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Near-Record ‘Dead Zone’ Forecast Off U.S. Gulf Coast, Threatening Fish

/in , /by /Reutersby Rich McKay

A near record-sized “dead zone” of oxygen-starved water could form in the Gulf of Mexico this summer, threatening its huge stocks of marine life, researchers said. The area could spread to about 8,717 square miles (20,577 square km), scientists at Louisiana State University said on Monday, or about the size of the state of New Hampshire, and larger than the 5-year average of 5,770 square miles. Experts blamed unusually high rainfall across the U.S. Midwest this Spring that washed farm fertilisers along streams and rivers through the Mississippi River Basin out into the Gulf.

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Gov. Gavin Newsom Abandons Water Tax, Rejects Some New Spending In California Budget Deal

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby John Myers

Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic legislative leaders announced Sunday the broad outlines of a new state budget, one that provides a boost for California’s low-income adults and children but excludes a controversial tax to pay for clean water in distressed communities. The details of key parts of the agreement were unveiled during a late afternoon hearing in which legislators from both houses met to approve the proposal. Though it does not signal the end of the budget process — legislators cited numerous places where the plan includes placeholder language, thus leaving the details to be determined later — the action brought to an end principal budget negotiations at the state Capitol, the first for Newsom since taking office this year.

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Utah Presses Forward With Pipeline Plans Despite Colorado River Basin Constraints

/in , /by /KUER (Salt Lake City)by Judy Fahys

The drive behind a massive water development project in southwestern Utah, the Lake Powell Pipeline, shows no signs of slowing even after the Colorado River Basin states signed a new agreement this spring that could potentially force more conservation or cutbacks. Despite the risk that the river resource is overcommitted and it is shrinking, four Upper Basin states — Utah, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico — are pushing forward with dams, reservoir expansions and pipelines like the one at Lake Powell that will allow them to capture what they were promised under the 1922 Colorado River Compact. The Lower Basin states of Arizona, Nevada and California have been using that water downstream for nearly a century.

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Gov. Gavin Newsom’s First California Budget Deal Is Near. Here’s What To Watch For

/in , , /by /Capital Public Radio (Sacramento)by Ben Adler

The first California budget deal under Gov. Gavin Newsom is just days away. Newsom and legislative leaders must finalize their spending plan for the coming fiscal year this weekend for lawmakers to meet their June 15 constitutional budget deadline. Democrats had hoped to close out the joint Senate-Assembly budget conference committee by Friday — likely with a late night hearing — in hopes of a budget passing the full Legislature next Thursday, two days ahead of next Saturday’s deadline. But it now appears that talks between Newsom, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) and Senate President pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) aren’t gelling as fast as hoped.

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UC San Diego Study Shows Large Levels Of Micro-Plastics In Deep Ocean Environment

/in , /by /ABC10 (San Diego) by Jared Aarons

A new study by a UC San Diego Assistant Professor says there is more plastic pollution in the deepest parts of the ocean than previously thought. Assistant Professor Anela Choy spent the last three years studying water samples off the Monterey Bay coast and found the highest concentration of micro-plastics at levels 200-600 meters below the surface. “It’s a great problem,” Choy says. “Tt’s pervasive and we’re just starting to understand the sources.” Choy worked with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute to test water samples at varying depths. They also took readings of micro-plastics in the digestive systems of animals at different depths.

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Sen. Feinstein Says Mojave Water Project Isn’t Sustainable

/in , /by /The Wall Street Journal (New York)

In “A Flood of Regulations Threatens to Leave California Dry” (Cross Country, June 1), Allysia Finley misinterprets the facts surrounding Cadiz’s plan to drain a vital Mojave Desert aquifer for profit. Cadiz wants to draw up to 50,000 acre-feet of water a year from the aquifer. However, it falsely claims the aquifer’s natural recharge rate is 32,000 acre-feet a year to justify withdrawing that much water.

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US Navy Seek Ideas For Water And Energy Resilience On Islands Off California

/in , /by /Microgrid Knowledgeby Elisa Wood

The US Navy is seeking ideas to improve water and energy resilience for bases on two islands off the coast of California: San Clemente and San Nicolas. The islands already use various distributed energy resources, including solar, wind and diesel generators. The request is not a solicitation for contracts, but seeks information to help the Navy determine strategy for the facilities, leading to possible future solicitations. The Navy hopes to collaborate with private industry “to develop holistic energy and water solutions” on the islands, according to the white paper request. San Clemente is home to Naval Base Coronado, and San Nicolas to the Naval Base Ventura County.

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“Electability” In The 2020 Primary, Polling On Housing, And Newsom’s Office Budget

/in , /by /CALmatters (Sacramento)by Dan Morain

At the same time Republicans in Washington are threatening to block President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Mexico, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis is counting the wounds inflicted on California by the White House’s “Molotov cocktail of policy.” Kounalakis, who is Gov. Gavin Newsom’s point person on trade, says the Trump administration’s tariffs on China have been deeply disruptive and costly to California’s $323 billion export market. The dollar volume of shipments to China declined 14% during the first three months of 2019 compared with last year at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the nation’s largest container port complex. And last year, California’s wine exports to China fell nearly 25%. Kounalakis says the Chinese simply bought more wine from Chile and Australia instead.

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‘We Couldn’t Even Take Showers’: Californians With Unsafe Drinking Water Appeal For Fixes

/in , , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Kyung Mil Lee

A coalition of California residents affected by unsafe drinking water held a symbolic “water strike” at the Capitol on Wednesday, pressing lawmakers to fund a plan that would clean up their water sources. More than 1 million Californians lack access to clean drinking water, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration. An additional 2 million people are vulnerable to contamination, according to the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund Coalition. “We cannot claim to be the Golden State when we have 1 million Californians without access to clean and affordable water,” said Daniel Peñaloza, City Council Member from Porterville in Tulare County. “This is an injustice and a disgrace.”

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OPINION: Mandates Or Open Markets?

/in , /by /pv magazine by Christian Roselund

The 100% clean energy movement has swept the United States. Over the last six months, dozens of cities including Chicago (population 2.7 million+) have joined New Mexico, Washington State, Puerto Ricoand Washington D.C. in passing mandates that set a timeline by 2050 or sooner for utilities to entirely phase out fossil fuels in their electricity supply.

This brings us to the point where one in five Americans live in a jurisdiction that has passed such a policy. And with five more states considering legislation to do so, advocates say that this is just the beginning.

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