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ARB Newsclips for August 28, 2014. 

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.

FUELS UNDER CAP AND TRADE

Air Resources Board disputes hidden gas tax notion.  Small
businesses and consumers in California are concerned about what
they are calling a "hidden gas tax" that could take effect in
2015. The idea comes from AB 32, which passed in 2006 and
requires the state to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990
levels by 2020.  Posted. 
http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/business/Air-Resources-Board-disputes-worry-over-hidden-gas-tax-272967051.html
 
http://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?StationID=1365&DateTime=8%2F27%2F2014+5%3A06%3A12+PM&Term=california+air+resources+board&PlayClip=TRUE

http://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?StationID=1310&DateTime=8%2F27%2F2014+5%3A06%3A25+PM&Term=california+air+resources+board&PlayClip=TRUE

http://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?StationID=1310&DateTime=8%2F27%2F2014+6%3A08%3A35+PM&Term=california+air+resources+board&PlayClip=TRUE

http://mms.tveyes.com/Expand.asp?aln=25810320&id=161529&dt=08%2f27%2f2014+06%3a37%3a31+PM&u=280702
http://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?StationID=1320&DateTime=8%2F27%2F2014+10%3A03%3A36+PM&Term=Air+Resources+Board&PlayClip=TRUE
 

California drivers brace for costly new gas tax.  Californians
already pay the nation's second highest gas tax at 68 cents a
gallon -- and now it will go up again in January to pay for a
first-in-the-nation climate change law.  "I didn't know that,"
said Los Angeles motorist Tyler Rich. "It's ridiculous."  "I
think it’s terrible," added Lupe Sanchez, pumping $4.09-a-gallon
gas at a Chevron near Santa Monica. "The economy, the way it is
right now with jobs and everything, it's just crazy."  Posted. 
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/08/27/california-hidden-gas-tax/


AIR POLLUTION

Ozone in Colorado mountains surprises researchers. Researchers
who examined air pollution along northern Colorado's Front Range
said they were surprised by how much harmful ozone and
ozone-causing chemicals are drifting into the mountains from
urban and rural areas below. "Really, all the way up to the
Continental Divide you can find ozone," said Gabriele Pfister, a
scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in
Boulder and one of the principal investigators on the project.
Posted.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MOUNTAIN_AIR_POLLUTION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/28/6661293/ozone-in-colorado-mountains-surprises.html


Fighting smog with gas masks. Los Angeles’ smoggiest day occurred
on Sept. 13, 1955, when ozone levels reached 0.85 parts per
million in downtown Los Angeles and 0.90 ppm in Vernon. Many
residents reported problems with burning eyes – a problem for
motorcycle riders. The smog was almost as bad on Sept. 14, but as
reported in the next day’s Los Angeles Times, one company found a
solution: A smog strike, one of the first of its kind in Los
Angeles, yesterday produced some pretty startling results.
Posted.
http://framework.latimes.com/2014/08/26/fighting-smog-with-gas-masks/


Industry, enviros fire first shots in boiler standards battle.
Industry groups and environmentalists this week filed their
opening briefs in a lawsuit over U.S. EPA's air pollution
standards for industrial boilers. In a brief filed with the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, several
industry groups argued that the agency exceeded its authority in
setting the standards. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060005001/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

CLIMATE CHANGE

Feds protect 20 species of coral as threatened. The federal
government is protecting 20 types of colorful coral by putting
them on the list of threatened species, partly because of climate
change. As with the polar bear, much of the threat to the coral
species is because of future expected problems due to global
warming, said David Bernhart, an endangered-species official at
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Posted.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_ENDANGERED_CORAL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/28/us/20-types-of-coral-listed-as-threatened.html

http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/27/6659090/feds-protect-20-species-of-coral.html

http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/28/6660699/efforts-to-restore-floridas-coral.html

Governor Brown to Speak at Climate Change Symposium in
Sacramento.  Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. will join former
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Senate President pro Tem-elect
Kevin de León, California Air Resources Board chairman Mary D.
Nichols and others next month in Sacramento at the “Global
Climate Negotiations: Lessons from California” symposium to
discuss the policies that have made California a global leader in
addressing climate change.  Posted. 
http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/california-news/10733-governor-brown-to-speak-at-climate-change-symposium-in-sacramento.html
 

Study: Climate change to affect tourism industry.  A University
of Hawaii report is warning the state's tourism industry to start
preparing now for the effects of climate change. The study says
Hawaii will likely see more competition for visitors as warmer
climate zones expand and new, easier-to-reach tropical resorts
emerge in coastal regions from Texas to Florida, the Honolulu
Star-Advertiser reported Wednesday. Posted.
http://www.vcstar.com/news/study-climate-change-to-affect-tourism-industry_29841892
 

