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California Air Resources Board News Clips for June 7, 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.

CALNEX

CalNex Project Uses $20 M to Examine Air Pollution, Climate
Change. The California Air Resources Board and the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are taking to land, sea
and air to address the most challenging aspects of California’s
air quality problem: measuring greenhouse gases and air
pollutants. The $20 million CalNex project is employing an
unprecedented number of airplanes, ships and researchers to
examine the nexus between air pollution and climate change.
Posted.
http://eponline.com/articles/2010/06/02/calnex-project-uses-20-m-to-examine-air-pollution-climate-change.aspx

State, Feds Conduct Big Air Pollution Study. The U.S. Department
of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Climate Research
Facility plans to have a Gulfstream-1 research aircraft flying in
the six-county greater Sacramento region during the month of
June. The effort is part of a statewide study to monitor
pollution and climate change. The goal of the $20 million state
and federal project is to understand the origin of pollutants and
greenhouse gases, where they go and what becomes of them as an
integrated air-quality and climate-change issue. Posted.
http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_15226487

AIR POLLUTION

Central Valley Businesses Offered Commuting Help. The deadline
is approaching for employers to provide workers with alternatives
to commuting. It's part of a comprehensive program aimed at
reducing air pollution in the Central Valley by changing the way
businesses manage their workers' commutes. The San Joaquin Valley
Air Pollution Control District is conducting a series of free
workshops June 16 to help employers comply. Posted.
http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20100607/NEWS01/6070301
http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/environment/5108-june-workshops-provide-commuter-rule-help

Caltech Is Base for $20 Million Air Quality Study - The State's
Most Comprehensive Ever. At a ground station at Caltech, funnels
at the top of some scaffolding suck up air like a vacuum. Minute
particles in the air register on computers inside a row of
trailers that will remain on an empty lot at Caltech until
mid-June. Inside one of them, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration scientist Bill Kuster points to a graph showing
how carbon monoxide inches up in the morning. Posted.
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_15234050#ixzz0qBGqsRKI

L.A.-Long Beach Close To Clean Air Goal Line With Year To Go. If
they haven't hit the mark already, the Port of Los Angeles and
Port of Long Beach are close to reaching their 2005 goal of
cutting harmful air pollution from port-related operations by at
least 45 percent within five years. Port officials aren't
declaring victory yet, but the results of their latest emissions
inventory suggest they could today if they wanted. Data released
last week by the Port of Los Angeles shows harmful air emissions
dropped an average of 47 percent from 2005 to 2009. Posted.
http://www.cunninghamreport.com/news_item.php?id=1296 

Warriors in the Battle for Clean Air. A recent report from the
American Lung Association says the Inland Empire -- along with
Los Angeles and Long Beach -- still has the worst air quality in
the nation. UC Riverside Chancellor Tim White remembers coming
into the region as a kid in the 1970s when a brown haze obscured
the local mountains and any hint of a blue sky. These days, he
says, even though the air chemistry remains more toxic than other
areas of the country, the skies are appreciably clearer. Posted.
http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_cecert23.ca5bbc.html

EPA Sets First New Limit On Sulfur Dioxide In Decades. 
Washington -- The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday
set a new health standard that coal-fired power plants and other
industries will have to meet on sulfur dioxide, a pollutant that
triggers asthma attacks and causes other respiratory problems.
Posted.
http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/06/03/1956545/epa-sets-first-new-limit-on-sulfur.html

Is Your House Making You Sick? On average, Americans spend about
90 percent of their time indoors--of that 90 percent, about 65
percent is spent at home. Indoor air pollution, including
household allergens, is one of the leading causes of health
problems in the United States. According to Dan Stih, Certified
Indoor Environmental Expert, retired engineer and author of
"Healthy Living Spaces: Top 10 Hazards Affecting Your Health,"
indoor pollution can be just as harmful as outdoor pollution.
Posted.
http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7323&Itemid=1

Biomass Could Fuel Stockton Port Plant. Conversion of a
coal-fired power plant to burn biomass cleared a major hurdle
Thursday as state utility officials gave their blessing to the
alternate energy project. The California Public Utilities
Commission on Thursday approved a contract under which Pacific
Gas and Electric Co. would buy power from DTE Energy, which would
install a 45-megawatt biomass facility at the Port of Stockton.
Posted.
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100604/A_BIZ/6040309


