California’s beleaguered toxics oversight agency could at last get an overhaul under a bill heading to the desk of Gov. Gavin Newsom. In the final hours of the 2-year legislative session the Senate and Assembly on Monday approved AB 995, which would create an oversight board for the state Department of Toxic Substances Control, among other […]
The big kahuna of California water — Metropolitan Water District of Southern California — has stopped taking supplies from one Kern County groundwater bank because the water is heavily tainted with a cancer-causing agent that is pervasive in Central Valley’s aquifers. While only one banking program has been affected so far, the emergence of this […]
Two weeks after California was hit with rolling blackouts, state regulators extended the lifespan of a fleet of gas-fired power plants Tuesday, saying the facilities are needed to maintain reliability of the electricity grid. The State Water Resources Control Board voted 4-0 to allow nine generating units to operate up to three more years before […]
The sad reality is that the blackouts rolling across California this past week were both predictable and avoidable. The silver lining is that future blackouts across California are avoidable – if we invest in large-scale energy storage projects to provide on-demand power. Energy analysts have warned for years that California’s embrace of renewable energy sources […]
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 […]
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.
Toxics Agency Overhaul Ordered by California Legislature
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Bloomberg Lawby Emily C. DooleyCalifornia’s beleaguered toxics oversight agency could at last get an overhaul under a bill heading to the desk of Gov. Gavin Newsom. In the final hours of the 2-year legislative session the Senate and Assembly on Monday approved AB 995, which would create an oversight board for the state Department of Toxic Substances Control, among other […]
Tainted Valley Groundwater Could Stymie Banking Deals
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /SJV Waterby Lois HenryThe big kahuna of California water — Metropolitan Water District of Southern California — has stopped taking supplies from one Kern County groundwater bank because the water is heavily tainted with a cancer-causing agent that is pervasive in Central Valley’s aquifers. While only one banking program has been affected so far, the emergence of this […]
California Allows Polluting Power Plants to Keep Running. Recent Blackouts Helped Save Them
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /The Sacramento Beeby Dale KaslerTwo weeks after California was hit with rolling blackouts, state regulators extended the lifespan of a fleet of gas-fired power plants Tuesday, saying the facilities are needed to maintain reliability of the electricity grid. The State Water Resources Control Board voted 4-0 to allow nine generating units to operate up to three more years before […]
Opinion: Blackouts Expose Need for Expanding Energy Storage
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Los Angeles Daily Newsby Jim Madaffer Mentioned: San Diego County Water AuthorityThe sad reality is that the blackouts rolling across California this past week were both predictable and avoidable. The silver lining is that future blackouts across California are avoidable – if we invest in large-scale energy storage projects to provide on-demand power. Energy analysts have warned for years that California’s embrace of renewable energy sources […]
PFAS Liability: “Sovereign Immunity” Means Companies May Foot the Bill
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /The National Law Reviewby John GardellaEnvironmental 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 […]
Drinking Water, Clean Energy, Lithium Bills Pass in California
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Bloomberg Lawby Emily C. DooleyCalifornia’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.