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The Valley air district has distributed hundreds of millions of dollars in public funds to help farmers upgrade tractors to newer, cleaner burning machines. But despite hefty grants, the programs are inaccessible to many small farmers, and ag equipment still contributes to the Valley’s smog problem.
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After a federal judge ruled that the EPA wrongly approved of a flawed plan to reduce San Joaquin Valley air pollution, clean air advocates hope the federal agency will step in to strengthen regulations of polluting industries.
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A California senator set out to ban agricultural burning in the San Joaquin Valley nearly 20 years ago. A messy political fight left a legal loophole that allowed air regulators to postpone the deadline.
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Even with $220 million in financial incentives, growers are wondering how they’ll afford whole orchard recycling in the long term–especially small farmers, who have fewer resources to begin with.
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In their new plan to ban agricultural burning, air regulators are using outreach and financial incentives to convince growers to adopt an alternative known as whole orchard recycling.
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Long-term exposure to the particulate matter released by open agricultural burning has been associated with a suite of health problems, and the communities most affected are majority-Latino.
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The San Joaquin Valley air district committed to ending open agricultural burning by 2025, but nearly two decades of postponing the ban have left clean air advocates dubious that local air regulators will follow through.
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The United Farm Workers’ voting rights bill passed out of the state legislature this week. The union is now hosting 24 hour vigils throughout the state to pressure the governor to sign the bill. One of them is in downtown Fresno.
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Thousands of supporters rallied behind the marchers in the final mile of their pilgrimage. The bill they support made its way to Newsom’s desk Monday afternoon.
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Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) toured the Superior Almond Hulling facility in Cantua Creek this week to highlight California’s strong agricultural sector following President Joe Biden’s signing of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.