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newsclips -- CARB Newsclips for May 22, 2017.
Posted: 22 May 2017 16:56:15
CARB Newsclips for May 22, 2017. This is a service of the California Air Resources Board’s Office of Communications. You may need to sign in or register with individual websites to view some of the following news articles. CARB BUSINESS http://www.publicnow.com/view/F4C85CBCEC42A6E0DB9646545B138857764AF43E?2017-05-18-00:01:17+01:00-xxx7686 _________________________________ The California Air Resources Board (ARB) staff invites you to participate in the third meeting in an ongoing series of public working meetings to discuss Co-processing of biogenic feedstocks at conventional petroleum refineries. Topics include (1) pathway application and evaluation of the carbon intensity of renewable fractions, (2) quantifying and reporting the renewable fuel volumes, and (3) monitoring and verification under the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). The next meeting will be held at the following time and location: DATE: Friday, June 2, 2017 TIME: 9:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. LOCATION: Sierra Hearing Room, 2nd Floor ADDRESS: California Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters Building 1001 “I” Street Sacramento, California 95814 Today’s notice is intended to confirm the date, time and location, and supply instructions on how to participate (in-person, over the phone, or webcast). This information along with a discussion paper and other materials for review will be posted at http://www.arb.ca.gov/fuels/lcfs/lcfs_meetings/lcfs_meetings.htm _______________________________________ Dept. of Public Health Webinar & Webcast TOPIC: Public Health Dimensions of Oil and Gas Production in California. DATE: Tuesday, May 23, 2017 TIME: 1:00 to 4:00 pm PDT (WEBINAR & WEBCAST) LOCATION: CalEPA, Sierra Hearing Room, 2nd Floor 1001 I Street, Sacramento, California WEBINAR - register here: https://cdph.webex.com/cdph/onstage/g.php?MTID=ed68c92894d8105b772615a49bbb6bacf WEBCAST Option: http://video.calepa.ca.gov _____________________________________________ Staff from the California Department of Transportation, the California Air Resources Board, the California Energy Commission, and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development invite you to participate in workshops to discuss implementation of the California Sustainable Freight Action Plan (Action Plan). The workshops will be held at the locations and on the dates noted below. The agencies will follow the same format and show the same presentation at each of the workshop locations. LOS ANGELES: May 30, 2017 SAN DIEGO: May 31, 2017 For more information on the California Sustainable Freight Action Plan including upcoming workshops, please visit the webpage at http://www.casustainablefreight.org/ _________________________ The California Air Resources Board in collaboration with the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, is holding a free professional wet cleaning demonstration workshop. The free workshop will be held on Sunday, June 11, 2017 from 2:00PM - 4:00PM in Los Angeles. Doors open at 1:45 PM. Venue: London Cleaners, 1073 Gayley Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90024. Space is limited. Register early at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/free-professional-wet-cleaning-demonstration-workshop-for-dry-cleaners-tickets-33498967313 or by searching for "wet cleaning workshop" on Eventbrite at: http://www.eventbrite.com For more details about the workshop, please visit ARB's Non-Toxic Dry Cleaning Incentive Program (AB998) website at: http://www.arb.ca.gov/toxics/dryclean/ab998.htm __________________________ Low vapor pressure-volatile organic compounds (LVP-VOCs) are a set of VOCs currently exempted for VOC content based on a combination of boiling point, vapor pressure, and/or elution time from a GC-column. This work explores evaporation rates and secondary pollutant formation from a series of individual LVP-VOCs associated with consumer products, select generic consumer products that include these LVP-VOCs, and several hydrocarbon solvents. For more go to the announcement at: http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/seminars/cocker/cocker.htm CAP AND TRADE A new question on California's cap-and-trade program -- how many votes are needed to keep it going? For most of the debate in Sacramento over extending California’s cap-and-trade program, the goal has been reaching a two-thirds vote in both houses of the Legislature to get the job done. That’s the target set by Gov. Jerry Brown and the threshold that nonpartisan… http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-cap-and-trade-1495134595-htmlstory.html AIR POLLUTION Spare the Air day returns to Bay Area on Monday. The weekend rise in temperatures brought with it a Spare the Air Alert on Sunday from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. The alert, which will be in effect for Monday, will be the second of the summer season and comes after temperatures in some far East Bay locations moved into the 90s on Sunday for the second straight day. http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/05/21/spare-the-air-day-returns-to-bay-area-on-monday/ More of Bay Area May Be Vulnerable to Refinery Mishaps Than Previously Believed. The recent conclusion by local air regulators that malfunctions at Chevron’s Richmond facility sent toxic gas 11 miles across San Francisco Bay late last year means that a larger part of the region may be vulnerable to refinery malfunctions than many previously believed, environmentalists and experts say. https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/05/22/more-of-the-bay-area-may-be-vulnerable-to-refinery-mishaps-than-was-thought/ A California regulator’s curious crusade to remake the Clean Air Act. In the smoggy San Joaquin Valley, an air pollution control officer is under fire for aiding members of Congress who want to weaken the law. The 250-mile-long San Joaquin Valley is an economic powerhouse, producing everything from crude oil to grapes, cotton to pistachios. It’s also a pollution-trapping bowl, bounded on three sides by mountains… https://www.publicintegrity.org/2017/05/22/20869/california-regulator-s-curious-crusade-remake-clean-air-act Air pollution linked to poor sleep, study finds. Exposure to nitrogen dioxide and airborne particles affects sleep efficiency, says medical professor. Air pollution might be linked to poor sleep, say researchers looking into the impact of toxic air on our slumbers. The study explored the proportion of time participants spent asleep in bed at night compared with being awake – a measure known as sleep efficiency. