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newsclips -- CARB Newsclips for May 26, 2017.

Posted: 26 May 2017 14:06:08
CARB Newsclips for May 26, 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

Sound Wall-Vegetation Combination Barriers as Near-Roadway
Pollutant Mitigation Strategies. 

Suzanne Paulson, Ph.D.,
Yifang Zhu, Ph.D.
University of California, Los Angeles and Akula Venkatram, Ph.D.
University of California, Riverside

Tuesday, June 6, 2017 at 2:00 p.m., PDT (WEBCAST) Sierra Hearing
Room, 2nd Floor, CalEPA Building
1001 I Street, Sacramento, California
For more go to the announcement at:
https://www.arb.ca.gov/research/seminars/paulson6/paulson6.htm  
___________________________

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 
    

______________________________________

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         
_________________________


AIR POLLUTION

Volkswagen emissions fraud sleuth chosen to head Sacramento air
agency. Alberto Ayala, a state air pollution executive who helped
uncover Volkswagen’s massive diesel cheating scandal, has been
named head of the Sacramento region’s air quality efforts. The
Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District board
voted on Thursday morning to name Ayala its executive director,
replacing retiring executive Larry Greene. Ayala, a deputy
executive officer at the California Air Resources Board, launched
the state’s initial review of diesel engines in 2012…
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article152649749.html


2017 smog season packing a punch, with worst ozone levels since
2008. If our air seems terrible, well, it is. Smog season 2017
has arrived with a vengeance. So far this year, Southern
California has endured 27 days with unhealthful levels of ozone,
the hallmark pollutant of smog, making this spring the worst
start of a smog season since 2008, according to state data.
http://www.presstelegram.com/environment-and-nature/20170525/2017-smog-season-packing-a-punch-with-worst-ozone-levels-since-2008


Carson sues air quality agency over mega-refinery approval.
Carson is suing air quality regulators to challenge a plan that
would combine two adjacent oil refineries in Carson and
Wilmington into a single mega-refinery. The city on Wednesday
filed a notice in Los Angeles Superior Court that it intended to
take legal action against the South Coast Air Quality Management
District to halt…
http://www.scpr.org/news/2017/05/25/72207/carson-sues-air-quality-agency-over-mega-refinery/


Senate bill aims to align NHTSA, EPA emissions programs. A half
dozen senators on Thursday sponsored legislation to address
technical discrepancies between separate federal programs that
automakers say make it difficult to comply with carbon and fuel
efficiency mandates. The bill, authored by Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.,
would bring consistency to the practice of transferring fleetwide
credits earned…
http://www.autonews.com/article/20170526/OEM11/170529863/senate-proposal-aims-to-align-nhtsa-epa-emissions-programs


Air pollution is significantly weakening our hearts, major new
study finds. Cardiologist advises cyclists to avoid busy roads
and pedestrians to walk as far away from the kerb as possible.
The hearts of people who live in polluted areas are weaker than
those who regularly breathe cleaner air, according to a new study
which adds to the growing volume…
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/air-pollution-heart-disease-weak-pm-25-particulates-diesel-cars-fossil-fuels-a7756101.html


CLIMATE CHANGE

Don’t call it ‘climate change’: How the government is rebranding
in the age of Trump. “Climate change” is out. “Resilience” is in.
“Victims of domestic violence” are now “victims of crime.”
Foreign aid for refu­gee rights has become aid to protect
“national security.” “Clean energy investment” has been
transformed into just plain “energy” investment.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/05/26/just-dont-call-it-climate-change-rebranding-government-in-the-age-of-trump/?utm_term=.87869d3449e8


Looking for Trump’s Climate Policy? Try the Energy Department.
The Trump administration’s deepest impact on domestic climate
policy might have little to do with its efforts to dismantle the
Clean Power Plan or its decision on the Paris accord. Instead,
the coming battle over the future of the Energy Department could
prove far more significant for the United States’ long-term…
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/25/climate/energy-department-climate-trump-budget.html?_r=1
 
Brown: Trump will come around on climate change. California Gov.
Jerry Brown, one of the Democratic Party’s most outspoken critics
of Republican climate change policy, said Wednesday he now
believes that President Donald Trump is a political “realist” who
will likely listen to what Pope Francis, China and other world
leaders are saying on the key issue…
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/24/jerry-brown-donald-trump-climate-change-238794

http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article152470734.html


Meet Jane, a climate scientist who fled Trump’s government.
Worries about science censorship drove her from her post at the
Energy Department. The day after President Donald Trump’s
unexpected victory, Jane Zelikova was “crying her eyes out” in
her office at the U.S. Department of Energy in Washington, D.C.
As a scientist researching how big fossil-fuel industries can
reduce greenhouse gas emissions…
http://www.hcn.org/issues/49.9/meet-jane-a-climate-scientist-who-fled-trumps-government


