[Source: The Independent] Cooking a roast dinner drives indoor air pollution up to levels found in some of the most polluted cities in the world, according to new research. The act of roasting and boiling meat, potatoes and vegetables pushes particulates in the air up to 13 times the levels recorded on the filthy streets of Read More…
Newsroom
California solar jobs fall for second year
[Source: San Francisco Chronicle] Jobs in California’s once-steadily growing solar power sector fell for the second straight year in 2018, part of a nationwide decline amid uncertainty caused by tariffs imposed by the Trump administration and challenges at the state level. While the state remains the largest source of solar industry employment, jobs fell 11 Read More…
Reporting to work: no physical presence required
[Source: CalChamber/HR Watchdog] Last week, the Second District California Court of Appeal ruled that on-call employees are entitled to reporting time pay if they are required to contact the employer to see whether they must actually report to work (Ward v. Tilly’s Inc., CA2/3 B280151 2/4/19). This significant wage and hour case applies to employees governed Read More…
California solar jobs fall for second year
[Source: San Francisco Chronicle] Jobs in California’s once-steadily growing solar power sector fell for the second straight year in 2018, part of a nationwide decline amid uncertainty caused by tariffs imposed by the Trump administration and challenges at the state level. While the state remains the largest source of solar industry employment, jobs fell 11 Read More…
AQMD considers seeking a one-half cent sales tax in four counties for clean-air programs
[Source: Orange County Register] The South Coast Air Quality Management District is pursuing a one-half cent sales tax measure that would raise about $1.4 billion each year to pay for clean-air projects such as zero-emission cars, trucks, trains and cargo equipment. Some compare the proposal to ballot measures recently passed by voters benefitting transportation districts Read More…
California’s $5 billion clean-air plan lacking one thing: money
[Source: Bloomberg] Cleaner burgers and electric ATVs are all part of California’s ambitious $5 billion plan to clean up the San Joaquin Valley’s notoriously polluted air. Now the problem is figuring out how to pay for it. The state has identified only about $1.1 billion in funds for the initiatives, plus another $900 million in Read More…
Lawmakers already killed measure supporting transparency at the pump
[Source: Ronald Stein, P.E.] California lawmakers are at it again. A 2018 bill, SB 1074, sponsored by State Senator John Moorlach (R) from Costa Mesa and championed by the minority party in the State was effectively bottom drawered by the ruling party, the Democrats. They are now fueling the idea, pun intended, that the oil Read More…
Class action settlement doesn’t prevent 2nd lawsuit
[Source: CalChamber] An employee who was a member of a wage-and-hour class action settlement with her employer is able to pursue a subsequent lawsuit against her employer for a claim that was not alleged in the first case, said the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in a recent opinion. The employer settled in federal court Read More…
Here’s how much California is spending to put electric cars on the road
[The San Diego Union-Tribune] California policymakers are committed to making sure that electric vehicles — and the charging stations and other infrastructure needs associated with them — transform the state’s transportation sector. But it won’t come cheaply. A review conducted by the San Diego Union-Tribune showed various state agencies have committed $2.46 billion in public Read More…