Newsom Taps New Head of Powerful California Air Board
California Gov. Gavin Newsom tapped a veteran regulator Wednesday as the next chair of the powerful Air Resources Board, which implements the state’s ambitious climate change goals.
You are now in California and the U.S. Media Coverage category.
Trump Administration Rushes Sale of California Oil Leases Despite Certain Legal Battle
The Trump administration on Thursday plans to hold the first oil lease sale in California in eight years, part of a last-minute rush to auction off as much federal land as possible before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in.
Welcome to the Board: Consuelo Martinez, City of Escondido
Consuelo Martinez was seated on the Board of Directors on May 27, 2020, representing the City of Escondido. Director Martinez serves on the Imported Water and Legislation and Public Outreach committees for the Water Authority.
California’s $16 Billion Climate-Hardy Water Tunnel Moves Ahead
California’s plans to build a new tunnel to move water from the northern Delta to the thirsty, populous south of the state advanced a step Tuesday, when a key partner agreed to help fund some of the effort. The board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the largest treated water supplier in the nation, voted to pay nearly $59 million in 2021 and 2022 to the state Department of Water Resources to help move the project forward.
Drought Conditions Could Stretch to Spring, Set Stage for Another Rough Fire Season
The latest outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggests that California’s persistent drought-like conditions could last through the winter and into spring, possibly fueling another grueling fire season in 2021.
Currently, three-quarters of California is experiencing at least moderate drought conditions.
“Keep in mind, we’re coming off the driest May-through-October period, statewide at least, across California, Arizona and New Mexico,” said Mark Svoboda of the National Drought Mitigation Center in Nebraska.
Forecasting three to four months out is a dodgy proposition for scientists, but NOAA’s modeling shows the likelihood of relatively dry weather through February.
Ramona Water District Board to Appoint New Member Before February
The Ramona Municipal Water District Board of Directors hopes to appoint a candidate early next year to fill a vacant Division 3 board seat for the next two years. The board is on a fast track to find a replacement for incumbent Director Thomas N. Ace, one of two candidates who was running for a four-year seat.
EPA Guidance May Exempt Some Water Polluters from Supreme Court Permit Mandate
The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday released a draft guidance that interprets a Supreme Court decision in a way that may exempt some facilities from needing permits to pollute groundwater. In April, the court decided that a permit is required for both direct discharges of pollutants into federally-regulated rivers and oceans as well as their “functional equivalent” in groundwater that flows into regulated waters.
House Passes Water Resources Development Act; Final Bill Expected to Become Law This Year
On Tuesday, Congressman John Garamendi, a senior member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure whose district includes 200 miles of the Sacramento River and is adjacent to several major ports, secured key provisions in the “Water Resources Development Act of 2020” for the California Delta and Central Valley. The legislation passed the House Tuesday and is expected to pass the Senate with strong bipartisan support and become law this year.
Scientists with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography Deploy Wave Buoy Off Westcliff
Scientists with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography will soon have a deeper insight into how Santa Cruz waves impact local flood events, thanks to a coastal buoy installed on Sunday. The wave buoy will track wave height, direction, speed, as well as water and air temperature.