Barack Obama on food and climate change: ‘We can still act and it
won’t be too late’ The former president addresses the greatest
challenges facing the world, and what we can do about them.
During the course of my presidency, I made climate change a top
priority, because I believe that, for all the challenges that we
face, this is the one that will define the contours of this
century more dramatically perhaps than the others.
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/may/26/barack-obama-food-climate-change


A 2012 glacier melt actually warped Earth's crust. When a
Greenland glacier melted in the unusually hot summer of 2012, it
pushed so much water through that it warped the Earth's crust and
caused a massive wave of ice and water to push its way seaward.
That wave is a newly identified phenomenon for climate
researchers and represents a troubling new trend in the
understanding of how current sea-level rise estimates may be
underestimated…
https://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2017/05/26/stories/1060055187


A 2012 glacier melt actually warped Earth's crust. When a
Greenland glacier melted in the unusually hot summer of 2012, it
pushed so much water through that it warped the Earth's crust and
caused a massive wave of ice and water to push its way seaward.
That wave is a newly identified phenomenon for climate
researchers and represents a troubling new trend in the
understanding of how current sea-level rise…
https://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2017/05/26/stories/1060055187


DROUGHT

Farmers look back at range of impacts from drought. Lessons
learned during the multi-year California drought will help
farmers and ranchers cope with the next one—and those lessons
extended beyond the farm to the realms of policy and public
perception, according to farmers who spoke at a water conference
in Monterey. Four farmers from different parts of the Central
Valley talked about impacts of the drought…
http://www.keyt.com/news/agriculture/farmers-look-back-at-range-of-impacts-from-drought/517397571


DIESEL ACTIVITIES

California ARB opens solicitations for On-Road Advanced
Technology Demonstrations Projects: Class 7, 8 trucks. The
California Air Resources Board is seeking solicitations for up to
$17 million in grants for its On-Road Advanced Technology
Demonstrations Projects. Eligible projects will demonstrate
pre-commercial Intelligent Transportation Systems and Connected
Trucks; Advanced Engines and Powertrains; and Zero-Emission…
https://chargedevs.com/newswire/california-arb-opens-solicitations-for-on-road-advanced-technology-demonstrations-projects-class-7-8-trucks/


FUELS

Here Is The Fossil Fuel Power Plant That Doesn’t Produce Carbon
Emissions. For the longest time, the world has lived with a
simple truth; power plants using fossil fuels contribute to
carbon emissions, period. However, a trio of trailblazers decided
that this didn’t have to be the case and that fossil fuel can be
used to provide energy without polluting the air.
http://www.econotimes.com/Here-Is-The-Fossil-Fuel-Power-Plant-That-Doesnt-Produce-Carbon-Emissions-726951


Groups warn EPA against pausing oil and gas standards. A
coalition of environmental groups is urging the Trump
administration to maintain upcoming deadlines for oil and gas
operators to cut emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
More than 60 conservation, health, labor and faith groups
yesterday sent a letter to U.S. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt
urging him to keep in place Obama-era standards…
https://www.eenews.net/energywire/2017/05/26/stories/1060055205

New rules aim to cut methane emissions in Canada’s oil, gas
sector. New rules to reduce methane emissions from Canada’s
energy sector will cost the industry an estimated $3.3-billion
over the next two decades, and will hit conventional oil and
natural-gas producers the most dramatically. But federal
officials also say that the value of conserved gas from 2018 to
2035…
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/new-methane-rules-aim-to-cut-emissions-from-canadas-oil-and-gas-sector/article35112124/


VEHICLES

Stuttgart prosecutor puts Bosch under suspicion in Daimler
emissions probe. German prosecutors investigating whether
carmaker Daimler manipulated emission tests on its diesel cars
are looking at whether auto components supplier Bosch was
involved in the alleged fraud, it was confirmed on Friday. "There
is an investigation into aiding and abetting fraud," a spokesman
for the Stuttgart…
https://www.reuters.com/article/daimler-emissions-bosch-idUSL8N1IS1NW


Fresno County Welcomes 13 New Solar-Powered EV Chargers.
CALSTART, which is dedicated to growing clean transportation
technology, in partnership with the Fresno County Rural Transit
Agency (FCRTA) and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control
District (SJVAPCD), has unveiled a model program providing
solar-powered electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in 13 rural
incorporated cities in Fresno County, Calif.
https://ngtnews.com/calstart-announces-new-ev-charging-options-fresno-county


