What's New List Serve Post Display

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