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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for July 26, 2013.

Posted: 26 Jul 2013 12:12:00
ARB Newsclips for July 26, 2013. 

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.

CAP AND TRADE

Can California Cap and Trade if Brussels Stumbles? Last week, the
European Parliament rejected a proposal to reduce the quantity of
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions allowances in order to fix a
supply-demand imbalance in the European Union Emissions Trading
System (EU ETS). Some view this as the beginning of the end of
the European Union’s ten-year carbon cap-and-trade experiment. A
high profile failure of the EU ETS is likely to provide
ammunition to critics California’s cap-and-trade program. Posted.
http://www.natlawreview.com/article/can-california-cap-and-trade-if-brussels-stumbles
 

Carbon price unlikely to pass Congress but necessary to drive
clean technology, experts say.  Pricing carbon may be the single
most important thing the government can do to drive clean
technology and is a necessary but not sufficient condition for
mitigating climate change, according to experts. Many of the
emerging systems that curb greenhouse gas emissions and displace
fossil fuels show promise in the laboratory and at small scales
but are too expensive for prime time. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059985112/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

AIR POLLUTION

Proposal addresses pollution at Navajo coal plant. The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency wants haze-causing nitrogen oxide
emissions reduced by 84 percent at a coal-fired power plant on
the Navajo Nation, but a group meeting over the past few months
on the proposal says it can do better. An alternative plan to be
submitted Friday to the EPA would shut down one of three
750-megawatt units at the Navajo Generating Station near Page by
2020, cutting pollution beyond what the EPA has proposed. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/07/26/5597403/proposal-addresses-pollution-at.html#storylink=cpy


State amends GPC lawsuit over pollution controls. The state has
amended a lawsuit filed against Grain Processing Corp. in
Muscatine with additional allegations the company failed to
obtain certain air permits or and didn't report all air
pollutants. Attorney General Tom Miller said Thursday that a
trial begins in September on the lawsuit originally filed in
December 2011. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/07/25/5596813/state-amends-gpc-lawsuit-over.html#storylink=cpy


State targets off-road vehicle smog. The California Air Resources
Board Thursday moved to tighten pollution controls on most new
off-road vehicles even while they sit idle in the garage. The
regulation will start with 2018 models and is to be phased in
over four years, potentially costing buyers 4 percent to 9
percent more. Existing vehicles are exempt. San Diego County
Supervisor Ron Roberts, who also sits on the state air board,
voted to support the regulation. It passed unanimously. Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/jul/25/air-board-targets-off-road-vehicle-smog/


Heatwaves increase ozone pollution danger, study finds.  With
more ozone pollution in the air from reduced absorption from
plants, the study by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)’s
York Centre estimates that this cost the lives of 460 people in
the UK during the hot summer of 2006.  The research found that
ozone pollution from traffic fumes, industrial processes…Posted. 
http://www.airqualitynews.com/2013/07/26/heatwaves-increase-ozone-pollution-danger-study-finds/


EPA identifies 29 nonattainment areas for SO2 standard. U.S. EPA
has designated 29 areas in 16 states as "nonattainment" areas for
being in violation of the national air quality standard for
sulfur dioxide. The areas were found to be in violation of the
2010 SO2 rule, which set a limit of 75 parts per billion averaged
over an hour. Those areas must now develop a state implementation
plan within 18 months to reduce the pollution and get below the
standard. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1059985133/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Deal struck for slashing emissions at West's largest coal-fired
power plant. Operators of the largest coal-fired power plant in
the West announced an agreement today with the Department of the
Interior and environmental groups that will reduce air pollution
by quantities greater than U.S. EPA had sought. Under the
proposal by a technical working group, the 2,250-megawatt Navajo
Generating Station in Arizona will close one coal-fired unit at
the power plant by 2020…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1059985144/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

CLIMATE CHANGE

What Can Plants Reveal About Global Climate Change?  Recently,
climate change, including global warming, has been a "hot" news
item as many regions of the world have experienced increasingly
intense weather patterns, such as powerful hurricanes and
extended floods or droughts. Often the emphasis is on how such
extreme weather impacts humans, from daily heat index warnings to
regulating CO2 emissions.  Posted. 
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130726112209.htm 

Dems’ recess game plan: Push climate message. The White House,
congressional Democrats and their allies are plotting an August
recess offensive to promote President Barack Obama’s climate
change plan and head off Republican opposition. 
The full-court press shows that liberals have learned from past
August congressional recesses, when Republicans, aided by the tea
party, out organized Democrats and managed to demonize cap and
trade and blame them for high gas prices. Posted.
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/07/dems-recess-game-plan-push-climate-message-94773.html#ixzz2aAoM3UJh


Appeals court rejects Texas, industry challenge to EPA's GHG
implementation rules.  Federal judges today rejected arguments
from Texas and industry groups that U.S. EPA unlawfully forced
states to adopt its greenhouse gas rules on an inappropriately
short timeline. In two cases, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
District of Columbia Circuit held that EPA was only carrying out
a "self-executing" part of the Clean Air Act that was triggered
when greenhouse gases were added to the program as a pollutant.
Posted. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1059985141/print 
BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

