Weekly Green: March 16, 2015

In recent headlines:

• PG&E should pay $1.6 billion penalty;
• California poised to tighten watering restrictions;
• Major new cuts eyed for greenhouse gases;
• Crude oil train shipments dwindle in California, for now;
• ... 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

PG&E should pay $1.6 billion penalty as punishment for fatal blast says top regulator
Potentially signaling stricter oversight of Northern California's largest utility, state regulators Friday proposed to fine PG&E $1.6 billion for the failures that led to the fatal gas pipeline explosion in San Bruno, a significant increase from an earlier proposal.
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27707998/san-bruno-pge-penalty-fatal-blast-regulator

California poised to tighten watering restrictions
The board is expected to order every urban water agency in California to limit outdoor watering to specific days of the week – for both residential and business customers. In many cases, this would mean only two days per week.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article14076221.html

Major new cuts eyed for greenhouse gases
Nearly a decade after California’s landmark law curbing greenhouse gases was signed, a key author of AB 32 wants to dramatically boost the crackdown on climate-changing carbon emissions over the next 35 years.
http://capitolweekly.net/greenhouse-gases-cut-legislation-california/

Crude oil train shipments dwindle in California, for now
A year ago, California officials nervously braced for an influx of milelong trains carrying volatile crude oil to refineries in the Valley and on the coast – trains similar to the one that exploded two years ago in Canada, killing 47 people. The trains never arrived.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/transportation/article13666007.html

CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL & POLITICAL NEWS

'Miracle’ expansion of California coastal sanctuaries
After more than a decade of effort by California lawmakers, the Obama administration gave final approval Thursday to a giant expansion of two marine sanctuaries off the coast north of San Francisco that will protect one of the planet’s most prolific ocean ecosystems.
http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/03/12/marine-sanctuaries-around-farallon-islands-to-expand-massively

Ready to fight: Some growers unwilling to lose land for bullet train
Harold Parichan built a reputation as a tough corporate defense attorney when he represented Ford, General Motors and gun maker Sturm, Ruger against some of the biggest product defect allegations in history.
http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-bullet-land-take-20150314-story.html#page=1

State poised to step up crackdown on water wasting
Starting next month, households around the state may be limited to two days a week of outdoor watering. Restaurants might be barred from serving water unless a customer requests a glass. And hotels could have to get approval from guests before washing their towels.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/California-drought-State-poised-to-step-up-6131053.php

Pollution plagues San Diego rivers
The region’s creeks and rivers had unhealthy levels of pollutants last year, the environmental group San Diego Coastkeeper said in a report Wednesday.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/mar/11/environment-pollution-rivers-coastkeeper/

Case could set climate change precedent
Two major lawsuits over how to address climate change while managing San Diego County’s growth and development are poised to pave statewide precedents because of the California Supreme Court’s decision this week to review one case and dismiss the other.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/mar/13/climate-change-sandag-san-diego-county-sierra-club/

Exide’s troubled history: years of pollution violations but few penalties
For decades, inspectors from the California Department of Toxic Substances Control dutifully recorded a long list of environmental infractions at the Vernon battery recycling facility now owned by Exide Technologies.
http://graphics.latimes.com/exide-battery-plant/

Lake Tahoe: Drought, climate change threatening winter, way of life at iconic landmark
California's epic drought, entering its perilous fourth year, has combined with a pattern of warming temperatures to cast a "Twilight Zone" quality on one of the state's most popular winter destinations and iconic landmarks.
http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_27712978/lake-tahoe-drought-climate-change-threatening-winter-way

California Water-Wasters Elude Fines as Drought Persists
California water regulators, alarmed by slack conservation three years into a crippling drought, took the unprecedented step last summer of establishing statewide restrictions and gave communities a hammer to enforce them: a $500 fine for excessive watering of lawns, hosing down driveways and running decorative yard fountains with drinking water.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/california-water-wasters-elude-fines-drought-persists-29637615

