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ARB Newsclips for September 12, 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.

AIR POLLUTION

Environmentalists: NY pollution checks declining. New York has
reduced pollution inspections more than one-third over the past
three years following large staffing cuts, according to a report
issued Thursday by an environmental group. Enforcement actions
against polluters have dropped almost 25 percent from 2009 to
2012 under federal laws to protect air quality and waterways,
Environmental Advocates of New York said. The state Department of
Environmental Conservation has federal permit and enforcement
authority over 33,000 factories, power generators…Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/12/5730679/environmentalists-ny-pollution.html#storylink=cpy


San Joaquin Valley gets ozone break, air alert expires for now. 
The San Joaquin Valley averted a breach of the one-hour federal
ozone standard on Monday and Tuesday, and the ozone threat seems
to be subsiding for now. An air alert declared from Stockton to
Bakersfield expired Wednesday, said leaders at the San Joaquin
Valley Air Pollution Control District. Posted.
http://www.modbee.com/2013/09/11/2916064/air-alert-for-valley-expires.html#storylink=cpy

http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2013/09/11/3217454/air-alert-for-valley-expires.html
http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/09/11/3492800/air-alert-for-valley-expires.html
 

Bad air still hanging over Merced, rest of the valley.  An
air-pollution alert expired Wednesday, but Anica Martinez and her
children were not breathing any easier.  “It’s been really bad
this year. My son has been out of school since Monday,” Martinez,
38, said Wednesday.  Responding to increasing levels of smog
pollution, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution District on
Monday issued an air alert and urged residents with breathing
conditions to stay indoors. Posted. 
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2013/09/11/3217254/bad-air-still-hanging-over-merced.html
   

Study: Redlands power plant is worst polluter in state.  Redlands
is home to the highest polluting power plant in the state,
according to a new study. The Mountain View Power Plant on the
city’s northwest side, owned by Southern California Edison, emits
about 1.85 million metric tons of carbon dioxide a year,
according to a report released Tuesday by the nonprofit
Environment California Research and Policy Center. Posted.
http://www.sbsun.com/environment-and-nature/20130910/study-redlands-power-plant-is-worst-polluter-in-state


DIESEL EMISSIONS

MUSD’s 16 buses getting $259,000 air quality retrofit.  Sixteen
of Manteca Unified School District’s buses will be retrofitted
with diesel particulate filters to the tune of $258,571. The
money was approved 6-1 by the Board of Trustees at their meeting
Tuesday, with Trustee Manuel Medeiros as the lone dissenter.  The
action of the trustees was to award the job at that amount to A-Z
Bus Sales, Inc. of Sacramento which offered the “lowest
responsive/responsible” bid for the project.  Posted. 
http://www.mantecabulletin.com/section/1/article/85110/  

Landi Renzo receives CARB certification for CNG Fords.  Landi
Renzo USA has received California Air Resources Board (CARB)
certification to sell is dedicated compressed natural gas engine
in Ford pickups.  The order authorizes Landi Renzo to install its
CNG system in 2014 model year Ford F-450, F-550, and F-650
vehicles with the Ford 6.8L engine.  Following a previous
announcement of EPA bi-fuel certification for the 2014 model year
Ford F-250 and F-350…Posted. 
http://fleetowner.com/running-green/landi-renzo-receives-carb-certification-cng-fords


Advanced catalytic converters reduce diesel engine N2O emissions
to nearly zero. The latest in catalytic converter technology for
diesel engines emits almost none of the greenhouse gas nitrous
oxide due to its unique chemical structure, according to new
research by the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National
Laboratory (PNNL). The recently developed artificial catalyst,
called Cu-SSZ-13, is found to be highly stable and produce very
little nitrous oxide, a climate-forcing pollutant, in the process
of burning diesel fuel. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059987112/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

FUELS

China bans new coal-fired plants in 3 regions. China announced
Thursday that it will ban new coal-fired power plants in three
key industrial regions around Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in
its latest bid to combat the country's notorious air pollution.
The action plan from the State Council, China's Cabinet, also
aims to cut coal's share of the country's total primary energy
use to below 65 percent by 2017 and increase the share of nuclear
power, natural gas and renewable energy. Posted.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_POLLUTION_PLAN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/12/china-coal-pollution-idUSB9N0GS01620130912


RPT-UPDATE 1-Bill to regulate fracking passes California state
Assembly. A hotly contested bill that would impose California's
first regulations on fracking and other oil production practices
passed the state Assembly on Wednesday, despite opposition from
environmentalists and oil companies. Fracking, or hydraulic
fracturing, is the practice of injecting water, sand and
chemicals underground to crack rock formations and free up oil
and natural gas. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/12/california-fracking-idUSL2N0H80MV20130912

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-12/brown-says-he-ll-sign-california-bill-regulating-fracking.html
 
http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CA_XGR_CALIFORNIA_OIL_DRILLING_CAOL-?SITE=CASON&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-09-11-23-37-56
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/11/5728534/jerry-brown-and-california-lawmakers.html
http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Bill-regulating-fracking-passes-Assembly-4806988.php

http://capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=11pqx976j8ohgyx&xid=11pquiwxqhcpa5q&done=.11pqxw6tsg8arb5
 
