[Source: Associated Press] The Environmental Protection Agency released one of its last major rollbacks under the Trump administration on Tuesday, limiting what evidence it will consider about risks of pollutants in a way that opponents say could cripple future public health regulation. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said the new rule, which restricts what findings from Read More…
Newsroom
Enjoying new clout, environmental justice groups may press Biden
[Source: KQED] Though it may have been eclipsed in headlines and worrying by the coronavirus pandemic, the climate crisis has not gone away. As new President Joe Biden tries to implement policies with the goal of redirecting economic development toward greenhouse gas reduction, he’ll have to contend with pressure not only from groups on the Read More…
Now is not the time for tax increases
[Source: CalChamber] When Governor Newsom endorsed Prop 15 in September – which voters soundly rejected in November – he specifically said “In a global, mobile economy, now is not the time for the kind of state tax increases on income we saw proposed at the end of this legislative session and I will not sign Read More…
After a century of growth, have carbon emissions reached their peak?
[Source: GRIST] In late March, approximately a third of the world’s population found themselves under some kind of stay-at-home order due to COVID-19. The effects were dramatic: Virtually overnight, bumper-to-bumper traffic gave way to empty roads; bustling airports became echoing ghost towns; retail stores and restaurants closed their doors and turned off the lights. And Read More…
California’s new series of COVID-19 reporting requirements
[Source: CalChamber] During the 2020 California legislative session, COVID-19 forced lawmakers to pivot from their routine business to addressing the growing pandemic. In response, the Legislature enacted SB 1159 and AB 685 that created certain reporting requirements for employers when learning of a positive case. Following up, Cal/OSHA recently approved and implemented COVID-19 emergency regulations Read More…
Environmental justice groups block Mary Nichols’ path to EPA
[Source: Los Angeles Times] Through four governors, two Obama terms and the Trump administration, Mary Nichols has led the charge to clean up California’s smog and fight climate change. In the process, she has earned herself a reputation as one of the most influential environmental regulators in the country. So with Joe Biden headed to Read More…
Biden picks Michael Regan to head Environmental Protection Agency
[Source: FOX News] President-elect Joe Biden tapped Michael Regan to serve as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday, Fox News has confirmed. Regan has served as head of North Carolina’s environmental agency since 2017. A longtime air quality specialist at the EPA, Regan has served under both the Clinton and George W. Bush Read More…
In landmark ruling, air pollution recorded as a cause of death for British girl
[Source: The New York Times] A 9-year-old girl who suffered a fatal asthma attack in 2013 became the first person in Britain to officially have air pollution listed as a cause of death, a British official said. The landmark ruling puts a face and a name on one of the millions of people whose deaths Read More…
Now Oracle’s exiting California for Texas. Will the last one in Silicon Valley, please turn out the lights?
[Source: FOX Business] If the outbound migration from Silicon Valley to Texas continues at its current clip, we may soon see a sign on southbound Highway 101 “Will the Last One in Silicon Valley, Please Turn Out the Lights?” (although California’s frequent blackouts might render the sign redundant). Just 11 days after Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Read More…