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California Air Resources Board News Clips for May 17, 2010. 

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.

Improving Central Valley’s Air Is Aim of Bill. Legislation aimed
at improving air quality in the San Joaquin Valley by allowing
its eight counties to seek designation as an “Air and Health
Quality Empowerment Zone” has been authored by Rep. Jerry
McNerney, D-Pleasanton, with Reps. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced, and
Jim Costa, D-Fresno, joining as co-sponsors. Companion
legislation has also been introduced in the Senate by Sen.
Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. Posted.
http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=15198 

EPA Moves to Regulate Industrial Greenhouse Gases. The
Environmental Protection Agency moved Thursday to more tightly
control air pollution from large power plants, factories and oil
refineries, a step to limit emissions widely blamed for global
warming. The EPA said it is completing a rule requiring large
polluters to reduce the amounts of carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases that they release into the air. Those emissions
can boost many allergens and worsen smog, which can trigger
asthma attacks and other respiratory ailments. Posted.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jUnKQykaJMMAbcp8VBI1Ls5ELhlAD9FM7PT80


San Diego Emits More CO2 Per Person Than Other Regions. Global
warming is already affecting San Diego’s regional planning.
California’s Air Resources Board will set new carbon emission
reduction goals this fall. San Diego’s Association of
Governments, or SANDAG - made up of the mayors of all 18 cities
and the county - met today to discuss how new greenhouse gas
reduction goals will affect their growth. Gary Gallegos,
executive director of SANDAG, says studies show San Diego
generates more greenhouse gas per person than other California
regions.  Posted.
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2010/may/14/san-diego-emits-more-co2-person-other-regions/


Senate Climate Bill under a Cloud. Seldom have we encountered a
bill that we hated to love as much as the American Power Act, the
long-awaited climate and energy bill unveiled last week by Sens.
John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.). It is
simultaneously a gift to polluters and the most significant step
ever taken by this nation to solve the world's most pressing
environmental problem. It is a gorgeous mess. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-climate-20100517,0,859908.story?track=rss


Just Don't Call It a Climate Bill. Despite the most creative
rhetoric this side of ObamaCare, voters have figured out that
"cap and trade" involves artificial carbon rationing and vast new
energy taxes. So the main goal of John Kerry and Joe Lieberman
has been attempting to disguise these truths in the climate bill
they released to much fanfare last week. The bill was nine months
in gestation once it became clear that the version the House
passed last summer—which one of five Democrats opposed—was doomed
in the Senate. Yet no one should mistake Kerry-Lieberman for a
new approach. Posted.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703339304575240353420875226.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines


Debate Over Climate Change Law Hits Home. Automotive engineer
and hot rod aficionado Gale Banks pointed to various engines and
cars in his shop here last week and criticized state regulations
for "bogging down" his ability to advance the clean, efficient
diesel technology that won those engines awards. Posted.
http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_15099761#ixzz0oCqd5T2h

Cool With It. Why would a business oppose a reprieve from the
strict compliance deadlines of a major environmental law? That’s
exactly what’s happening at L.A.-based restaurant chain Border
Grill, which is opposing an initiative headed for the November
ballot that would suspend implementation of AB 32, the state’s
sweeping 2006 law that requires businesses to reduce carbon
emissions up to 20 percent by 2020. Posted.
http://www.labusinessjournal.com/news/2010/may/17/cool-it/ 

The Dirty Energy Proposition: LA has to Say No. A few years ago,
California passed a landmark clean energy and clean air law,
AB32, that is creating the pathway to a new, clean energy economy
that is already attracting hundreds of thousands of jobs and
billions of dollars in investments in our region and throughout
the state. This law will also help us wean our state off its
costly addiction to oil and reduce consumer costs in the long
run. That’s why I wholeheartedly support AB 32 and am opposed to
efforts by out-of-state oil interests to repeal our clean energy
laws and kill our clean energy economy. Posted.
http://citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3525
 
Climate Bill Would Make AB32 Battle Moot. The prospects of the
Senate climate bill introduced Wednesday are not great. A
plethora of politicians and pundits — in fact, seemingly everyone
but co-sponsors John Kerry and Joe Lieberman — have expressed
deep reservations that the bill has a shot in the current
political climate. Posted.
http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/05/climate-bill-would-make-ab32-battle-moot/


Reader Rebuttal (Spencer Brown): Suspending Climate Law: As more
than 210,000 gallons of oil per day continues to gush into the
Gulf of Mexico, we are once again reminded of the need to wean
ourselves off fossil fuels. Ironically, however, while this
accident is wreaking havoc on the economy and environment of
Louisiana, the oil companies are aiming to dismantle California's
roadmap to a clean energy future. Bankrolled by Texas oil
companies Valero and Tesoro, the "Dirty Energy Proposition"
slated for the November ballot would suspend Assembly Bill 32,
California's landmark law designed to promote renewable energy
and reduce air pollution ["Shelving of climate law closer,"
Column, May 11]. Posted.
http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/california-248900-clean-state.html


Never Too Soon To Act on Global Warming. In his May 13 letter to
the editor, Paul C. Quigg said that the uncertainties about the
effects of global warming make "our mad rush to save the world
100 years in the future far worse" than Virginia Attorney General
Ken Cuccinelli II's "pushing the envelope" with his demand for
information on a former University of Virginia professor. Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/16/AR2010051603116.html