Cheapest Electric Car In USA = $23,800 Smart Fortwo Electric
Drive. When it comes to buying a car, price is a notable issue of
consideration to … almost everyone. So, a lot of people want to
know what the cheapest electric car is. I’d asked you what car
you think that is … but we just put it in the title. Daimler’s
2017 smart fortwo electric drive coupe will have a starting price
of $23,800 in the US, according to recent reports.
https://cleantechnica.com/2017/05/26/cheapest-electric-car-usa/ 

Ottawa crafting plan to boost use of zero-emission vehicles. The
federal government is developing a strategy to get more
zero-emission vehicles on Canada’s roads, a process that has
sparked a battle between the environmental lobby and the auto
industry as each seeks to shape policy.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/ottawa-crafting-plan-to-boost-use-of-zero-emission-vehicles/article35121541/


State New Vehicle Market Predicted to Remain Strong in 2017. As
depicted on the graph to the right, the rapid growth in the
California new vehicle market has likely come to an end. After
seven years of increasing sales, the market has fully recovered
from the low point in 2009, and as a result, pent up demand is
easing.
http://www.cncda.org/CMS/Pubs/CA%20Auto%20Outlook%201Q%202017.pdf


VW RECALL

Back to the shop: Why California is telling Volkswagen to retool
spending plan. Volkswagen’s plan to promote electric cars in
California, part of its penalty for a massive air-pollution
scandal, is being sent back for repairs because state officials
say it doesn’t do enough to help low-income communities with bad
air quality. The California Air Resources Board directed
Volkswagen this week to retool its…
http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article152715174.html 
http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article152746829.html 
http://kdal610.com/news/articles/2017/may/26/california-says-vw-clean-car-spending-plan-has-shortcomings/


GENERAL MOTORS (GM)

GM is accused in lawsuit of cheating on diesel truck emissions.
General Motors Co (GM.N) was accused in a lawsuit on Thursday of
rigging hundreds of thousands of diesel trucks with devices
similar to those used by Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE), to ensure
they pass emissions tests. The proposed class-action lawsuit
covers people who own or lease more than 705,000 Chevrolet
Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups fitted with "Duramax" engines
from the 2011 to 2016 model years.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-gm-lawsuit-idUSKBN18L25Y 
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-25/gm-accused-of-using-vw-like-defeat-devices-in-some-of-its-trucks

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/25/business/energy-environment/general-motors-diesel-emissions-lawsuit.html?_r=0


GM denies allegations that it cheats on diesel emissions. General
Motors on Thursday denied allegations made in a lawsuit that the
company's full-size diesel pickup trucks cheat on emissions
tests. The lawsuit filed by lawyers for two truck owners in U.S.
District Court in Detroit alleges that trucks with Duramax diesel
engines have three devices on them that are rigged to allow more
pollution…
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hy-gm-emissions-20170526-story.html


Diesel can’t catch a break: Lawsuits over emissions hit GM, Fiat
Chrysler. Nitrogen oxide emissions are coming back for round two.
wo auto manufacturers are in legal crosshairs this week because
of emissions from their diesel vehicles. The US Department of
Justice sued Fiat Chrysler of America (FCA)…
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2017/05/diesel-cant-catch-a-break-lawsuits-over-emissions-hit-gm-fiat-chrysler/

GREEN ENERGY

Rooftop arrays hold hidden dangers for firefighters. It's common
knowledge that solar panels can help the environment while
letting homeowners save money on their electric bills. But many
people don't realize that during a disaster such as a fire or
explosion, solar panels can be a headache for firefighters and
emergency responders. When firefighters arrive at a house with
solar panels…
https://www.eenews.net/energywire/2017/05/26/stories/1060055092 

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Volkswagen's clean car plan falls short in low-income
neighborhoods, California regulators say. State regulators have
asked Volkswagen to revise its plan to invest in zero emission
technology in California, a victory for critics who said the
automaker wasn't doing enough in disadvantaged communities. The
investment plan, which will total $800 million over 10 years, is
part of Volkswagen's obligation under a multi-billion settlement
for evading pollution rules. 
http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-volkswagen-zero-emission-1495742862-htmlstory.html


OPINIONS

Microsoft Wants Clean South African Energy. Sometimes it's hard
to know whether the power a utility provides really comes from
renewables. The two new data centers that Microsoft Corp. plans
to build in South Africa will one day provide cloud computing
services to the entire African continent. The power they use,
however, will be generated and consumed entirely within South
Africa’s grid.
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-05-26/microsoft-wants-clean-south-african-energy


Lights out! Eclipse to cut solar power in California. Think of it
as a new kind of brownout. California now relies so much on solar
power that on Thursday, state officials urged residents to turn
off unneeded lights and unplug appliances during the Aug. 21
solar eclipse. Even though the sun will be only partially
obscured in California, the eclipse at its midmorning peak will
slash the output of the state’s solar power plants by more than
60 percent.
http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Lights-out-Eclipse-to-cut-solar-power-in-11174543.php