Here's Why Obama is Bypassing Congress on Climate.  The Obama
administration is sidestepping the legislative branch by updating
a previously ratified treaty and using it as a basis for a new
international climate change agreement. The U.S. Constitution
requires that legally binding international treaties be approved
by two-thirds of the Senate, but Republican and some Democratic
senators who are well-funded by carbon-polluting interests have
repeatedly voted against measures to address climate change.
Posted.
http://www.vcstar.com/news/national/heres-why-obama-is-bypassing-congress-on-climate_37653056


DROUGHT

Central California residents rely on bottled water as wells run
dry. Extreme drought conditions have become so harsh for the
Central Valley community of East Porterville, many of its
residents dependent on their own wells have run out of water.
Roughly 300 homes have received a three-week supply of bottled
water after Tulare County officials discovered their wells had
gone dry. In all, county officials distributed 15,552 1-gallon
bottles of water…Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-central-california-residents-wells-go-dry-20140826-story.html


Yard wars: Homeowner fined for replacing grass with
drought-tolerant plants. Fran Paxson figured to get a little
credit and admiration when she replaced the old lawn around her
suburban San Ramon home with drought-resistant plants.  Her
public water supplier is even rewarding her with a rebate. But
her homeowners association - drought and a new state law be
darned - is punishing her with a fine. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/28/6660758/yard-wars-homeowner-fined-for.html#storylink=cpy


California drought: San Jose declares water shortage, but won't
fine wasters. More than seven months into the California drought,
San Jose has officially declared a citywide water shortage,
asking the city's 1 million residents to cut their water use by
20 percent -- but there will be no new consequences for those who
don't. The drought declaration, which the San Jose City Council
unanimously approved Tuesday, makes it illegal for property
owners to use potable water to irrigate their lawns…Posted.
http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_26411331/california-drought-san-jose-declares-water-shortage-but?source=most_viewed


DIESEL EMISSIONS

Beverage Distributor Fined $116,400 for Air Quality Violations. 
California Environmental Protection Agency's Air Resources Board
issued the following news release: The Air Resources Board has
fined DBI Beverage Inc.$116,400 for failure to comply with
California air quality regulations. A routine investigation by
ARB's Enforcement Division documented that DBI Beverage Inc.
failed to properly self-inspect its diesel trucks in 2011 and
2012 as required by ARB's…Posted. 
http://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/2014/08/28/beverage-distributor-fined-$116400-for-air-quality-violations-a-549061.html#.U_9I0GPxCSo


FUELS

Legislature clears 2 energy bills on methane leaks, conservation.
 Utilities in California must reduce methane leaks from natural
gas pipelines under a bill now on Gov. Jerry Brown's (D) desk.
The state Legislature passed S.B. 1371, from Sen. Mark Leno (D),
which directs the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
to adopt rules for the reduction and repair of pipeline leaks.
Environmental groups sought the bill because methane is a
powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.
Posted. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060004978/print
BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

VEHICLES

Clean autos get boost in 3 bills. A bill that would phase out
rebates for the wealthy who buy plug-in hybrid and electric
vehicles passed the Assembly and could join two related bills
Thursday on their way to Gov. Jerry Brown's desk. One of the
other bills would increase the number of carpool-lane permits for
solo drivers using plug-in hybrid cars. The third bill would
prohibit landlords from stopping renters from installing electric
car chargers as long as the tenant pays for installation. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-electric-car-bill-20140828-story.html


GREEN ENERGY

US fund in deal to build Myanmar solar plants. A U.S investment
group has signed a $480 million deal to build two solar energy
plants in central Myanmar, one of the largest investments by an
American firm since the easing of U.S. sanctions. The agreement,
inked by the ACO Investment Group and the Ministry of Energy, is
aimed at helping ease electricity shortages in the country of 60
million, which only recently emerged from a half-century of
military rule and self-imposed isolation. Posted.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_MYANMAR_SOLAR_ENERGY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OneRoof raises $58M for solar projects.  San Diego-based OneRoof
Energy has raised $58 million to install more than 2,000
residential solar systems in at least four states, the company
announced Wednesday. The funding comes from an undisclosed third
party. It initially will be used to provide rooftop solar energy
for customers who sign power-purchase agreements in California,
Hawaii, Massachusetts and New York, OneRoof said in a statement.
Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/aug/27/oneroof-solar-equity-deal/


MISCELLANEOUS

Sacramento leaders question Benicia’s crude oil rail project.
Sacramento leaders will send a letter to Benicia today formally
challenging the Bay Area city to do a better job of studying
train derailment risks before it approves an oil company’s plans
to ship crude oil on daily trains through Sacramento-area
downtowns to a Benicia refinery. Acting collectively through the
Sacramento Area Council of Governments, which represents 22
cities and six counties, Sacramento representatives say they are
protecting the region’s interests…Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/28/6659775/sacramento-leaders-question-benicias.html#storylink=cpy


