[Source: San Francisco Chronicle] Environmental groups are suing the federal government over its decision to extend operations at the coal-fired Four Corners Power Plant and the Navajo Mine in northwestern New Mexico. The suit against the U.S. Department of the Interior and other federal agencies was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Arizona, the Read More…
Tag: environment
AQMD board narrowly approves restart of refinery in Torrance
[Source: Los Angeles Daily News] ExxonMobil’s Torrance refinery was given regulatory approval Saturday to produce emissions that violate clean air standards as it restarts the plant for gasoline manufacturing more than a year after it was crippled in an explosion. Approval was granted on a narrow 3-2 vote by the South Coast Air Quality Management Read More…
Air quality district picks former EPA administrator as chief amid protests
[Source: San Gabriel Valley Tribune] Environmental activists interrupted a four-hour meeting of the South Coast Air Quality Management District governing board Friday, accusing the district of bowing to petroleum industry interests as it voted for a new executive officer. The protesters, dressed as clowns and representing the Sierra Club’s My Generation Campaign, added to the Read More…
Air pollution reduction program ruled illegal
[Source: Los Angeles Business Journal] A controversial program to give local refineries and major manufacturers more flexibility in reducing air pollution has been ruled illegal by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, officials disclosed late Wednesday. The federal agency said the program fails to meet national clean air standards. The South Coast Air Quality Management District Read More…
State Senate leader wants to add seats to air quality board
[Source: Orange County Register] The leader of the state Senate plans to introduce legislation this week to expand the number of seats on the board that regulates Southern California air quality and counter Republican-led efforts to make pollution rules more business-friendly. Senior staff in the office of Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, D-Los Read More…
Republican-led AQMD board fires longtime executive
[Source: Southern California Public Radio/89.3KPCC] The board of the South Coast Air Quality Management District, now dominated by pro-business members, voted 7-6 Friday to remove Barry Wallerstein, its longtime top executive. The action suggests the AQMD may be taking a more conservative approach to battling the L.A. Basin’s air pollution, which is among the worst in Read More…
AQMD board ousts executive officer
[Source: Los Angeles Business Journal] The governing board of the Southern California Air Quality Municipal District voted 7-6 to fire Barry Wallerstein, its executive officer since 1997, amid concerns from its new Republican majority that the agency needs to be more business friendly. The board appointed Chief Financial Officer Michael B. O’Kelly as the agency’s Read More…
Affordable housing may be limited by new state environmental rules
[Source: CalWatchdog.com] A new rule designed to promote urban development and curb both car usage and greenhouse gas emissions may end up making cities less affordable and more congested, critics say. The rule would modify how traffic is evaluated during a critical phase for planning for building developments, shifting the focus from traffic congestion to Read More…
Making climate change fashionable – the garment industry takes on global warming
[Source: Forbes] As the COP21 climate change talks are underway in Paris this week, it’s nice to see real progress on fronts rarely discussed. Lots of industries other than energy production are important sources of greenhouse gas emissions – agriculture, iron and metal smelting, cement production, waste treatment and … the fashion industry. The apparel Read More…