Weekly Green: March 22, 2013

Happy Friday, everyone. In recent headlines:

• First-term Assemblyman Anthony Rendon gets a key enviro committee chairmanship;
• Lawmakers plan to rewrite 2014's $11 billion water bond;
• Sweeping changes at Yosemite possible due to lawsuit;
• Next10 and PPIC release survey results;
• And much more!

» Welcome to another edition of the Weekly Green, a 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

From CLCV

Rendon appointed as Asm. Water Parks & Wildlife Chair
Yesterday, Speaker John A. Pérez appointed our friend and colleague Assemblymember Anthony Rendon to serve as the next chair of the Assembly’s Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee.
http://www.ecovote.org/blog/rendon-appointed-asm-water-parks-wildlife-chair

A Little Teamwork and Common Ground on CEQA
Last Tuesday, a coalition made up of environmental organizations, labor, and tribes, known as Common Ground California, held a press conference and capitol lobby day committing to protect the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
http://www.ecovote.org/blog/little-teamwork-and-common-ground-ceqa

On the passing of environmental champion Senator Nicholas Petris
Yesterday marked the passing of former-state Senator Nicholas Petris, whose lifetime of service and leadership helped improve quality of life from the San Francisco Bay to the High Sierras and, indeed, far beyond the boundaries of California.
http://www.ecovote.org/blog/passing-environmental-champion-senator-nicholas-petris

Water

Rewritten Water Bond To Include Less Money For Storage
California Senate Leader Darrell Steinberg said lawmakers plan to rewrite the $11 billion water bond for the November 2014 ballot -- and the new version will likely have less money for storage projects such as dams.
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2013/mar/21/rewritten-water-bond-include-less-money-storage/

Delta water plan decried by valley officials
Officials responsible for delivering water and energy to city dwellers and farms punched holes Thursday in a state plan to give more Sierra Nevada runoff to fish.
http://www.modbee.com/2013/03/21/2633374/delta-water-plan-decried-by-valley.html

Tunnel Vision: Who Really Determines California's Water Flow
This year, all eyes are on Governor Jerry Brown’s $23 billion water plan. At the same time, a different state agency is quietly taking on a planning process that could have a much larger impact on the state’s water supply and wildlife.
http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2013/03/19/where-californias-water-future-is-really-being-decided-hint-its-not-about-tunnels/

Stuart Leavenworth: Scope and impact of Delta twin tunnels is starting to hit home
As state and federal officials push ahead with their Bay Delta Conservation Plan, the unavoidable elephant in the room is the 35-mile twin tunnels they propose to build through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Yet the footprint of these tunnels is pretty hard to ignore, especially with new details released Thursday by state and federal officials.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/03/17/5267210/scope-and-impact-of-delta-twin.html

Fracking

California bills could delay fracking
Fracking for oil and natural gas in California could slam to a halt, at least temporarily, under legislation circulating in Sacramento. One bill calls for a moratorium on the practice until the state conducts a sweeping study of fracking's benefits and risks, including the potential for groundwater contamination. Another piece of legislation would allow fracking while the state conducts such a study.
http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/California-bills-could-delay-fracking-4371839.php

California Fracking Fight Has $25 Billion [in] Taxes at Stake
California’s reputation for environmental protection may be jeopardized by the lure of a $25 billion tax windfall that depends on how the state permits oil companies to take advantage of vast deposits lying two miles beneath its golden hills. While New York and others have moratoriums on fracking as potential pollution risks are assessed, California -- the fourth-largest oil-producing state -- is working on industry- backed standards that allow it.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-17/california-fracking-fight-has-25-billion-taxes-at-stake.html

California Environmental News

Yosemite National Park may ban horse, bike and raft rentals, and remove ice rink and pools
With the onset of spring, visitors are returning to see the waterfalls, granite cliffs and snow-capped peaks of Yosemite National Park. But a 14-year-old lawsuit could soon force sweeping changes and eliminate popular activities in one of America's most beloved national parks.
http://www.mercurynews.com/politics-government/ci_22833996/yosemite-national-park-may-ban-horse-bike-and

Air Quality Chief Sees Valero Reversal as Vindication of Climate Law
California's top air regulator has found a victory of sorts in this week's decision by the nation's largest oil refiner to keep its California refineries.
http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2013/03/21/air-quality-chief-sees-valero-reversal-as-vindication-of-climate-law/

Low-Income, Minority Californians Suffer Worst Asthma
Low-income populations, racial and ethnic minorities in California are exposed to greater levels of some air pollutants than higher-income, Caucasian populations. New research shows that as a result they suffer more asthma-related difficulties – from asthma attacks and daily medication use to work absences and emergency room visits. In all, about 3.5 million adults and 900,000 children in California have been diagnosed with asthma. Millions more suffer from asthma-like breathing problems.
http://ens-newswire.com/2013/03/21/low-income-minority-californians-suffer-worst-asthma/

California Performing Well As State Fuels A Green Economy
The investments in the clean economy is softening California's carbon footprint, according to the Green Innovation Index released on Tuesday. The study measured how the state is doing when it comes to boosting jobs, investing in innovations and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The report was put together by Next 10, a non partisan group that studies the economy, the environment and quality of life.
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2013/mar/19/california-performing-well-state-fuels-green-econo/

California green jobs grew at slower pace in 2010
Green jobs in California kept growing in 2010 but at a slower pace than before, according to an annual survey of the state's emerging clean-tech industry.
http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/CA-green-jobs-grew-at-slower-pace-in-2010-4365200.php

