrist from their homeowners' associations, thanks to a bill signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/07/21/6571908/fines-for-brown-lawns-blocked.html

California homeowners warned about brown lawns
On the same day the state approved mandatory outdoor watering restrictions with the threat of $500 fines, the Southern California couple received a letter from their city threatening a $500 penalty for not watering their brown lawn.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/california-couple-warned-for-having-brown-lawn/2014/07/17/8f815836-0dcc-11e4-9c90-0c289b74e142_story.html

Water cops' being hired by Bay Area agencies to root out water waste
It's about to get more difficult to go unnoticed if your sprinklers are watering the street more than your lawn. California's worsening drought and mandatory new state water rules are prompting Bay Area water agencies to beef up their conservation staffs -- the employees sometimes called "water cops."
http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_26191180/california-drought-water-cops-being-hired-by-bay

See which Californians are increasing water use despite the drought
A survey revealed that Californians have increased their water usage amid the worst drought to hit the state in decades.
http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_26149855/see-which-californians-are-increasing-water-use-despite

California water districts face suit for ignoring conservation law
After largely ignoring a conservation law passed during the last drought, some of California’s largest agricultural water districts are facing a lawsuit that would force them to measure how much water farmers use.
http://cironline.org/reports/california-water-districts-face-suit-ignoring-conservation-law-6547

Californians Get $9.7 Million In Fed Drought Aid
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $9.7 million in new drought aid on Friday to help rural Californians hurt by the state's three-year drought. The money will help secure water supplies for 73,000 Californians in 11 counties, the U.S. Agriculture Department said in a statement.
http://www.capradio.org/28356

New Survey Says Californians Overwhelmingly Support Statewide Groundwater Plan
The survey was commissioned by the non-profit California Water Foundation. It finds the prolonged drought has focused public opinion on the need to regulate groundwater.
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2014/07/17/new-survey-says-californians-overwhelmingly-support-statewide-groundwater-plan/

California’s new water-waste penalty also applies to government, but who will enforce it?
When California water officials last week passed new regulations making wasting water a crime, they also handed a new tool to government watchdogs.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/07/21/6569749/californias-new-water-waste-penalty.html

California drought: High-bidding farmers battle in water auctions
Rumors drifted across the parched Central Valley that a bidding war for water might push auction prices as high as $3,000 an acre-foot, up from $60 in a normal year. Yet, Ray Flanders needed water to keep his orchards alive.
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_26181042/high-bidding-farmers-battle-water-auctions

Lake Morena caught in crosshairs of San Diego's water policy
Mitchell, 52, a contractor, has succinctly hit upon twin facts that have driven San Diego County water policy for 70 years: the region does not own most of its water supply, and water is often a zero-sum business — for every winner there must be a loser. Those ominous realities loom large as San Diego and the rest of the county struggle with drought.
http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-drought-reservoir-20140721-story.html

UC Davis study finds drought will cost California billions
California’s dogged drought will cost the state’s economy $2.2 billion and an estimated 17,100 jobs, but consumers will largely be spared higher prices, according to a major study released Tuesday.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/07/15/6558062/uc-davis-study-finds-drought-will.html

Groundwater pumping propping up farms in California drought
Consumers will see no shortages of California-grown fruits, nuts and vegetables this year despite one of the worst droughts in state history, but that's because farmers are draining groundwater reserves and leaving no insurance should heavy rains fail to materialize next winter, UC Davis researchers.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Groundwater-pumping-propping-up-farms-in-5623258.php

Proposal would fine California water-wasters
In one of the most drastic responses yet to California's drought, state regulators on Tuesday will consider fines up to $500 a day for people who waste water on landscaping, fountains, washing vehicles and other outdoor uses.
http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_WATER_FINES_CAOL-?SITE=CASON&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-07-15-02-05-23

Drought hinders state's emissions goals
A prolonged dry spell, stretching on for years, would slash the amount of power flowing from the state's hydroelectric dams, already running low after three parched winters.
http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Drought-hinders-state-s-emissions-goals-5633275.php

