Environment

Budget Agreement Diverts Money From Cap and Trade

Amy Quinton — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:34:32 +0000

California’s budget agreement borrows 500-million dollars from the state’s cap-and-trade program. As Amy Quinton reports from Sacramento, environmentalists say the maneuver neglects polluted communities.

Environmentalists say money from the sale of carbon pollution permits is supposed to go to programs that help further reduce emissions. California Governor Jerry Brown and lawmakers say it will, just not this year.

Study: Development of Alternative Fuels Surpassing Expectations

Joe Moore — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 19:22:56 +0000

California’s low carbon fuel standard may be driving the development of alternative fuels more quickly than expected. As Amy Quinton reports from Sacramento, a new report shows significant progress in fuels that can replace or blend with gasoline and diesel.

The report is produced by a coalition of utilities and alternative fuel makers. It looks at different ways companies can comply with the regulation that requires a 10 percent reduction in the carbon intensity of transportation fuels by 2020.

Only One Major Fracking Bill Left Now at California Capitol

Ben Adler — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 00:53:37 +0000

A bill that would regulate the controversial oil and gas extraction process known as “fracking” in California has stalled at the State Capitol.

The measure by Democratic Assemblyman Bob Wieckowski fell two votes shy of passage in an Assembly committee today. It would have required oil companies to provide a complete list of chemicals used, their concentrations, how much water was used and how it was disposed of once fracking was complete.

Legislative Battle Over Fracking Not Over

Amy Quinton — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 16:00:00 +0000

The legislative battle over more stringent regulation of a controversial method of extracting oil and natural gas in California is far from over. As Amy Quinton reports from Sacramento, lawmakers will discuss the issue once again this week.

The deadline for all bills to pass their chamber of origin or die has already passed. But last-minute Assembly floor amendments on a bill that would expand public disclosure of fracking chemicals sent it back to committee.

EPA and Lawmakers Call Lack of Clean Drinking Water Unacceptable

Amy Quinton — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 01:47:04 +0000

The Environmental Protection Agency says California is violating the Safe Drinking Water Act. EPA says the state’s Department of Public Health has failed to spend nearly a $500 million in federal money to provide safe drinking water. It’s estimated the state will have to spend $40 billion over the next two decades to fix the problem. As Amy Quinton reports from Sacramento, some lawmakers are outraged by what they see as a bureaucratic nightmare within the Department.

Hundreds of Communities Rely on Contaminated Water

Amy Quinton — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 01:46:11 +0000

More than 600 communities in California rely on contaminated groundwater. Nowhere is the problem more acute than in the Tulare Lake Basin and the Salinas Valley. It’s estimated that a quarter of a million people there rely on groundwater contaminated with nitrates, including some of the poorest people in the state. In the first of two stories, Amy Quinton reports on how one community struggles to deal with the problem.

Environmentalists Lobby To Change Brown's Proposal For Cap and Trade Funds

Amy Quinton — Tue, 21 May 2013 23:35:16 +0000

Environmental groups have begun a lobbying campaign to stop California Governor Jerry Brown’s budget proposal to divert money from the cap-and-trade program.

Environmentalists say money from the sale of carbon pollution permits is supposed to go to programs that help further reduce emissions. Brown wants to borrow $500 million for the general fund.

Vien Truong with the Greenlining Institute says environmental advocates are angry. She says that money could be used for clean air programs in low-income communities.

New Google Tool Shows Remarkable Timelapse of Fresno Growth Since 1984

Joe Moore — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:21:55 +0000

A new timelapse tool released this month by Google provides Fresno residents with a stark reminder of just how quickly much of the city's nearby agriculture land has been replaced by homes, shopping centers and freeways.

Brown Proposes Changes to Prop 65 Warning Signs

Katie Orr — Wed, 08 May 2013 01:14:16 +0000

It’s hard to go anywhere in California without seeing a little signs warning about potentially hazardous chemicals. Now Governor Jerry Brown wants to give those signs an update. Katie Orr reports from Sacramento.

Proposition 65 requires California businesses to post warnings about potentially hazardous chemicals in the air. The voter approved law has been in place since 1986. Now Governor Jerry Brown wants the warnings to be more specific and he wants to modify the law requiring where the signs are posted.

New Study Examines Collapse of Honey Bee Colonies

Joe Moore — Fri, 03 May 2013 00:16:42 +0000

The collapse of honey bee populations in the U.S. is the result of a number of factors, ranging from insects and diseases to pesticides, according to new study released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection agency.

The report says a parasitic mite is the single most destructive pest to bee populations, and is closely linked with what has come to be known as colony collapse disorder.