DIESEL

Court Lets Calif. Reefer Rule Stand. A federal court denied an
American Trucking Associations petition requesting that the full
court reconsider a three-judge panel’s previous decision that let
California’s “reefer retrofit” rule stand. “Upon consideration of
[the] petition . . . and the absence of a request by any member
of the court for a vote, it is ordered that the petition be
denied,” the court said in a posting Thursday. Posted.
http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=24533
http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=85326
http://refrigeratedtrans.com/2010-emissions/court_denies_ata_petition_on_tru_atcm_enforcement_0604/
 
http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2010/6/4/ATAsrequestforTRUreconsiderationdeniedbycourt.aspx

CLIMATE CHANGE

Thursday Is High Noon for Sen. Murkowski's Climate Resolution.
In a vote that could be a precursor to a summer debate on climate
and energy legislation, the Senate is set to vote Thursday on
whether to unravel U.S. EPA's authority to issue climate rules.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is planning to call for a vote on
a resolution to upend EPA's "endangerment" finding for greenhouse
gases, a determination that paves the way for agency climate
rules. Murkowski last month reached an agreement with Majority
Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to call for the June 10 vote. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/06/07/07climatewire-thursday-is-high-noon-for-sen-murkowskis-cli-11487.html

Senate Might Vote This Week On Climate Measure. The Senate might
vote on a climate change measure this week -- but not the
comprehensive overhaul that Democrats say is needed in light of
the Gulf oil spill. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, will push her
measure, backed by a few Democrats, to block the Environmental
Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gas emissions,
reports The Hill. She argues that Congress should set such
standards, not the executive branch. Posted.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/06/senate-wrangling-on-climate-change-intensifies/1'

Businesses Face Uncertainty As Climate Debate Begins. Cap and
trade has danced in the spotlight, absorbing hisses and boos. But
that might be a sideshow compared to the act about to take center
stage. It's called "command and control." That's bureaucrat-speak
for the method of environmental regulation that Sen. Lisa
Murkowski (R-Alaska) and her supporters will try to prevent on
Thursday in a rare vote giving 51 senators a long-shot chance to
strip U.S. EPA of its power to reduce carbon emissions. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/06/07/3

Group Finds China Is Building An Adequate CO2 Monitoring System.
China can accurately monitor and review its greenhouse gas
emissions, a new study out today finds. The report by the World
Wildlife Fund (WWF) examines both U.S. and Chinese systems for
calculating and inventorying emissions. While it found serious
flaws in the methods of both countries, the study concludes that
the United States and China each have sturdy enough systems to
keep the pledges made at last year's climate summit in
Copenhagen, Denmark.  Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/06/07/4

UN Climate Chief Doesn't Expect Key Goals By 2020. Berlin—The
outgoing United Nations climate chief says he no longer expects
the world to agree to sufficient cuts in greenhouse gases by
2020. Yvo de Boer told reporters Monday in Bonn that he doesn't
see the U.N.'s negotiation process for climate goals "delivering
adequate mitigation targets in the next decade." Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_15244502

Report: Climate Change Could Affect Ocean Species Off Marin's
Shores. SAN FRANCISCO - Plants and animals that thrive in and
near the waters off Marin's coast could begin to migrate as
climate change takes hold, according to a report released
Thursday. The report - by advisory councils from the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Gulf of the Farallones
and Cordell Bank National marine sanctuaries - examines how
global warming could affect habitats, plants and animals in the
region's ocean and coastal zones. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_15222721

Bay Area Air Board Approves Guidelines To Limit Greenhouse Gases
From Development. San Jose — The Bay Area's air pollution board
Wednesday adopted the nation's most far-reaching local
development review guidelines aimed at limiting greenhouse gases
and toxic air contaminants. Planning for new Bay Area houses,
apartments, gas stations, sports arenas, chemical plants and
shopping centers could be affected. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_15211310?source=most_emailed

EarthTalk: Is Global Warming To Blame For All The Rain And Snow?
Q: The United States got socked with several major storms this
winter. Local weather reports never mentioned this as odd, but is
it a sign of global warming? Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/home-garden/ci_15221336

Feds Settle Lawsuit Over Protection For Penguins. SAN
FRANCISCO—Several species of penguins will be getting special
protection after a federal judge in San Francisco approved a
legal settlement involving the Endangered Species Act. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15229397