Sacramento: Debate over plastic bag ban takes a weird but
familiar turn. Several days before this weekend's deadline to
complete their work, legislators received a letter from what
appeared to be a Latino advocacy group urging them to vote
against one of the year's most contentious bills. Familias
Latinas de California denounced Senate Bill 270, which seeks to
ban single-use plastic grocery bags and encourage reusable bags,
calling it…Posted.
http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_26420064/sacramento-debate-over-plastic-bag-ban-takes-weird?source=rss


OPINIONS

California's Plastic Bag Ban Is Bogus. Last year, roughly 12
percent of Americans weren’t offered an equal choice of paper or
plastic at the checkout counter, because of local ordinances that
banned or imposed fees on single-use plastic bags. This week,
legislators in California are trying to impose the nation’s first
statewide ban on such bags. Posted.
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-08-27/california-s-plastic-bag-ban-is-bogus


A climate for change: A solution conservatives could accept.  A
prominent member of Congress has proposed a comprehensive
national climate-change plan. It’s only 28 pages long, it’s
market-based, and it would put money into the pockets of most
Americans.  This is not the first time that Rep. Chris Van Hollen
(Md.), a House Democratic leader, has made the point that the
best climate-change policy is not complicated. He introduced a
similar plan in 2009.  Posted. 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-climate-for-change-a-solution-conservatives-could-accept/2014/08/27/782cba4e-2a01-11e4-86ca-6f03cbd15c1a_story.html


The dangers of nuclear dumps. To the editor: About 60 nuclear
power plants with 100 nuclear reactors are operating in the U.S.
As time — and global warming and our more-dramatic weather —
combine to reduce grid capacity, we must broaden our menu of
power sources, looking harder at ever-more cost-effective wind,
water and sun. These sources provide diversity and outcompete
mined coal.  ( “Nuclear dump accident still baffles experts,”
Aug. 24) Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-the-dangers-of-nuclear-dumps-20140827-story.html


California's drought and the debate over exporting rice. To the
editor: It is interesting how David Pierson’s article on U.S.
farmers hoping to sell rice to China touches on so many issues.
The message overall is that food producers will produce a
healthier product when it is economic to do so.  (“Looking to
Asia,” Aug. 24).Unless someone complains about food additives
(ractopamine in pork), contamination (insects in the
rice?)…Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-california-drought-rice-export-20140827-story.html


Jim Patterson: Australia shows how to stop hidden gas tax. Under
the guise of ridding our state of greenhouse gases, we have
capped-and-traded our way to a huge gasoline tax that, in the
end, will be more successful in cleaning out our wallets than it
will cleaning up our air. Whether you work the land every day,
own a sandwich shop or drive a big-rig across the country — the
cap-and-trade created "hidden gas tax" is going to impact your
bottom line. Posted.
http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/08/27/4091778_australia-shows-how-to-stop-hidden.html?sp=/99/274/&rh=1#storylink=cpy


BLOGS

Gets in Your Eyes, Lungs.  Every summer it’s the same, it seems:
The woods burn, and the smoke settles in heavily over our inland
communities. This season, so far, it’s the Happy Camp and July
forest fire complexes, and the Oregon fire in Weaverville,
clogging skies and lungs — and the North Coast Unified Air
Quality Management District has been issuing regular updates on
the smoke hazards.  Posted. 
http://www.northcoastjournal.com/Blogthing/archives/2014/08/27/gets-in-your-eyes-lungs
 

Why Republicans won’t back a carbon tax.  Climate change
activists across the political spectrum fantasize about it. No,
it’s not another Kanye West video of snowy mountains and a
topless Kim Kardashian. It’s a carbon tax.  Republicans, as
everyone knows, hate taxes and don’t accept, much less care
about, climate change. But wonks on both sides of the aisle dream
that a carbon tax could win bipartisan support as part of a
broader tax-reform package.  Posted. 
http://grist.org/climate-energy/why-republicans-wont-back-a-carbon-tax/
 

Palo Alto’s utility now provides guilt-free electricity.  It’s
one thing to own your utility with a commitment to renewable
energy, but it’s quite another thing to deliver on it. In 2007,
the municipal utility in Palo Alto, Calif., set an ambitious
target of achieving 33 percent renewable energy by 2015, and
ultimately a carbon neutral electricity supply. Seven years
later, they are on track to reach 48 percent renewable power in
2017, and have been meeting their carbon neutral goal since late
last year.  Posted. 
http://grist.org/climate-energy/palo-altos-utility-now-provides-guilt-free-electricity/


California first to likely give extra funds to low-income EV
buyers.  If you're of the opinion that current federal and state
support for electric vehicle shoppers in the US are really just
hand-outs to the already well-to-do, you might like what
California State Senator Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) is up to.
De Leon sponsored a bill earlier this year called the Charge
Ahead California Initiative (State Bill 1275) which today passed
the California Assembly by a vote of 46-23. Posted.
http://green.autoblog.com/2014/08/27/california-first-to-give-extra-funds-to-low-income-ev-buyers/




California is in a drought emergency.
Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.