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2013/sep/11/california-assembly-passes-bill-set-fracking-regul/

http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1059987122/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

U.S. coal industry braces for EPA emissions crackdown. The
Environmental Protection Agency is due to unveil next week the
first batch of regulations under President Barack Obama's new
climate action plan - a carbon emissions-rate standard for new
fossil fuel power plants. If standards are as strict as the
industry expects, it could be the death knell for new coal plant
construction. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/12/us-usa-coal-epa-idUSBRE98B0PB20130912
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323864604579069550916021262.html?KEYWORDS=emissions


U.S. to Pass Russia in Liquid Fuels Production, Says IEA. IEA
Says Oil Demand Picking Up Faster Than Expected. A top energy
watchdog forecast the U.S. will bypass Russia in the production
of liquid fuels—everything from crude and gasoline to biofuels
like ethanol—solidifying America's growing importance in global
energy markets. The International Energy Agency said Thursday the
U.S. will bypass Russia in the production of all kinds of liquid
fuels on average for the third quarter of this year. Posted.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323595004579070502233782752.html?KEYWORDS=energy


VEHICLES

U.S. offers fuel economy, emissions labels for used cars. U.S.
car dealers and private sellers may now post window labels on
used vehicles that show gas mileage and climate-warming carbon
dioxide emissions under a federal government program to help
buyers pick out more fuel-efficient second-hand vehicles.
Interest in fuel economy has grown amongst U.S. consumers due to
more efficient vehicles and higher gas prices but information on
miles-per-gallon has been hard to find for buyers looking at used
cars at dealerships. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/12/us-usa-auto-fuel-economy-idUSBRE98B0TD20130912

 
Merkel warns EU against tough CO2 targets for carmakers. German
Chancellor Angela Merkel, facing elections in less than two
weeks, warned the European Union on Thursday against imposing
tough environmental targets on German luxury carmakers, saying
they could harm innovation and economic growth. Merkel, tipped to
win a third term as chancellor in a September 22 poll, blocked a
deal in June that would have set Europe's car industry an
ambitious target to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2020.
Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/12/us-autoshow-frankfurt-merkel-eu-idUSBRE98B0SZ20130912


Volkswagen’s first two production battery-electric vehicles debut
at Frankfurt.  Volkswagen marked its serious entry into the
battery-electric vehicle market with the introduction in
Frankfurt of its first two series production EVs: the e-up! and
the e-Golf. (Earlier post.) The e-up! is going on sale in
mid-October, followed by the e-Golf launch in the spring of 2014
(in Germany).  In a talk on the eve of the opening of the
show…Posted. 
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2013/09/20130911-vw.html 

GREEN ENERGY

Calif. opens solar power to renters, schools and those with homes
in shade. California's Legislature yesterday approved the
nation's largest program for shared renewable power, allowing
renters, schools, cities and many others to invest in green
energy projects. The Assembly passed S.B. 43 from Sen. Lois Wolk
(D), and the Senate subsequently signed off on amendments added
by the lower chamber. The bill now is on its way to the governor.
Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059987118/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Wood-burning backers join alliance with USDA to give biomass
energy a boost. U.S. EPA is carefully crafting a rule that drives
how the agency counts carbon emissions from wood energy, and
biomass backers are calling for a quick, and fair, consideration
from the agency. They would also like the Agriculture Department,
which has provided guidance on how to measure biomass carbon
emissions, to weigh in. "I think the goal is really to look at
this as an energy source, as a source of renewable
energy,"…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059987117/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

MISCELLANEOUS

Steinberg shelves main environmental measure to aid arena effort.
Following last-minute negotiations with the governor, state Sen.
President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg shelved his main
environmental reform bill Wednesday night, and instead pushed
forward with a bulked-up alternative bill – one that includes
provisions to assist in development of Sacramento’s downtown
arena. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/11/5727262/california-judicial-council-opposes.html#storylink=cpy
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2013/09/11/ceqa-changes-narrowed,-broader-effort-delayed-(again)/#.UjFYx8mOD50.twitter

Bills to free up carpool lanes and protect small businesses head
to Gov. Brown.  Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles) has
authored three bills on the way to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk. One
would free up carpool lanes to all commuters during non-peak
hours. If signed, AB 405 would establish a pilot program on
freeways such as the 210 and 134, in addition to any others that
Caltrans deems appropriate. The program would be in effect from
Jan. 1, 2014 to May 21, 2015. Posted.
http://www.scpr.org/news/2013/09/11/39204/bills-to-free-up-carpool-lanes-and-protect-small-b/


OPINIONS

Lower Gas Prices for the Poor Are Not a Universal Goal.
Significantly lower natural-gas prices make solar and wind more
inefficient than they already were. The development of market
societies is an innovation unrivaled in the reduction of poverty
for humankind. It is the very structure of market societies,
freed from the impediments of central planning, that fosters more
and better poverty-reducing technological developments, like
fracking. As pointed out in your editorial "Fracking and the
Poor" (Sept. 7), the infusion of lower natural-gas prices into
the larger economy is essential to that outcome. Posted.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324549004579066982402771394.html?KEYWORDS=energy
 

