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California Operator Of Electricity Grid Fends Off Millions Of Cyberattacks Each Month

/in , , /by /San Diego Union-Tribuneby Rob Nikolewski

The California Independent System Operator, which oversees about 80 percent of the state’s electricity consumers and 26,000 miles of transmission infrastructure, is a busy place. It’s also a target. “We are looking at several millions of undesired communications trying to connect with us per month,” said Hubert Hafner, who as manager of Information Security Technology makes it his job to ensure California’s grid remains secure from cyberattacks. “That’s our No. 1 risk,” Hafner said recently while attending an energy conference hosted by the Institute of the Americas at UC San Diego. “That’s why it’s getting a lot of priority and, accordingly, a lot of resources.”

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Mission Trails Clears Hurdle Toward Expansion

/in , , /by /Mission Times Courier (San Diego)by Jeff Clemetson

Mission Trails Regional Park, already considered to be one of the crown jewels of parks in San Diego, is poised to become an even bigger and brighter gem for outdoor enthusiasts. On May 21, San Diego City Council voted unanimously to approve a master plan update (MPU) for Mission Trails Regional Park (MTRP) that maps out how the park will expand acreage, improve infrastructure, provide more outdoor activities, improve trails, and better protect habitat and natural resources. “Mission Trails is a special place for me, just as it is for thousands of other San Diegans,” said Councilmember Scott Sherman in a statement after the vote.

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How Ice A Half A World Away Affects Southern California Sea Levels

/in , , /by /KPBS (San Diego)by Erik Anderson

San Diego researchers are among many scientists around the world trying to understand how a warming climate is affecting the world’s major ice sheets. Two Scripps Institution of Oceanography researchers are studying the changes in different parts of the world about the change that could affect local oceans. As part of our reporting from the Climate Change Desk, KPBS Environment Reporter Erik Anderson discussed the issue with glaciologist Helen Fricker and physical oceanographer Fiamma Straneo.

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Search Begins For The Next General Manager Of The San Diego County Water Authority

/in , , /by /The Daily Transcript

The San Diego County Water Authority hired the executive search firm William Avery & Associates to manage the recruitment of its next general manager, following the retirement of long-time head Maureen Stapleton. After a competitive selection process, a work group comprised of the Water Authority’s board of directors chose the Los Gatos-based firm to fill the position that was vacated last March.

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Water Board Places 10 County Agencies On Notice To Clean Up San Diego River

/in , /by /Fox 5 San Diegoby Salvador Rivera

The San Diego Water Board is asking 10 local agencies, including the city and county of San Diego, to curtail the flow of human fecal matter into the San Diego River. The problem has gotten worse over the last few years to the point it’s being compared with similar issues along the U.S.-Mexico border, according to the state agency that monitors the region’s water quality, “While we’ve all known about the border issue — the Tijuana water shed — it was surprising to find out there was actually a lot of human waste present in the San Diego River water shed,” said David Gibson, San Diego Water Board Executive Officer.

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San Diego County Quality Of Life Indicators Mostly Positive In 2018

/in , /by /Water News Network

A report released today showed improvement in 2018 for the majority of 15 indicators used to measure San Diego County’s quality of life. The Equinox Project Quality of Life Dashboard measures and benchmarks several environmental and economic trends throughout the region. The analysis highlighted the San Diego County Water Authority for developing water solutions for San Diego and the Southwest using a “portfolio approach.” One of the initiatives under that approach includes efforts to store water in Lake Mead on the Colorado River, which would benefit both San Diego County residents and many other river users.

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OPINION: How Coronado Is Advocating For Tijuana Sewage Solutions

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Richard Bailey

Last week, representatives of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, International Boundary and Water Commission, and other federal offices gathered in Coronado to address one of the most pressing environmental issues in our region — solutions to the Tijuana sewage problem and the resulting contamination that regularly inundates San Diego County beaches. Since early 2018, the city of Coronado has played a significant role in advocating for funding for water quality improvement projects in the border zone, including Tijuana and points south.

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OPINION: Faulconer’s Welcome Housing Plan Also Helps With Climate Change

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribune

In the state Capitol, the response to California’s chronic housing shortage this year has been hugely disappointing. A bold proposal to make it easier to put up new apartment buildings and condos near mass transit and in single-family neighborhoods was abruptly killed last month by Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-La Cañada Flintridge, the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. State lawmakers continue to focus on subsidized “affordable housing” projects despite the years of evidence that this approach does little or nothing to bring down the high cost of housing in the Golden State.

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Helix Water District Board Approves 2019-20 Budget

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Karen Pearlman

The Helix Water District governing board last week approved an operating budget of nearly $91 million for the 2019-20 fiscal year that begins July 1. The budget includes $11.5 million in capital improvements to keep the water moving through Helix’s 700-plus miles of pipeline, valves, hydrants and meters, and safely stored in tanks at the district’s various plants around East County. Total costs, including capital expenses and water purchases, will go up by about $1.2 million compared to 2018-19.

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Annual San Diego ‘Quality of Life Dashboard’ Shows Improvements In 6 Categories

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

A respected annual quality of life report for San Diego released Wednesday showed improvements in six areas, but declines in four. The biggest issues in this year’s Quality of Life Dashboard were housing affordability and traffic congestion, though slight increases in water use and landfill waste were also noted. “Commuters in 2018 spent more than eight hours extra on the freeways, nearly an hour more than in 2016,” according to the report.

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