West-side San Joaquin Valley water calamity may be unfolding
After the water table below Stratford dropped an astounding 100 feet in the past two years, it set off a slow-motion collapse of the ground underfoot, crushing part of a town well.
http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/07/19/4031791/west-side-san-joaquin-valley-water.html

California drought: Are swimming pools a waste of water?
Pools are the aquamarine line between affluent and low-income Los Angeles. Getting a house with a pool was a status symbol for the TV Clampetts and it has been that way in real life for more than 60 years, even as pools became de rigueur in pop-up suburban enclaves such as Northridge, Downey, West Covina and Upland after World War II.
http://www.dailybulletin.com/article/20140718/NEWS/140719414

Inland Empire aquifer at record low, officials say
Officials with the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District and neighboring agencies say groundwater levels in an aquifer beneath the Bunker Hill Basin are at their lowest level in recorded history. The aquifer provides much of the drinking water for San Bernardino, Riverside and a number of surrounding communities.
http://www.scpr.org/news/2014/07/18/45430/inland-empire-aquifer-at-record-low-officials-say/

Drought drying up small Central Valley farmers' future
This time of year, May Vu's farm in Sanger should be carpeted with blooming flowers and a bounty of vegetables. But a failing irrigation pump and a nearly empty well have dried up Vu's farm and with it, her source of income.
http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/07/19/4032162/drought-drying-up-small-farmers.html

California drought will probably worsen this summer, expert says
With more than 80% of the state in an extreme drought, dry conditions will probably continue and won't improve much in the next few months, said climatologist Brian Fuchs of the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-california-drought-worsen-20140718-story.html

California drought: One water cop patrols all of Los Angeles
A day after state water regulators voted to get tougher on water restrictions, the Los Angeles water police Wednesday were out in force - that being one full-time water cop.
http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_26174162/california-drought-one-water-cop-patrols-all-los

80% of California is now in extreme drought, new data shows
The NWS' Drought Monitor Update for July 15 shows 81% of California in the category of extreme drought or worse, up from 78%. Three months ago, it was 68%.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-california-extreme-drought-data-20140717-story.html

Wasting water? Fear ratting neighbors, not relentless cops
If you decide to spray-wash your driveway in the middle of the drought, God forbid, the cops aren't likely to show up at your doorstep. It's more likely your neighbor will rat you out.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Little-enforcement-of-new-water-rules-planned-5629287.php

River ruling could boost regulation of groundwater
An attorney said Thursday he expects to appeal a potentially precedent-setting court finding that could make local governments responsible for controlling the largely unregulated pumping of groundwater in the state.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Court-ruling-could-boost-regulation-of-groundwater-5629319.php

Taller dam builds water certainty
When the San Vicente Dam opened in 1943, engineers were already thinking about how to make it higher — a vision celebrated Wednesday by many who came to dedicate a new version of the venerable structure that’s 117 feet taller than the original.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/jul/16/san-vicente-dam-dedication/

California drought: Blame L.A.? Not so fast, Southern California water officials say
California's north-south water rivalry revved up Wednesday, a day after a state survey showed that while most of the drought-ravaged state modestly reduced its water consumption, coastal Southern California is headed in the wrong direction.
http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_26162697/california-drought-blame-la-not-so-fast-socal

Sacramento agencies: Our water waste rules are tough enough
Large water agencies throughout the Sacramento region have no intention of imposing criminal penalties for water waste, despite a new state regulation that allows them to do so.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/07/16/6561418/in-sacramento-area-no-plans-for.html

Officials: Complacency Drives Hike in Water Use
Some Southern California water districts became so good at saving water and building their own water storage facilities in recent decades that residents are not feeling the effects of the worst drought to hit the state in a generation. That's a problem.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/california-seeks-send-message-water-wasters-24578015

