Tag Archive for: Water and Politics

Levin Demands Answers Following Trump’s Water Releases Amid LA-Area Wildfires

/in , /by /Spectrum Newsby Cassie Semyon

After the Washington Post revealed late last week that the Army Corps of Engineers knew that releasing water from two California reservoirs at President Donald Trump’s direction in January was unlikely to reach the southern part of the state, Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., is demanding answers from the Pentagon and the Department of Interior for what he calls the “politically motivated, uncoordinated, unscheduled, and opaque water releases” in the Central Valley between Jan. 31 and Feb. 2.

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Utah Will Be the First State to Ban Fluoride in Drinking Water

/in , /by /AP Newsby Matthew Brown and Hannah Schoenbaum

Utah will become the first state to ban fluoride in public drinking water, despite widespread opposition from dentists and national health organizations.

Republican Gov. Spencer Cox said he would sign legislation that bars cities and communities from deciding whether to add the mineral to their water systems.

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Texas Senate Panel Sends Message to Trump: Get Our Water from Mexico

/in , /by /The Texas Tribuneby Berenice Garcia

Texas senators advanced a resolution Monday that calls on the U.S. State Department to ensure Mexico meets its obligations to deliver water to the U.S. under a 1944 water treaty.

The Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs Committee voted in favor of the resolution after hearing testimony from state and Rio Grande Valley officials on how Mexico’s failure to deliver water has impacted the local farmers and stalled growth.

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San Diego OKs May Water Rate Hike, First in a Series That Could See Prices Soar 70%

/in , /by /San Diego Union-Tribuneby David Garrick Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

San Diego water customers are facing a 5.5% rate hike on May 1 that’s expected to be the first of several large increases during the next few years that could cumulatively raise rates by 70%.

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Trump Administration Dramatically Cuts Staff at Water Agency in California

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

The Trump administration has ordered firings and buyouts at the federal agency that operates water infrastructure in California, potentially jeopardizing the agency’s ability to manage dams and deliver water, according to Central Valley water officials.

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OPINION: California’s Water Management System Needs Balanced Solutions, Not Politics

/in , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Allison Febbo

In these turbulent times, nearly every issue gets filtered through a political lens, where real solutions are often sidelined in favor of scoring political points. When it comes to managing our state’s water supplies, this dynamic is unfortunately all too common.

We do, however, have essential truths: Water is essential to life, and how we manage this resource is one of the most crucial responsibilities we bear, so we must get this right.

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Utah Close to Fully Banning Fluoride in Water, Stripping Cities’ Ability to Decide

/in , /by /KSL News Radioby Kenya Hunter

Utah appears to be the first state ready to put a full ban on fluoride in public water systems under a bill that doesn’t allow cities or communities to decide whether to add the cavity-preventing mineral.

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Trump Adds Uncertainty to San Diego’s Water Future

/in , /by /San Diego Union Tribuneby Michael Smolens

President Donald Trump’s recent order to release water from reservoirs into California’s Central Valley had no direct impact on San Diego. But the new administration will be overseeing negotiations that will determine the future of a main source of the county’s water: the Colorado River.

It’s anybody’s guess whether Trump’s unpredictable nature and penchant for unorthodox power moves — as he just exhibited — will be a factor.

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Low Flow No More? Trump to Roll Back Rules on Toilets, Showers and Lightbulbs

/in , /by /USA Todayby Elizabeth Weise

Plastic straws, high flow toilets and incandescent light bulbs could make comebacks as President Donald Trump works to end certain environmental standards.

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OPINION: A New, Dangerous Era of Water Management Begins Under President Donald Trump

/in , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Lester Snow

I fear we have entered a new, dangerous era under President Donald Trump’s second term. In recent days, we have witnessed water management decisions being made in Washington without the benefit of input from local experts and those being impacted.

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