Californians and Their Government

New poll says economic worries crowding out big issues in California
The still-stagnant economy is weighing so heavily on Californians' minds that it's crowding out other top issues such as immigration, gun control and climate change -- and is stifling support for major statewide initiatives such as high-speed rail and a Central Valley water project.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_22835390/new-ppic-poll-says-economic-worries-crowding-out

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government
http://www.ppic.org/main/publication.asp?i=1050

Fish and Wildlife: Millions mishandled, director says
The Department of Fish and Wildlife director told lawmakers that he has alerted the attorney general's office and state ethics watchdog amid an inquiry into the mishandling of millions of dollars in department lease and permit revenue.
http://www.pe.com/local-news/politics/politics-headlines-index/20130321-fish-wildlife-millions-mishandled-director-says.ece

More California Environmental News

Los Angeles to end coal power by 2025
A plan to make Los Angeles coal free by 2025 was approved Tuesday by the Board of Water and Power Commissioners as Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa proclaimed "the era of coal" is over for the city. The proposal calls for the city to sell off one of its coal-fired plants in Arizona and convert a second plant in Utah so it can run on natural gas. Los Angeles now receives 40 percent of its power from the two plants... estimated [to] produce emissions equal to 2 million cars.
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_22827233/dwp-end-coal-power-by-2025

Bay Area blueprint for housing, shops and roads set for March release
The Bay Area's two largest regional agencies will unveil later this month a draft blueprint for where to build new houses, shops and roads in the next 25 years along with an environmental analysis. Called Plan Bay Area, the blueprint is required under state legislation, SB375, that ties transportation money to land-use planning. The draft blueprint is set for release on March 22 followed by the environmental analysis on March 29.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_22827541/bay-area-blueprint-housing-shops-and-roads-set

California EPA puts West Fresno atop cities with high health risks
The California Environmental Protection Agency says people in West Fresno live with higher health risks than anyone in California – higher than any part of Los Angeles, Oakland or any place else you can name.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/03/17/5269301/california-epa-puts-west-fresno.html

Quarry Lakes on leading edge of lead ban
The Quarry Lakes are hardly pristine. The nearly treeless former industrial site in Fremont is engulfed by development and traffic. But the lakes are among the cleanest around, thanks to a ban on lead fishing tackle that's thought to be the only such ban in the state.
http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Quarry-Lakes-on-leading-edge-of-lead-ban-4365148.php

Bay Area grocery stores pledge not to sell genetically modified fish
In a dramatic sign of the growing wariness about genetically modified food, some of the nation's largest grocers, including Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, will announce Wednesday they will not sell a type of salmon engineered by a biotech firm.
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_22828193/grocery-stores-pledge-not-sell-genetically-modified-fish

Leatherback turtle nest numbers way down
The western Pacific leatherback turtle, one of the world's largest reptiles and a common sight every year in the waters outside the Golden Gate, could go extinct within 20 years if more isn't done to protect its habitat and nesting sites, a team of international experts concluded.
http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Leatherback-turtle-nest-numbers-way-down-4362377.php

Battles brewing over animal bills
Tough battles are expected to break out over animal protection legislation pending in the state Capitol. Several measures will renew old rivalries over lead ammunition to shoot game, using hounds to hunt bears, selling animals at swap meets and force-feeding ducks and geese to produce a delicacy known as foie gras.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/mar/15/fights-brewing-over-animal-bills/

Dan Morain: Hazards of life in a 'green' state
If there is any doubt that we Californians have a conflicted and hypocritical view of what is and isn't environmentally correct, take a look at how authorities have handled and mishandled Kettleman City's undrinkable water, and the hazardous waste landfill not far away.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/03/17/5267202/hazards-of-life-in-a-green-state.html

Dan Walters: Californians will remain dependent on their cars
The Sacramento Area Council of Governments is so politically correct it squeaks – fully embracing the anti-greenhouse gas, pro-transit, "sustainable" development policies adopted by the state in recent years with a "blueprint" said to be a model for other California regions.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/03/17/5269303/dan-walters-californians-will.html

National Environmental News

Sally Jewell gains Senate panel's OK
A last-minute deal on an Alaskan lands issue paved the way for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to advance President Obama's nomination of Sally Jewell to be interior secretary on Thursday. But the 19-3 vote revealed that Jewell's path to confirmation is far from clear.
http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Sally-Jewell-gains-Senate-panel-s-OK-4375294.php

Tough fracking standards part of deal
Pittsburgh - Some of the nation's biggest oil and gas companies have made peace with environmentalists, agreeing to a set of tough standards for fracking in the Northeast that could lead to a major expansion of drilling.
http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Tough-fracking-standards-part-of-deal-4371845.php

Beekeepers sue EPA to ban pesticide, protect bees
Commercial beekeepers and environmental organizations filed a lawsuit Thursday against federal regulators for not banning the use of two pesticides they say harm honeybees.
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2013/03/21/2438838/beekeepers-sue-epa-to-ban-pesticides.html

Radiation from Japan's nuclear disaster may help track Pacific bluefin tuna
The low levels of these particles don't pose a health danger to either the fish or sushi eaters, said Daniel Madigan, a Stanford University graduate student and an author on the study in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. But scientists can track the chemical mark of Fukushima to recreate a timeline of when bluefin tuna traveled from their spawning grounds, in waters around Japan, to the coast of North America.
http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_22818258/radiation-from-japans-nuclear-disaster-may-help-track

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