Biggest water saving, guzzling districts
Despite the governor's call for conservation amid a historic drought, California water agencies across the state collectively reported a 1 percent increase in water use in May 2014 compared to the same month over the previous three years.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/jul/16/biggest-water-saving-guzzling-districts/

In Sacramento area, no plans for criminal enforcement of water waste
Most water agencies in the Sacramento region have no intention of imposing criminal penalties for water waste, despite a new state regulation that allows them to do so.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/07/16/6561418/in-sacramento-area-no-plans-for.html

Drought takes aim at farms
California farmers are taking a huge economic hit as the drought’s impact deepens, with crop and livestock losses estimated at $1 billion this year alone, and an additional out-of-pocket cost of some $454 million to pump groundwater to partially replace surface supplies, according to a new study.
http://capitolweekly.net/water-drought-farms-california/

Sacramento Judge Makes Precedent-Setting Ruling On Groundwater Regulation
Attorneys on both sides say it's the first time a California court has ruled the "public trust doctrine" applies to groundwater. The doctrine says the State of California holds all waterways for the benefit of the people.
http://www.capradio.org/28181

Santa Cruz water school washes away fines for overuse
Like traffic school, where derelict drivers learn about road safety with the hope of getting their tickets reduced, 30 students gathered at a downtown community center Monday night to come to a better understanding of California's drought and - pending a quiz at the end of the night - get their water fines dismissed.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Water-school-washes-away-fines-for-water-hogs-5623976.php

Drought takes toll on birds, Pacific Flyway
Summer is a relatively quiet time for birds in California’s Central Valley, as most of the ducks and geese are breeding in the north. But this year is more quiet than usual.
http://capitolweekly.net/drought-birds-pacific-flyway-bond/

Groundwater pumping propping up farms in California drought
Consumers will see no shortages of California-grown fruits, nuts and vegetables this year despite one of the worst droughts in state history, but that's because farmers are draining groundwater reserves and leaving no insurance should heavy rains fail to materialize next winter, UC Davis researchers.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Groundwater-pumping-propping-up-farms-in-5623258.php

Downtown L.A. is now driest since rain records started in 1877
Rainy seasons over the last two years were the driest in downtown Los Angeles since record-keeping began in 1877, and forecasters now say the El Niño that had been predicted to bring some relief may not materialize.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-downtown-la-driest-since-1877-20140714-story.html

Massive raid to help Yurok tribe combat illegal pot grows
The California National Guard on Monday joined more than a dozen other agencies to help the Yurok tribe combat rampant marijuana grows that have threatened the reservation's water supply, harmed its salmon and interfered with cultural ceremonies.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-tribal-drug-bust-20140720-story.html

MORE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS

Anti-Fracking Activists in California Take Fight to County Ballots
Opponents of hydraulic fracturing — or fracking — have pushed for a statewide moratorium on the controversial oil production technique. With those efforts stalled in the state legislature, activists are taking the fight to the county level.
http://blogs.kqed.org/science/2014/07/14/anti-fracking-activists-in-california-take-fight-to-county-ballots/

California Fire Season: Threat of Dry Lightning Looms
Weather experts say the next couple of weeks could be some of the worst in state history for wildfires caused by lightning strikes.
http://blogs.kqed.org/science/2014/07/21/california-fire-season-threat-of-dry-lightning-looms/

California wildfire citations applied unevenly
Property owners in southern and central California were cited 5,076 times during the past three fiscal years for not doing enough to clear their properties and protect their homes from wildfires. During the same period, just eight such citations were issued in all of Northern California, and all of those came in a single year in Tehama and Glenn counties.
http://www.dailynews.com/article/20140719/NEWS/140719354

Fresno County supervisors make no decision on opposing high-speed rail
Fresno County supervisors spent four hours Tuesday discussing whether to reverse their stand on high-speed rail, but in the end couldn't agree on a resolution to oppose the statewide project.
http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/07/15/4025872/fresno-county-supervisors-make.html

