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FDA Expands Efforts to Detect PFAS in Food

/in , , /by /Bloomberg Environmentby Pat Rizzuto

The Food and Drug Administration is expanding its own capacity to test foods for certain “forever chemicals,” a senior agency official said Monday.

Expanded federal laboratory capability should help as the Department of Defense, states, and scientific researchers increase their testing of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) near military, industrial, and other sites with a history of having used the man-made chemicals.

The additional federal resources should also help state agencies dealing with suspected PFAS contamination in food.

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State Increases Water Allocations for Year

/in , , /by /Appeal Democrat

The Department of Water Resources announced it would be increasing its allocations to 15 percent for State Water Project participants this year, which reflects a 5 percent increase to the state’s initial estimation in December. 

Yuba City is one of 29 agencies that are part of the State Water Project. The project’s largest reservoir in Lake Oroville.

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Ontario Sets 0% Water Conservation Goal

/in , , /by /Daily Bulletin by Steve Scauzillo

Despite growing concerns of a below-average rainfall season, the city of Ontario revoked mandatory conservation measures this week, setting a 0% water conservation target with state regulators.

“We currently don’t have a water supply shortage. We have enough water so we reported that to the state,” Scott Burton, utilities general manager of the Ontario Municipal Utility Co., said during an interview on Thursday, Jan. 23.

The City Council approved the change from mandatory Stage 2 water conservation to voluntary conservation on Tuesday, Jan. 21.

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Calif. Tribe Sues Water Districts Over Groundwater Charge

/in , /by /Law 360 by Kelly Zegers

Two California water agencies should not be allowed to charge a tribe for groundwater production, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians said in a new lawsuit Friday.

The tribe claims that the Coachella Valley Water District and the Desert Water Agency unlawfully imposed a “replenishment assessment charge” against federal laws that reserve the groundwater for the tribe, according to a filing in California federal court.

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