BLOGS

Keeping California in the lead on climate policy in the Trump
era. UCLA Law's Emmett Institute hosts symposium on steps to take
as feds retreat from environmental goals. Representatives from
state government, UCLA faculty and environmental activists from
around the country identified ways in which California can
continue to lead on climate policy at a time when…
http://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/keeping-california-in-the-lead-on-climate-policy-in-the-trump-era


Climate Progress Continues Despite Changes in the Federal
Administration. “We are in one of those moments where people are
feeling, if not despair, at least a lot of discouragement about
the climate movement and how things are going, particularly in
the United Sates,” said Mary Nichols, chair of the California Air
Resources Board.
But she remains optimistic.
http://www.triplepundit.com/2017/05/climate-progress-continues-despite-changes-federal-administration/


A New Power Plant Burns Fossil Fuels Without Any Carbon
Emissions. Startup NET Power wants to revolutionize carbon
capture and storage systems to get fossil fuel plants to produce
zero carbon emissions. Instead of attaching such systems into
existing power plants, they built one from scratch. “FRIENDLIER”
FOSSIL FUELS
Fossil fuel plants, particularly coal-fired and natural gas
plants…
https://futurism.com/a-new-power-plant-burns-fossil-fuels-without-any-carbon-emissions/


Canada proposes new regulations on methane gas emissions. On
Thursday, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change,
Catherine McKenna, announced proposed regulations to reduce
methane emissions and air pollution from Canada's oil and gas
industry. The public has until July 27, 2017, to comment on the
rules.
http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/politics/canada-proposes-new-regulations-on-methane-gas-emissions/article/493604#ixzz4iDGulpJj


McNamara Realty to pay $30,000 to settle asbestos case. San Luis
Obispo real estate and property management company McNamara
Realty has agreed to pay $30,000 in order to settle a civil case
over illegal removal and disposal of asbestos-containing
material. Following an investigation conducted by the San Luis
Obispo County Air Pollution Control District and district
attorney’s office…
https://calcoastnews.com/2017/05/mcnamara-realty-pay-30000-settle-asbestos-case/


Electric vehicles sales in Canada are up 68%, thanks to Nissan
and Tesla going strong. Electric vehicle sales keep increasing at
an impressive pace in Canada to a point that they are now
representing a meaningful percentage of overall car sales. During
the first quarter 2017, electric vehicle deliveries reached a
record high of 1,474 units (BEVs and PHEVs) – up 68% over the
same period last year.
https://electrek.co/2017/05/26/electric-vehicles-sales-canadatesla-nissan-q1-2017/


Report: Electric Vehicles Won’t See Price Parity Until 2025 Or
Later. According to a recent Bloomberg report, electric vehicles
will remain at an economic disadvantage until around 2025,
because battery prices are too high. “High battery costs, limits
to driving ranges and charging times mean that electric cars
won’t have an economic advantage over combustion engines until
2025.”
http://insideevs.com/electric-cars-wont-see-price-parity-until-2025-or-later/


Volkswagen’s car-charging plans curbed. Scandal-hit carmaker
Volkswagen’s spending plan for clean-vehicle infrastructure —
charging stations for electric cars — in the US has shortcomings,
regulators have claimed. The German company has agreed to spend
$800 million (£621 million) in California, part of $2 billion in
the US over the next decade, as it looks to atone for
diesel-emissions cheating.
http://www.standard.co.uk/business/volkswagen-s-carcharging-plans-curbed-a3549671.html


New Jersey Utility Moves to Encourage Green Energy. Although New
Jersey had set aggressive goals for renewable energy, it has
taken “only baby steps” to encourage energy efficiency, which is
frequently the least expensive way to reduce consumption. The
head of New Jersey’s largest utility called Wednesday for the
state to move away from a century-old system that encourages
utilities to sell as much energy as possible…
http://www.govtech.com/fs/New-Jersey-Utility-Moves-to-Encourage-Green-Energy.html


5 ways to win private investors for energy-efficient buildings.
The 2017 Sustainable Energy for All Forum kicked off with a stark
warning: The world is not on track to reach its 2030 energy
goals, including those on efficiency. To speed action, leaders in
government and finance must better coordinate policy and
investment to move more money toward clean energy.
https://www.greenbiz.com/article/5-ways-private-investors-energy-efficient-buildings


Under Trump, energy security is running on empty. The Trump
administration has put forward a budget proposal for fiscal 2018
that would, if enacted, erode U.S. energy security, diminish our
competitiveness in the growing global clean energy economy and
slow progress in modernizing our domestic energy economy on the
path to a low-carbon energy future.
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/energy-environment/335146-under-trump-energy-security-is-running-on-empty

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