Tighter ozone rules in the air
New air-quality rules being considered by the federal government could put tighter shackles on ozone, the invisible gas that chokes lungs, stops hearts and ends lives prematurely.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/mar/13/environment-ozone-air-pollution-epa/

Hundreds Of Sick, Dying Sea Lion Pups Are Washing Up On California’s Shores
Dr. Andrew Trites has been studying marine mammals in the North Pacific for 30 years, and he’s never seen anything like what’s happening in California.
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/03/13/3633743/sea-lion-pups-washing-ashore/

San Onofre plan details under scrutiny
The criminal investigation into the California Public Utilities Commission is focusing on two key revisions to the plan for dividing up $4.7 billion in costs for premature shutdown of the failed San Onofre nuclear power plant.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/mar/14/san-onofre-plan-details-under-scrutiny/

Diablo Canyon nuclear plant safe in earthquakes, PG&E says in report
California’s last remaining nuclear power plant can safely withstand earthquakes, tsunamis and flooding, according to documents submitted by the owner of the Diablo Canyon plant to the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-diablo-canyon-earthquake-report-20150313-story.html

Despite drought, Bay Area water district executives reap generous pay
Jerry Brown's salary and benefits topped $416,000 last year, putting him in the stratosphere of California's top-paid government officials. No, not Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, the Golden State's governor. Try Jerry D. Brown, general manager of the Contra Costa Water District.
http://www.mercurynews.com/News/ci_27713696/Despite-drought-Bay-Area-water-district-executives-reap-generous-pay

Op-Ed: Renewable energy is a California success story
If we have learned one thing in the years since Solyndra, it is that, though individual companies can and do fail, it is a bad idea to bet against clean energy innovation. Even as a work in progress, California is demonstrating that the transition to more secure, sustainable forms of energy can also offer a more prosperous future.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-olsen-hochschild-california-solar-energy-20150312-story.html

Op-Ed: California has about one year of water left. Will you ration now?
Given the historic low temperatures and snowfalls that pummeled the eastern U.S. this winter, it might be easy to overlook how devastating California's winter was as well.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-famiglietti-drought-california-20150313-story.html

CALIFORNIA ELECTION NEWS

L.A.'s low voter numbers push state officials toward easing process
Alarmed by the dismal voter turnout in this month's Los Angeles city election, California lawmakers are considering a massive expansion of vote-by-mail balloting and legalizing pop-up polling stations at shopping malls to help increase the convenience and appeal of voting.
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-pol-election-turnout-20150315-story.html#navtype=outfit

LCLCV endorses Jacque Robinson for Mayor of Pasadena
The Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters (LALCV) - which has supported pro-environment local candidates in communities across Los Angeles County for more than three decades – today announced its endorsement of Jacque Robinson for Mayor of Pasadena in the upcoming April 21st election.
http://on.fb.me/19to4ES

Filings sometimes obscure California political ad details
Today’s Sacramento Bee report on how ballot measure, legislative and independent committees spread the wealth during California’s last election cycle excluded the many millions of campaign dollars received by broadcast television stations.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article14650430.html

Big money arrived too late for L.A. election debate
Two years ago, a defining issue in Los Angeles' mayoral election was campaign money — more specifically, the huge amounts spent by the union that represents most Department of Water and Power employees.
http://www.latimes.com/local/cityhall/la-me-analysis-hidden-money-20150316-story.html#page=1

NATIONAL & GLOBAL NEWS

Climate change threatening coffee, EPA chief warns
The morning coffee that so many depend on to get through the day is at risk due to climate change, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency warned Wednesday.
http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/235335-epa-chief-climate-change-threatens-coffee
 

Thanks for reading the Weekly Green from the California League of Conservation Voters. If you're not a regular subscriber, don't forget to sign up today! Get your free subscription here: http://ecovote.org/wg

• Next Weekly Green
•  
• Previous Weekly Green