DIESEL EMISSIONS

Pollution regulators set sights on off-road vehicles.  The
California Air Resources Board Thursday moved to tighten
pollution controls on most new off-road vehicles even while they
sit idle in the garage.  The regulation will start with 2018
models and is to be phased in over four years, potentially
costing buyers 4 percent to 9 percent more. Existing vehicles are
exempt.  Posted. 
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/jul/26/tp-pollution-regulators-set-sights-on-off-road/
 

Some reefer owners are eligible for time extension.  Some reefer
owners may be eligible for a time extension in order to comply
with the latest emissions requirements enforced under
California’s Transportation Refrigeration Unit Regulation.  The
California Air Resources Board recently notified reefer owners
that owners of reefers or TRU gen sets can apply for a compliance
deadline extension in order to meet California’s
Ultra-Low-Emission TRU (ULETRU) requirements for model year 2003
and older engines. Posted. 
http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=25496 

FUELS

Oil falls back to near $104 a barrel. The price of oil
surrendered some of its recent gains Friday, falling back to near
$104 a barrel, as concerns over China's decision to press ahead
with painful economic restructuring offset upbeat U.S. economic
news. By early afternoon in Europe, benchmark crude for September
delivery was down $1.19 to $104.30 a barrel in electronic trading
on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 10 cents
to $105.49 on Thursday. Posted.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OIL_PRICES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Canada Oil Firm Still Unable to Stop Leaks. Four Separate Leaks
Reported at Air-Force Base in Alberta. Canada's largest
independent oil producer has been unable to stop a series of
leaks from underground wells, according to regulators in Alberta,
raising questions about a technology the industry has championed
as less environmentally disruptive than the open-pit mining of
oil sands. Posted.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323971204578626273811559896.html
  

Fracking fuels opportunity in Mexico. Parent company Sempra and
Mexico’s IEnova well positioned to profit from natural gas
transport. Mexico’s energy landscape is rapidly being transformed
by the boom in U.S. natural gas production — and no company may
be better poised to profit than a Mexico unit of San Diego-based
utility holding company Sempra Energy. Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/jul/26/fracking-fuels-opportunity-Mexico/


Calif. needs rules that learn from problems elsewhere – experts.
California must act now to protect water, land and residents
before unconventional oil and gas drilling expands significantly,
experts said yesterday at a Los Angeles forum. The Golden State
has been behind the curve, with no current regulations in place
to monitor hydraulic fracturing. That is expected to change in
the coming months, so advocates need to press for what they
want…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1059985118/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Rosy outlook for natural gas in EIA report. Natural gas will be
the world's fastest-growing fossil fuel through 2040, according
to an Energy Information Administration report released
yesterday. The EIA's "International Energy Outlook 2013"
predicted a 1.7 percent annual increase in worldwide gas
consumption over the next 27 years, meaning the fuel will
continue to represent about a quarter of overall energy use.
Posted. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1059985096/print
BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Natural gas vehicles make inroads in Canada.  Canada's first
liquefied natural gas station opened just four months ago, but
the alternative fuel has already turned heads in the country's
trucking sector. Natural gas prices have plunged since the North
American shale renaissance unlocked vast new supplies in the late
2000s, leaving per-gallon-equivalent prices at the pump up to $2
cheaper than oil-based fuels. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1059985095/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

USDA to roll out controversial sugar purchase program. The
Agriculture Department on Monday will roll out a program that
allows the government to buy up excess sugar in the marketplace
and sell it to ethanol producers. The Feedstock Flexibility
Program is one of several actions the department is taking this
year to combat sugar prices that have fallen nearly 12 percent
since December. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1059985138/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

VEHICLES

Electric cars could be cost-competitive with gas-powered in 2017.
The cost of owning an electric car is wriggling its way down to
becoming competitive with its gas-powered peers, according to new
projections by the Electrification Coalition.


Representatives from the Washington, D.C., advocacy group said
during a conference call Thursday that short-range plug-in hybrid
electric vehicles are already cost competitive with cars powered
by internal combustion engines, as well as hybrid electric
vehicles. The recent analysis assumed five years of ownership and
about 14,000 miles driven each year. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-electric-car-ownership-2017-20130725,0,6639649.story


Valley air district offering grants to buy low-polluting
vehicles. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
is accepting applications for grants to help public agencies
purchase alternative-fuel vehicles. Cities, counties and public
education institutions, along with water and irrigation districts
in the Valley, can receive up to $20,000 per vehicle and up to
$100,000 a year from the air district. Posted.
http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20130726/NEWS01/307260021/Valley-air-district-offering-grants-buy-low-polluting-vehicles