ENERGY

Schumer Sees Kerry-Lieberman Plan Reaching Floor As Amendment To
Energy-Only Bill. A Senate proposal setting up a cap-and-trade
program to curtail greenhouse gas emissions likely will be
offered on the floor later this summer as an amendment to a
smaller, energy-only approach, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said
today. Appearing on MSNBC, Schumer said he expects Senate
Democratic leaders to use legislation from Energy and Natural
Resources Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) as the base proposal to
launch the floor debate. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/06/07/1

Unprofitable Tesla Finds Green In Electric-Car Credits. Tesla
Motors Inc., a Palo Alto startup backed by Toyota Motor Corp. and
Daimler AG, hasn't turned a profit on rechargeable sports cars
bought by Brad Pitt and George Clooney. A less glamorous side
business of selling environmental credits to Honda Motor Co. has
helped ease those losses. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/gas-prices/ci_15229348

BP Funds Search For Green Fuels At Uc Berkeley. 
A picture of an oiled bird is taped to the wall above Charlie
Anderson's desk inside a UC Berkeley lab. The cormorant, drenched
in reddish-brown oil, lies limp on a Louisiana shore, water
rippling around its splayed wings. On a hook next to the picture
hangs Anderson's white lab coat, embroidered with the words
"Energy Biosciences Institute." Posted.
http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/06/06/1959655/bp-funds-search-for-green-fuels.html

SB 375

SB 375 Could Build More Environmentally Sustainable Communities.
If Senate Bill 375 is implemented wisely, California’s urban
areas could become more economically and environmentally
sustainable, an analysis of the law by the Urban Land Institute
concludes. SB 375 requires metropolitan planning organizations to
create and implement land use plans that use compact, coordinated
and efficient patterns to reduce the use of vehicles. Posted.
http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/05/31/daily75.html


SHORE POWER

Oakland Sees Red As CARB Cuts Shore Power Grant Request. Folks
from the California Air Resources Board got less than a warm
welcome in Oakland last week at a meeting to review how much in
state bond funding the CARB staff is recommending for the Bay
Area corridor. The Port of Oakland had asked for $39.1 million to
help set up shore-power facilities for ships calling at the port.
CARB is expected to allocate $20 million in funding to Oakland
for shore power this month, and will tentatively allocate another
$3.9 million in funding next year. Posted.
http://www.cunninghamreport.com/news_item.php?id=1297

OIL SPILL

Cap Collects Some Gulf Oil; Crude Washes Into Florida. Pensacola
Beach, Fla. — Waves of gooey tar balls crashed into the white
sands of the Florida Panhandle on Friday as BP engineers adjusted
a sophisticated cap over the Gulf oil gusher, trying to collect
the crude now fouling four states. Even though the inverted
funnel-like device was set over the leak late Thursday, crude
continued to spew into the sea in the nation's worst oil spill.
Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15228598

Panel Recommends Continued Use Of Oil Dispersant. New Orleans—A
federal panel of about 50 experts is recommending the continued
use of chemical dispersants to break up the oil gushing in the
Gulf of Mexico, despite its harm to plankton, larvae and fish.
Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/science/ci_15228201?nclick_check=1

BLOGS

High Schooler Launches Solar Panel Installation In Thousand
Oaks. Apparently undistracted by normal teenage concerns,
Westlake High School senior Adam Raudonis has helped set up a
6.3-kilowatt solar installation at his school. The 18-year old,
who raised $5,900 through grants, fundraisers, coin drives, Earth
Day activities and recycling, will reveal the system Monday
afternoon at the Thousand Oaks campus. The panels will help
offset 270,000 pounds of carbon dioxide over their 25-year
lifespan while saving the school $40,000.  Posted.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/06/high-school-student-launches-solar-panel-installation-at-thousand-oaks-school.html

Did Global Warming Skeptic Student Win Junior Division of
National Science Fair? The dubious story goes like this: R.A.
Hall Elementary School fourth-grader Julisa Castillo has been
named junior division champion for the 2010 National Science
Fair. Her project, “Disproving Global Warming,” beat more than
50,000 other projects submitted by students from all over the
U.S. Julisa originally entered her project in her school science
fair before sending it to the National Science Foundation (NSF)
to be judged at the national level. Posted.
http://www.nctimes.com/app/blogs/wp/?p=9325