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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 6, 2013.
Posted: 06 Aug 2013 12:44:40
ARB Newsclips for August 6, 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 Poll: What do you expect from California's newly inaugurated cap-and-trade program for carbon dioxide? Posted. http://www.redding.com/polls/2013/jul/poll-capandtrade/results/ California Carbon Trading Would Counteract Emissions From Expanded Chevron Refinery, State Says. The hundreds of activists on hand Saturday at Chevron’s Richmond refinery to protest its contribution to global warming might be surprised to learn that California says it has found a way to control the company’s carbon footprint within the state, despite its plans to expand. Posted. http://sfpublicpress.org/news/2013-08/california-carbon-trading-would-counteract-emissions-from-expanded-chevron-refinery-state-says More Hinkley homes in toxic plume's path. Four new homeowners have been included in the one-mile buffer zone of the toxic groundwater plume after the release of the latest data from Pacific Gas and Electric’s monitoring, according to PG&E spokesman Jeff Smith. Homeowners in the zone receive the option of a buyout offer from PG&E or a whole-house water purification system. Posted. http://www.desertdispatch.com/articles/hinkley-14882-homes-path.html AIR POLLUTION China Battery Maker Investigating Pollutions Claims. One of China's biggest suppliers of batteries for electric vehicles suspended its shares from trading Monday in the wake of allegations from state media reports that pollution from one of its factories had sickened children and contaminated land. Hong Kong-listed Tianneng Power International Ltd. told the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that it and its subsidiaries have taken note of recent media reports regarding the company's plant in Jiangsu province's Shuyang County. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323420604578649560853437652.html?KEYWORDS=air+pollution Foul odor in Santa Fe Springs caused by hydrogen sulfide. After receiving more than 330 complaints about a foul odor wafting across Santa Fe Springs last week, air quality officials said Monday they had pinpointed the smell to increases in the amount of hydrogen sulfide in the air. "Hydrogen sulfide does give you that rotten-egg type smell," said Sam Atwood of the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-foul-odor-in-santa-fe-springs-20130805,0,4555.story BLM to re-examine impacts of western Colo. Wells. In a settlement with environmental groups, the Bureau of Land Management has agreed to take another look at potential air pollution associated with more than 1,300 oil and gas wells proposed in the Garfield County area. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2013/08/05/5625620/blm-to-re-examine-impacts-of-western.html#storylink=cpy CLIMATE CHANGE Investors See Climate Change as Risk That Influences Decisions: Report. Climate change remains a material risk for a majority of investors and, in many cases, it is increasingly influencing their investment activities, according to a report released Aug. 5 by a coalition of global investor groups. About 81 percent of asset owners and 68 percent of asset managers said they view climate change as a material risk across their entire investment portfolio in the third annual Global Investor Survey on Climate Change. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-06/investors-see-climate-change-as-risk-that-influences-decisions-report.html Climate Change Seen as Threat to Iberian Lynx. After 20 years and more than $100 million spent, the effort to save the endangered Iberian lynx is at risk because it fails to factor in the effects of climate change, scientists say. The lynx is a spotted, yellow-eyed feline from Southern Europe that has long faced a dwindling food supply. Its preferred prey, the European rabbit, suffers from disease and over-hunting. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/06/science/weather-seen-as-threat-to-iberian-lynx.html?_r=0 New Mexico is the driest of the dry. Scientists in the West have a particular way of walking a landscape and divining its secrets: They kick a toe into loamy soil or drag a boot heel across the desert's crust, leaning down to squint at the tiny excavation. Try that maneuver in New Mexico these days and it yields nothing but bad news in a puff of dust. Across the West, changes in the climate are taking a toll. Almost 87% of the region is in a drought. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-me-parched-20130806-dto,0,5922502.htmlstory Study Questions Nature's Ability to 'Self-Correct' Global Warming. Forests have a limited capacity to soak up atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), according to a new study from Northern Arizona University. The study, available online in the journal New Phytologist, aimed to explore how rising atmospheric carbon dioxide could alter the carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) content of ecosystems. Posted. http://www.heraldonline.com/2013/08/06/5088960/study-questions-natures-ability.html#storylink=cpy DIESEL EMISSIONS Retrofit-DPF sales to satisfy California regulations lag. Sales of diesel particulate filter retrofits for in-use, on-road, heavy-duty diesel vehicles operating in California remain lower than the state’s projections, according to the results of a survey released today by the Manufacturers of Emission Controls Association (MECA). The total number of verified DPFs sold by MECA member companies for diesels operating in California in the first half of 2013 was 3,508 and includes both passive and active DPFs. Posted. http://www.overdriveonline.com/retrofit-dpf-sales-to-satisfy-california-reglulations-lag/ CARB Publishes Q&A for TRU Generator Sets. The California Air Resources Board has published a series of frequently asked questions and answers for transport refrigeration unit generator sets regarding compliance with the TRU regulation requirements for brokers, shippers, receivers, carriers, and drivers at California port terminals and depots. TRU gensets are generator sets that are designed and used to provide electric power to electrically driven refrigeration units of any kind. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/story/2013/08/carb-publishes-q-a-for-tru-generator-sets.aspx?prestitial=1 FUELS White House May Cut Ethanol Mandate. The Obama administration is set to announce that it will propose changes to the U.S. ethanol mandate next year, according to people briefed on the matter, opening the door to a first-ever reduction of the requirement. The statement could come as early as Tuesday and would be as part of the rollout of an Environmental Protection Agency rule finalizing this year's ethanol requirement, these people said. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323968704578652011231792732.html?KEYWORDS=fuels U.S. and Canada Vie for Big Gas Projects. Some of the world's largest energy companies are racing to transform backwaters like this hamlet of 544 people into boomtowns. The energy giants are proposing half a trillion dollars in projects to export vast new finds of North American natural gas. Western Canada and the U.S. Gulf Coast are competing to see which region receives the lion's share of the investment. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324260204578585883862305950.html Fuel deal reached for NH natural gas station. Clean Energy Fuels Corp. of Newport Beach, Calif., on Tuesday announced a 10-year fueling agreement with NG Advantage of Colchester, Vt. Under the agreement, NG Advantage has agreed to purchase an amount of compressed natural gas equal to at least 10 million gallons of gasoline each year, more than double the volume supplied by Clean Energy Fuel's highest volume station. Posted. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/aug/06/fuel-deal-reached-for-nh-natural-gas-station/ Obama administration defends fracking safety — again. For years, the most common rap used to discredit hydraulic fracturing — the sharply improved drilling process that uses precisely targeted underground water cannons to free up oil and natural gas reserves a mile or more below ground — is that it triggered environmental nightmares in Pennsylvania. Posted. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/aug/06/tp-obama-administration-defends-fracking-safety/ Uinta Basin gas leakage far worse than most believe. Gas production » New study says up to 12 percent of basin’s methane escapes. Between 6 percent and 12 percent of the Uinta Basin’s natural gas production could be escaping into the atmosphere, far more than commonly estimated, according to a new study led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Posted. http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/56692751-78/basin-carbon-emissions-gas.html.csp CHEVRON REFINERY Chevron to pay $2 million for refinery fire. A day before the first anniversary of the destructive fire at Chevron's oil refinery in Richmond, the company pleaded no contest Monday to six criminal charges arising from the incident. As part of the deal, Chevron agreed to pay $2 million in fines and restitution and accept additional oversight and inspection of its operations during a 3 1/2-year probation period, authorities said. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Chevron-to-pay-2-million-for-refinery-fire-4707675.php VEHICLES GM cutting Chevrolet Volt's sticker price by $5,000. The price cut will make the plug-in hybrid 2014 Chevy Volt more competitive with other rechargeable cars. Sales haven't been speedy. In an effort to juice up tepid sales of its 2014 Chevrolet Volt, General Motors Co. will slash the sticker price by $5,000, to $34,995, including shipping. The price cut makes the plug-in hybrid Volt more competitive with other rechargeable cars…Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-chevy-volt-price-drop-20130806,0,4503689.story http://www.sbsun.com/ci_23803647/gm-knocks-12-5-percent-off-volt-price#ixzz2bCvfgGHh Data Center: Number of hybrid vehicles in California triples in five years. With gas prices hovering near $4 a gallon for the past several years, the appetite for hybrid vehicles in California has grown. About 585,000 hybrid vehicles were registered in the state on the first day of 2013, according to the latest figures from the California Department of Motor Vehicles. That's up from 218,000 hybrid vehicles registered on the first day of 2008. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/08/05/3424926/data-center-number-of-hybrid-vehicles.html HIGH-SPEED RAIL Perea advocates high-speed rail at forum. Henry Perea, chairman of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, left no doubt of his support for high-speed rail Friday as he spoke as a panelist at the Fresno Grizzles’ Farm Forum at Chukchansi Park. Perea said the need for additional transportation and jobs in the area make it a winning plan, even at a high price tag. Posted. http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/news/transportation/7154-perea-advocates-high-speed-rail-at-forum GREEN ENERGY More homeowners going solar for electricity, but uncertainty and cost stops others. Ben Kunz wanted to do “the green thing” and save on his electric bill without paying a lot of money up front. So instead of buying a solar system for his house in Cheshire, Conn., he leased one. “I thought it was a pretty good deal,” he said. “I lean a little environmentalist so I’m concerned about global warming.” Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/more-homeowners-going-solar-for-electricity-but-uncertainty-and-cost-stops-others/2013/08/06/93e22d7a-fe9f-11e2-8294-0ee5075b840d_story.html Edison International acquires solar developer SoCore. California-based Edison International has acquired solar developer SoCore Energy in a move that will expand the utility company's ability to install and operate rooftop solar installations for commercial and industry customers. Edison said the Chicago-based SoCore will become a wholly-owned subsidiary. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-edition-solar-panels-20130805,0,6121402.story?track=rss Solar dilemma: Wash rooftop panels? It is a question gnawing at people who live and toil beneath rooftop solar panels: To wash or not to wash away accumulating dust? The answer is don't bother hiring a panel washer to let in the sunshine, according a study by a team of engineers at the University of California San Diego. Posted. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/aug/05/dirty-solar-dilemma/ Move state green power mandate to 90%, and technology will follow, advocates say. California needs to set more aggressive targets for renewable energy, aiming to mandate as much as 90 percent of power by 2050, community advocates said here yesterday. A state official, however, said it's not feasible. Members of a committee representing low-income and minority populations, which is advising the California Air Resources Board as it plans future moves…Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059985646/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Europe explores floating wind turbines to expand offshore power, study says. Massive wind turbines that float far out into deep ocean waters could go from fantasy to reality in as little as four years, a new study says. Floating turbine designs are comparable in cost with fixed-bottom designs in waters more than 50 meters (164 feet) deep and will be key to unlocking a huge untapped energy potential in remote locations with excellent wind conditions concludes the study…Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059985633/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY MISCELLANEOUS Environmental groups say radioactive waste is going to landfills. A coalition of environmental groups accused state regulators Monday of allowing low-level radioactive waste from the former Santa Susana Field Laboratory to be illegally disposed of in landfills not licensed to receive such material. Consumer Watchdog, the Center for Race Poverty and the Environment, and others said debris from six structures from the former nuclear research facility already had been delivered to municipal landfills and metal and concrete recyclers. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-radioactive-waste-20130805,0,662324.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+lanowblog+%28L.A.+Now%29 Still no agreement on Prop. 65 reform. Stakeholders working to reform Proposition 65, California’s 1986 voter-approved initiative on warnings for toxic chemicals, still haven’t agreed on changes to the law despite several meetings over the past month. The groups, which include business leaders, environmentalists, attorney’s groups, consumer organizations and representatives from Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration…Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2013/08/05/still-no-agreement-on-prop-65-reforms.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bizj_sacramento+%28Sacramento+Business+Journal%29 OPINIONS California’s ‘truck-n-bus’ fiasco. Think the Golden State has come up with every possible regulation known to man? Not quite yet. As the California Air and Resources Board’s 2008 global warming regulations begin to phase in, California’s trucking industry will be virtually exterminated. The state’s top-down public policies have made California one of the worst states to live and own a business. Posted. http://dailycaller.com/2013/08/05/californias-truck-n-bus-fiasco/ BLOGS Scientists declare: 'Human activities are changing Earth's climate'. With more confidence than ever before, a prominent scientific body put the blame for global climate change squarely at the feet of humanity's insatiable appetite for fossil fuels, which release heat-trapping gases when burned. "There is only one thing that is going straight up … that is the greenhouse gases that we are just pumping at an exponential rate," Gerald North...Posted. http://www.nbcnews.com/science/scientists-declare-human-activities-are-changing-earths-climate-6C10853219 Car wars. FRANCE has banned imports of some Mercedes cars, claiming they fail to meet European technical standards for emissions of global-warming gases. It looks like an arcane technical dispute, but it is an early skirmish in what could become a trade war within Europe’s single market. The casus belli is ever-tighter European Union (EU) rules on car emissions of carbon dioxide. Posted. http://www.economist.com/blogs/schumpeter/2013/08/european-infighting-0