GREEN ENERGY

Californians Consider a Future Without a Nuclear Plant for a
Neighbor. Residents of this quiet Orange County beach community
often all but forgot about the hulking nuclear plant just south
of the city limits. But reminders, while infrequent, were
jarring. The governor’s office mailed residents potassium iodide
pills, to take in case of a radioactive leak. Emergency sirens
occasionally sounded in the middle of the night (false alarms,
residents were told). Posted. .
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/26/us/californians-consider-a-future-without-a-nuclear-plant-for-a-neighbor.html?ref=science&pagewanted=print


Camarillo reaffirms partnership with energy alliance. The
Camarillo City Council reaffirmed its partnership with the
Ventura County Regional Energy Alliance on Wednesday, allowing
the city to continue participating in energy conservation and
education programs.  The alliance is run by a joint powers
authority consisting of representatives from the county and
Fillmore, Oxnard, Santa Paula…Posted.
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2013/jul/25/camarillo-reaffirms-partnership-with-energy/?print=1


Here's how some states are trying to bolster the energy grid. 
Kansas is undoubtedly a windy state, but it is not yet the “Saudi
Arabia of Wind' that Republican Gov. Sam Brownback wants it to
be.  Kansas has more wind energy potential than any state except
Texas, but eight states generate more total megawatts of wind
power — even as Brownback and his legislature have taken steps to
boost Kansas's wind industry. Posted. 
http://www.insidebayarea.com/business/ci_23737278/heres-how-some-states-are-trying-bolster-energy?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com
 
http://www.contracostatimes.com/business/ci_23737278/heres-how-some-states-are-trying-bolster-energy?IADID=Search-www.contracostatimes.com-www.contracostatimes.com


Mojave Mirrors: World's Largest Solar Plant Ready to Shine. The
Ivanpah Valley of the Mojave Desert in California is home to
spiky yucca trees, long-nosed leopard lizards, loggerhead
shrikes, and a rare species of tortoise—and soon, the largest
solar thermal energy plant in the world. More than six years in
the making, the Ivanpah plant is now slated to begin generating
power before summer's end. Posted.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2013/07/130725-ivanpah-solar-energy-mojave-desert/


MISCELLANEOUS

California power prices up 59 percent after nuke shutdown.
Federal number crunchers say the shutdown of the seaside San
Onofre nuclear plant is partially to blame for a 59 percent
increase in wholesale electricity prices for California during
the first half of the year. The Energy Information Administration
says the closure also caused a "large and unusual separation" in
power prices between the northern and southern parts of the
state. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_23729799/california-power-prices-up-59-percent-after-nuke?source=rss


Car cleanup event slated for Saturday. Valley CAN (Clean Air Now)
and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District will
hold a Tune In and Tune Up car cleanup event Saturday, including
emissions testing and vouchers for vehicles that do not pass. 
The event does not take the place of a legally required smog
test, but it does give residents some idea if their vehicle is
likely to pass the real test, and if not, they will be eligible
for as much as $500 in financial assistance to make needed
repairs. Posted.
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130726/A_NEWS/307260313


MIC on CARB OHV Evaporative Emissions. Today, the California Air
Resources Board (CARB) adopted regulations to control evaporative
emissions from off-highway recreational vehicles (OHRVs),
including off-highway motorcycles (OHMs), all-terrain vehicles
(ATVs), and recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs), sometimes
called UTVs or side-by-sides. For the past seven years while
these regulations were being developed…Posted.
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/669/16719/Motorcycle-Article/MIC-on-CARB-OHV-Evaporative-Emissions.aspx


OPINIONS

Reduce U.S. Carbon Emissions To Zero, And The Temperature
Decrease By 2100 Will Be Undetectable. A year ago former
Republican congressman Bob Inglis famously predicted the facts on
global warming will “overwhelm” GOP resistance to climate change
action, and alter the party’s stance.  In response, he proposed a
carbon tax.
Thanks to this, we provide you with a calculator that may
overwhelm the entire notion.  Posted.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickmichaels/2013/07/25/reduce-u-s-carbon-emissions-to-zero-and-the-temperature-decrease-by-2100-will-be-undetectable/


BLOGS

The positive economic impact of a carbon tax in, uh, hang on … 10
charts.  There is no federal carbon tax coming to the U.S. any
time soon, not as long as a revanchist, reactionary bunch of
fruitbats runs the Republican Party and gerrymanders itself a
decade-long House majority. (Ahem.) But just as an intellectual
exercise, if nothing else, let’s take note of the fact that
warnings about the calamitous effects of a carbon tax are
nonsense.  Posted. 
http://grist.org/climate-energy/the-positive-economic-impact-of-a-carbon-tax-in-uh-hang-on-10-charts/
 

Refocusing the Debate in Congress on Climate Change.  Nobody
wants climate change to be real. It's scary. It's hard. We would
all much rather it wasn't happening. But denial is a costly
proposition. Just ask the insurance industry.  Last week, at the
Senate's first hearing on the issue since President Obama rolled
out his comprehensive plan to respond to climate change,
insurance representatives voiced concern about the recent spike
in severe weather.  Posted. 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/phaedra-ellislamkins/refocusing-the-debate-in_b_3655194.html

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