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PFAS Liability: “Sovereign Immunity” Means Companies May Foot the Bill

/in , , /by /The National Law Reviewby John Gardella

Environmental watch groups, legislators, the media, and litigators have all squarely focused on PFAS contamination in one primary source – water.  More specifically, drinking water. Environmental groups test local water supplies and report PFAS counts, politicians introduce bills at the state and federal levels to regulate the amount of PFAS permitted in drinking water, the media gives citizens daily news updates on PFAS in drinking water, and lawsuits are increasingly filed for both personal injury and remediation costs.

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Drinking Water, Clean Energy, Lithium Bills Pass in California

/in , , /by /Bloomberg Lawby Emily C. Dooley

California’s Senate and Assembly approved a number of bills in the Legislature’s waning hours Monday, including measures that would ensure funding for a safe drinking water fund, make it easier to upgrade schools with clean energy appliances, help electric utilities manage ratepayer deficits related to the coronavirus pandemic, and take other actions.

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Opinion: Why Fixing the Nation’s Water Crisis and Combating a Pandemic are Linked

/in , , /by /PlanetWatchby Gina-Marie Cheeseman

Fighting the COVID-19 pandemic requires access to safe, clean water. While some Americans decry their “loss of freedom” by being told to wear a mask in public spaces, others don’t have the freedom to wash their hands with clean water.

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California Public Utilities Commission Fires Executive Director After Staffing Dispute

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby J.D. Morris

California utility regulators on Monday chose to fire their top administrative official in response to several allegedly unethical hiring decisions discussed in a recent personnel audit.

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California Leads Suit Against Trump Administration Over Weakened Environmental Laws

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby Chris Jennewein

California and 20 other states sued the Trump administration over its plan to curtail environmental regulations in permitting infrastructure projects that can take years to complete and have long-lasting consequences on land and communities. Led by California and Washington, the lawsuit seeks to block changes the administration has proposed to how the 50-year-old National Environmental Policy Act is implemented. It was filed in federal court in San Francisco against the White House Council on Environmental Quality and its chairman, Mary Neumayr.

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Opinion: California Must Ensure Water Access During COVID-19 Pandemic

/in , , /by /CalMattersby Tracy Quinn

Safe drinking water is a human right and essential during the COVID-19 crisis. And California must do more to ensure water service during concurrent health and economic emergencies.

In April, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order placing a moratorium on water shutoffs and requiring reconnections for households disconnected after March 4. But months into a crisis, the state lacks data on the impact of the moratorium.

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21 States Sue White House Over Rollback of Bedrock Environmental Law

/in , , /by /The Hillby Rebecca Beitsch

A coalition of 21 states [including California] sued the Trump administration Friday for rolling back what they say is a “rule that is, at its heart, the gutting” of America’s bedrock environmental law.

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Pipelines Assessed in Record Time with Latest Technology

/in , , /by /Contractor News & Viewsby Water News Network Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority’s asset management team recently celebrated the completion of a comprehensive condition assessment of more than 27 miles of the agency’s oldest pipelines. The assessment was performed in record time over 16 months.

 

 

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Nevada Residents Blast Utah’s Lake Powell Pipeline Plan

/in , , /by /AP News

A group of residents in a southern Nevada town that sits along the Colorado River are organizing a campaign to oppose a proposed pipeline that would divert billions of gallons of river water to southwest Utah, reflecting intensifying struggles over water in the U.S. West.

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California Lawmakers Vote to Phase Out Toxic Firefighting Foam

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Anna M. Phillips

California lawmakers voted Sunday to phase out the sale and use of firefighting foam containing toxic chemicals that have been linked to cancer and have contaminated drinking water throughout the state. The measure, put forward by state Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica), requires municipal fire departments, chemical plants and oil refineries to gradually stop using the foam, replacing it with alternatives that don’t contain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a class of chemicals commonly known as PFAS.

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