Right on: Ban leaf blowers. There is an alternative to leaf
blowers: Use vacuums instead. Clients would get a cleaner job
each week, and our dirty air would be much cleaner. A recent
letter writer was right ("Ban blowers to improve air," Sept. 10).
We get a double whammy of bad, dusty air when it is blown into
the street and then blown back from traffic. Ever stop to think
of how many blowers are used each day, including weekends? Wow!
Posted.
http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/opinion/letters/x740582494/Right-on-Ban-leaf-blowers


Dan Morain: Blazing a new trail, Sierra Club risks losing its
relevancy. You’d think that the mother of landmark legislation to
curb greenhouse gas and reduce tailpipe emissions might be
entitled to a little respect from the most well-known
environmentalist group of them all. Sen. Fran Pavley is the
gray-haired green lawmaker whose name sits atop AB 32, the 2006
bill that requires California to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
to 1990 levels…Posted.
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2013/09/11/3217815/dan-morain-blazing-a-new-trail.html#storylink=cpy


Value in carbon pollution disposal fee.  With President Obama’s
June directive that the Environmental Protection Agency draft
regulations to reduce power plant emissions, industry might
consider supporting a broader, more effective approach. First,
let’s acknowledge the reality of climate change. It’s manifesting
everywhere (8-inch sea rise; ice caps and glaciers receding;
warming, acidifying oceans; storms on steroids). Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/sep/12/tp-value-in-carbon-pollution-disposal-fee/


Climate lessons for California from down under. Unlike
California, Australia has seen the light and is ripping up its
economy-wrecking climate change policies. Conservative Tony
Abbott won last weekend’s election, having run on a platform that
would scrap Australia's carbon tax. His election brought in a new
government that rejects the hype of manmade global warming.
Australia will now climb out from under that economy-killing
gorilla. Posted.
http://www.examiner.com/article/climate-lessons-for-california-from-down-under


BLOGS

With Subsidies, Frito-Lay Buys Chargers and More Electric Trucks.
 Frito-Lay, one of the first companies to put modern electric
delivery trucks on the road in New York State, is now following
up by adding more vehicles and, working with state government,
the charging stations to go with them. At a news conference in
Albany on Thursday, Frito-Lay and its partner, the New York State
Energy Research and Development Authority, or Nyserda…Posted.
http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/12/with-subsidies-frito-lay-buys-chargers-and-more-electric-trucks/
 

Little Love for California Fracking Bill as It Nears Passage.
UPDATE: The Senate approved SB 4 on a 28-8 vote Wednesday night.
The measure now goes to Governor Jerry Brown, who has said
through a spokesman that he will sign the bill. When they're
getting grief from all directions for something they've aired or
written, reporters like to console themselves with the old
saying, "If you're making both sides mad, you must be doing
something right." Posted.
http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2013/09/11/110875/fracking-bill-caifornia-senate-vote

 
Trans-boundary Ozone's Impact on California Is More than Hot Air.
There is no question pollution is adrift in the air. The past
couple of days, air quality in the Fresno region of California
has been good. Connected to this have been lower temperatures.
Daytime temps have been in the 90s. But this is going to change.
Temperatures are already starting to warm and by the weekend,
they will probably be in the triple digits in most, if not all
parts, of the San Joaquin Valley. Posted.
http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/trans-boundary-ozones-impact-california-more-hot-air?utm_source=Daily+Email+9%2F12%2F13&utm_campaign=09%2F12%2F13+Daily+Email&utm_medium=email


300 Years Is Too Long to Wait for Clean Air in Our National
Parks.  They read like dates out of the Star Trek television
series, not a timeline for restoring clean air to our national
parks. But, shockingly, based on the current EPA-approved plans,
it will not be until 2276 that the air in North Cascades National
Park is returned to its healthy former state, 2163 for
Yellowstone National Park and 2127 for the Grand Canyon.  This
was not supposed to happen. Posted. 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/theresa-pierno/300-years-is-too-long-to-_b_3906778.html
 

No, bike lanes don’t hurt retail business.  City retailers tend
to overestimate the importance of parking to their business. They
fail to see the many downsides of free parking (congestion and
low shopper turnover, among them). They believe more people
arrive at the store by car than actually do. They may not even
realize that while driving customers spend more per visit,
non-drivers spend as much or more in the long term.  Posted. 
http://grist.org/cities/no-bike-lanes-dont-hurt-retail-business-2/

 
2013 Nissan e-NV200 taxi will carry Catalunians quietly beginning
next year.  The Nissan e-NV200, currently in the final phases of
testing with FedEx fleets in various countries, will be getting
more demanding cargo next year in Barcelona when it goes into
service as a taxi. Unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show by Carlos
Ghosn and with the mayor of Barcelona, Xavier Trias, in
attendance, the e-NV200 is the van slightly reworked into a
unique design and resting on a Leaf electric powertrain. Posted.
http://www.autoblog.com/2013/09/12/2013-nissan-e-nv200-taxi-frankfurt-2013/