Opinion: Silicon Valley Leadership Group Panel On
Competitiveness, Energy Policy. The Silicon Valley Leadership
Group convened its seventh annual CEO Business Climate Summit on
April 19 in Menlo Park. One panel discussion on America's
competitiveness first featured White House senior energy adviser
Matt Rogers and venture capitalist John Doerr, focusing on energy
policy. They were then joined by CEOs Aart de Geus of Synopsys
and Dave DeWalt of McAfee. This is an edited transcript of the
discussion. Posted.
http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_15089582 

Oakland International Airport Leads The Way In Reducing Diesel
Emissions. Oakland International Airport has received a $2.5
million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration for a
project that will significantly reduce the amount of diesel
pollution produced by planes parked overnight at the airport for
maintenance or loading and unloading cargo. The money will be
used to install emission-free electrical ground power at 18
overnight parking spots away from the terminal. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_15089450?nclick_check=1
http://www.insidebayarea.com/green-living/ci_15089450 

CARB Begins Truck Rules at Ports. Drayage truck owners working
California ports and intermodal rail yards face new emissions
rules from the California Air Resources Board that carry
potential fines. Enforcement, which had been delayed since
January, begins May 15. Posted.
http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=85206

Local Tow Truck Company Goes "Green”. Like other service shops
around the nation, Jan Qualkenbush's towing business suffered a
blow during the recession, bringing his profits down at least 15
percent and causing him to reduce his fleet of tow trucks from
nearly 50 to 35.  But despite the financial hardships,
Qualkenbush has gotten a jump start on making his diesel tow
trucks compliant with costly state and federal environmental
regulations that go into effect starting next year. Posted.
http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_15099759#ixzz0oCoCPvDZ
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_15099759?IADID=Search-www.pasadenastarnews.com-www.pasadenastarnews.com


Turning to Water Conservation to Save Energy. In the run-up to
the Copenhagen climate summit conference last year, water
researchers and advocates held a special meeting to address the
fact that water issues were absent from the draft negotiating
text. This was a major oversight, given the amount of energy that
is used to collect, treat, distribute and use water and
wastewater. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/business/energy-environment/18iht-renwat.html?src=busln
 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/business/energy-environment/18iht-rencal.html?src=busln


California may revamp Cash for Appliances. The California Energy
Commission is considering expanding and extending its Cash for
Appliances program, which has gotten off to a slow start. While
some states blew through their federal cash-for-appliance money
in a matter of days, California still has at least 83 percent of
its rebate pot available three weeks after its launch. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/15/BUJT1DESMJ.DTL#ixzz0oD1w8hwD

Benicia Group Challenges Valero Refinery to Continue Being A
'Good Neighbor'. When a group of local women began speaking out
about potential environmental risks tied to Valero's refinery
expansion plans seven years ago, not everyone took its concerns
seriously. "We were originally called the five housewives," said
land-use attorney Dana Dean, an original member of the Good
Neighbor Steering Committee. "It was like, 'Don't worry your
pretty little heads.' " But it didn't take long for the
Texas-based oil company and the city of Benicia to realize that
these educated, professional women were serious. Posted.
http://www.timesheraldonline.com/news/ci_15097051 

Toxic Areas Cleaned Up At Landfill, Firm Says. The company that
runs the Central California landfill where nearby residents
complain that toxins have caused a number of birth defects in
their town said Thursday it has cleaned up contaminated areas
cited by federal investigators. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/14/BAU31DEEU1.DTL#ixzz0oD2MG6VK

Obama Vows To Toughen Regulation Of Offshore Drilling. Three
weeks after oil began spewing into the Gulf of Mexico, an angry
President Barack Obama vowed Friday to end the cozy relationship
between the oil industry and government regulators and impose
tough new environmental safeguards on offshore drilling. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/05/15/2752072/obama-oil-spill.html#ixzz0oD3T8RxF


Blogs

Let’s Be Clear: American Power Act Does Not Prevent California
From Implementing AB 32. I had a chance to join KQED’s Forum
yesterday to discuss the American Power Act (APA) and what it
means for California. (To read about the extensive show of
support the Senate bill has received, please visit our Climate
411 blog.) It was an interesting and wide-ranging conversation.
We talked about whether the long-awaited bill hurts states such
as California that are leading on clean energy policies. Posted.
http://www.favstocks.com/lets-be-clear-american-power-act-does-not-prevent-california-from-implementing-ab-32/1413390/
 

Particulate Air Pollution Is a Modifiable Risk Factor For Heart
Disease, Heart Association Says. The evidence linking particulate
air pollution to cardiovascular disease and deaths has
strengthened in recent years and high levels of the pollutant
should be considered a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular
disease along with such well-known factors as high blood
pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes, the American
Heart Assn. said Monday. Posted.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2010/05/particulate-air-pollution-is-a-modifiable-risk-factor-for-heart-disease-heart-association-says.html


Spotlight on U.N. Climate Panel. After months of controversy, a
review of the workings of the United Nations’ main scientific
body on climate change has just gotten under way in Amsterdam.
Over the next few months, a 12-member panel of scientific experts
will analyze the makeup, procedures and conduct of the body,
known as the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change. Posted.
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/17/spotlight-on-u-n-climate-panel/


Cap and Trade’s Last Global Warming Gasp? Senators John Kerry
and Joseph Lieberman are giving one more push to their latest
version of a global warming bill to destroy the economy in order
to save the earth. It’s doubtful this incarnation will go any
further than the other stalled, un-passable attempts to regulate
greenhouse gases. Iain Murray of the Creative Enterprise
Institute notes that Climategate ruined the movement’s
credibility, Copenhagen exposed it as politically unworkable and
one revelation after another has reinforced these negatives.
Posted.
http://orangepunch.freedomblogging.com/2010/05/15/cap-and-trades-last-global-warming-gasp/26151/