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/may/21/air-pollution-linked-to-poor-sleep-study-finds EPA aids polluters with 'exceptional events' guidance — greens. U.S. EPA is giving cover to run-of-the-mill industrial polluters with its updated "exceptional events" guidance, environmentalists charge in a new court filing. Although such events are mainly supposed to be the result of natural forces, EPA's guidance allows "regular industrial pollution in vast amounts" to qualify as an exceptional event… https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/05/22/stories/1060054909 CLIMATE CHANGE Stop hoping we can fix climate change by pulling carbon out of the air, scientists warn. Scientists are expressing increasing skepticism that we’re going to be able to get out of the climate change mess by relying on a variety of large-scale land-use and technical solutions that have been not only proposed but often relied upon in scientific calculations. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/05/22/stop-hoping-we-can-fix-climate-change-by-pulling-carbon-out-of-the-air-scientists-warn/?utm_term=.38a9688fd2e9 Carbon Emissions Fee Proposed By Environmental Groups In Washington, DC. Economists call carbon emissions an “untaxed externalty.” That means those responsible for them are not required to pay for the damage they cause to society. Imagine if you operated a livestock ranch on your property but dumped all the manure your animals create in your neighbor’s yard. https://cleantechnica.com/2017/05/21/carbon-emissions-fee-proposed-environmental-groups-washington-dc/ DROUGHT Homeowners who let grass go brown to save water during California drought could face fines. Homeowners who let their grass go brown to save money during the drought may have to turn the sprinklers back on, or else their HOA can fine them. In April, Gov. Jerry Brown declared the drought over for most parts of California, lifting restrictions that kept homeowners associations from disciplining residents who stopped watering their grass to help save money and water. http://www.10news.com/news/homeowners-who-let-grass-go-brown-to-save-water-during-california-drought-could-face-fines FUELS How Rollbacks at Scott Pruitt’s E.P.A. Are a Boon to Oil and Gas. In a gas field here in Wyoming’s struggling energy corridor, nearly 2,000 miles from Washington, the Trump administration’s regulatory reversal is crowning an early champion. Devon Energy, which runs the windswept site, had been prepared to install a sophisticated system to detect and reduce leaks of dangerous gases. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/20/business/energy-environment/devon-energy.html?_r=0 BLM methane emissions rule will stay in place for now. A controversial federal rule under the Bureau of Land Management will stay in place for now. The Obama-era regulation limits methane emissions from oil and gas drilling. Some say the rule burdens American energy production and economic growth. "We did not need to have the BLM moving into a regulatory domain," said Rep. Scott Tipton (R-CO). http://www.kmvt.com/content/news/423646353.html California forecasts robust growth in biodiesel, feedstock demand. Over the past decade, California has developed a complex policy framework pertaining to greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction including policies that drive demand for low carbon fuels. The original authorizing statute was the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32) and set GHG reduction mandates for 2020. http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/articles/2513792/california-forecasts-robust-growth-in-biodiesel-feedstock-demand Are Advanced Biofuels for Airplanes Ready for Takeoff? Industry is working on new aircraft fuels that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2008, a group of airlines came to Boeing Co., the world’s largest aerospace company, with a big problem. At that point, the United States, under President Obama, was instituting policies to fight climate change. One of them involved cutting emissions from jet fuel. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/are-advanced-biofuels-for-airplanes-ready-for-takeoff/ VW RECALL Researchers find computer code that Volkswagen used to cheat emissions tests. An international team of researchers has uncovered the mechanism that allowed Volkswagen to circumvent U.S. and European emission tests over at least six years before the Environmental Protection Agency put the company on notice in 2015 for violating the Clean Air Act. https://phys.org/news/2017-05-code-volkswagen-emissions.html#jCp FIAT/CHRYSLER (FCA) Fiat Chrysler seeks diesel emission certification from EPA. Fiat Chrysler has applied for diesel emission certifications for its 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 models after months of talks with federal and state agencies. The applications come after the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board in January alleged the automaker used software in previous model years… http://www.nydailynews.com/newswires/news/business/fiat-chrysler-seeks-diesel-emission-certification-epa-article-1.3179650 http://www.investingbizz.com/2017/05/fiat-chrysler-automobiles-fcau-formally-files-application-for-diesel-vehicle-emissions-certification-with-u-s-epa/ U.S. planning to sue Fiat Chrysler over diesel emissions: report. The U.S. Justice Department may be planning to file a lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler over allegations that the engines in its light-duty diesel trucks included equipment to defeat Environmental Protection Agency emissions tests. A report from Bloomberg last week cites unnamed sources who were briefed on the forthcoming suit. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1110575_u-s-planning-to-sue-fiat-chrysler-over-diesel-emissions-report MISCELLANEOUS Scott Pruitt's first 100 days at the EPA have shown he's unlike any former chief. The first months of the Trump administration have brought a rare blizzard of news about the Environmental Protection Agency. Scott Pruitt, at the helm, has taken an unusually public role for an EPA chief. http://www.sfgate.com/technology/businessinsider/article/Scott-Pruitt-s-first-100-days-at-the-EPA-have-11162541.php White House moving ahead with stiff EPA budget cuts: group, citing document. President Donald Trump's administration plans deep cuts to state environmental programs, a summary of the Environmental Protection Agency's 2018 budget showed on Friday, even after some Republicans in affected states raised concerns when the agency released an initial outline of the budget in March. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-budget-epa-idUSKCN18F2HF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE Environmental justice movement on the rise in Sacramento. As Gov. Jerry Brown seeks support to extend a key environmental policy in California, he’s planning a trip to a gritty corner of the state: the blue-collar neighborhoods southeast of Los Angeles, where thousands of people live alongside rail yards that spew plumes of smoke and freeways rumbling with big rigs. Brown is better known as a global environmentalist. http://www.sfchronicle.com/science/article/Environmental-justice-movement-on-the-rise-in-11162619.php True Climate Justice Puts Communities of Color First. Black and brown communities have long borne the brunt of our addiction to fossil fuels—and now they are leading the fight for a post-carbon economy. The day before the People’s Climate March in Washington, DC, Preyton Lambert—skinny, dreadlocked and sporting black-frame glasses—was getting hustled on a boulevard near the National Mall. https://www.thenation.com/article/true-climate-justice-puts-communities-of-color-first/ OPINIONS Air board’s new rules for ports go overboard: Guest commentary. The equipment that is used at California’s ports to move cargo on and off ships, trucks and trains contributes approximately 0.0747 percent of California’s total greenhouse gas emissions. To convert this equipment to zero emissions, as recently advocated by the California Air Resources Board, is estimated to cost between $23 and $36 billion. http://www.presstelegram.com/opinion/20170519/air-boards-new-rules-for-ports-go-overboard-guest-commentary Gov. Brown travels the globe talking about climate change. He should focus on this basic program at home. Gov. Jerry Brown traipses all over the world trying to save the planet from global warming. But he needs to salvage one basic environmental program here at home. That’s the widely popular beverage container recycling program. People use it and feel good about themselves…http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-skelton-jerry-brown-recycling-20170522-story.html My month with chemtrails conspiracy theorists. Tammi Riedl and her partner believe ‘chemtrails’ are damaging our health. They prove conspiracies have gone mainstream – and aren’t just for the right wing. Standing between beds of golden beets and elephant garlic in the garden of Lincoln Hills, a small organic farm in Placer County, California, Tammi Riedl looks up and points to a stripe of white haze running across a cloudless blue sky. “See that?” she asks, raising her eyebrows. “What do you think that is?” https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/may/22/california-conspiracy-theorist-farmers-chemtrails The Wrong End of the Stick | Scorcher. The Wrong End of the Stick—the Undeniable Case for Offsets: I want to talk about flexibility and the true role of offsets in California’s cap and trade program. But, let’s start with the global picture and revisit Paris together. The Agreement. It permitted 195 countries to submit their INDC (Intended Nationally Determined Contribution)—their roadmap—on how each nation would achieve the goal of holding the increase in global average temperatures to below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. https://climatetrust.org/the-wrong-end-of-the-stick-scorcher/ BLOGS California’s Cap-and-Trade Program and Low Carbon Fuel Standard Go Together Like Peanut Butter and Jelly. This year is shaping up to be another action-packed year on climate change in the California Legislature. Last year, legislators passed a sweeping commitment to cut California’s global warming emissions 40 percent between 2020 and 2030, and this year policy makers are considering how California should achieve these big goals. http://blog.ucsusa.org/jason-barbose/californias-cap-and-trade-program-and-low-carbon-fuel-standard-go-together-like-peanut-butter-and-jelly Three Steps Shell Can Take for the Climate—and to Earn Public Trust. Royal Dutch Shell holds its Annual General Meeting (AGM) tomorrow in the Netherlands, and like other major fossil fuel producers the company is under pressure from its investors to do more to address climate risks. UCS took an in-depth look at Shell’s climate-related positions and actions for The Climate Accountability Scorecard last year. http://blog.ucsusa.org/kathy-mulvey/three-steps-shell-can-take-for-the-climate-and-to-earn-public-trust The business bulwark behind California's climate progress. California, the sixth largest economy in the world, is positioning itself as a bulwark against the rollback of climate progress at the national level, strutting the state's economic growth as it implemented the toughest environmental policy in the nation. Think 13 percent job growth; innovations in electric and autonomous vehicles, smart grids… https://www.greenbiz.com/article/business-bulwark-behind-californias-climate-progress