Threat of litigation looms over faulty Board of Equalization tower
Over two decades, employees there have dealt with: Bats. Floods. Leaky windows. Toxic mold. Hazardous chemicals. Glass panels that pop off the building with no warning and shatter on the sidewalk. Fickle elevators. Corroded pipes. A broken fire system water pump. Even a hostage-taker’s death.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/07/20/6568371/threat-of-litigation-looms-over.html

Silicon Valley open space tax heading toward November ballot
Hoping to preserve scenic parklands, wildlife habitat and farmland around Silicon Valley, the board of the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority is scheduled to vote Thursday on placing a $24 per-parcel tax on the November ballot.
http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_26180434/silicon-valley-open-space-tax-heading-toward-november

California very much in running for Tesla Gigafactory
Tesla has a decision to make, and soon. Where to build a "Gigafactory" employing 6,000 people churning out batteries, not only for Tesla's range of electric vehicles, but for solar panels and other energy-saving devices, which analysts believe could truly disrupt the auto industry and a whole lot of others.
http://www.sfgate.com/business/bottomline/article/California-very-much-in-running-for-Tesla-5633147.php

Federal Study Confirms Aviation Glare Hazard From Solar Project
A federal laboratory has released its report on hazards from glare at the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System in San Bernardino County and the risk that glare poses to aviation in the area. That report isn't good news for those flying between L.A. and Vegas.
http://www.kcet.org/news/rewire/solar/solar-thermal/federal-study-confirms-aviation-glare-hazard-from-solar-project.html

California Has Little Say Over Oil Train Safety
The number of trains carrying crude oil across California is increasing rapidly, and two official reports say the state is not ready. Regulators are preparing, with funds for disaster response and more track inspectors, but they’re limited in how much they can do to make rail transport safer.
http://blogs.kqed.org/science/audio/california-has-little-say-over-oil-train-safety/

State Lands Commission files suit to overturn San Francisco's Prop. B
The State Lands Commission filed suit Tuesday to overturn San Francisco's voter-approved limits on high-rise buildings along the city's waterfront, arguing that the lands belong to the state and are managed by the Port Commission, not the city and its voters.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/SF-s-voter-approved-waterfront-height-limits-5624072.php

POLITICS

Obama arriving in Bay Area Tuesday for Dem fundraiser
The president -- arriving late in the day from Seattle after raising money there for the Democratic National Committee -- will spend the night in the Bay Area before headlining a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee fundraising luncheon Wednesday at the Los Altos home of real estate mogul George Marcus.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_26189020/obama-arriving-tuesday-dem-fundraiser

Political shakeup looms in California
The rumblings are early but unmistakable: A political earthquake is — finally — headed to California. For decades now, Democrats and Republicans here have experienced statewide politics as an interminable waiting game, thanks to a gang of 70- and 80-somethings from the Bay Area who have dominated government for a generation.
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/07/political-shakeup-looms-in-california-109140.html

David Cay Johnston: State’s job growth defies predictions after tax increases
Dire predictions about jobs being destroyed spread across California in 2012 as voters debated whether to enact the sales and, for those near the top of the income ladder, stiff income tax increases in Proposition 30. Million-dollar-plus earners face a 3 percentage-point increase on each additional dollar.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/07/20/6564879/states-job-growth-defies-predictions.html

Tom Steyer struggles to find big-money donors
Billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer is falling far short on his pledge to raise $50 million in outside money to make climate change a midterm-election weapon against the GOP.
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/07/tom-steyer-donor-struggle-109016.html

NHL announces official position on climate change
The National Hockey League just released their first-ever Sustainability Report and, in doing so, became the first professional sports league to take a stand on climate change: "Our sport can trace its roots to frozen freshwater ponds, to cold climates. Major environmental challenges, such as climate change and freshwater scarcity, affect opportunities for hockey players of all ages to learn and play the game outdoors."
http://www.nhl.com/green/report/index.html

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