Focus
Four automakers reach deal with California to increase fuel efficiency standards
The Washington Post – July 25
Ford, Honda, Volkswagen, and BMW - major automakers with a combined 30 percent of the U.S. automobile market - have struck a deal with California to produce more fuel-efficient cars for their U.S. fleets in coming years. The deal calls for fleet averages of nearly 50 mpg by model year 2026, a standard slightly less stringent than the standard proposed by the Obama Administration in 2016 (51 mpg average by 2025) but significantly more stringent than the 37 mpg-average standard that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration now favor. The rule these agencies have proposed would also revoke California’s long-standing authority to set its own fuel efficiency standards under the Clean Air Act. The automakers said the decision was driven by a need for predictability, as well as a desire to reduce compliance costs, keep vehicles affordable for customers, and be good environmental stewards.
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News
As Chevron prepares to appeal state order, Kern County spill continues
KQED – July 22
Chevron told state regulators on Monday that large quantities of crude oil and water continue to flow from a well site in Kern County. The company now says 974,400 gallons of fluid have flowed to the surface in the Cymric Oil Field, west of Bakersfield, since the incident was first detected in May, an increase of 120,000 gallons over what was reported last Friday. About 325,000 gallons of this mix are believed to be crude petroleum. Chevron also told state officials on Monday that it plans to appeal an order from the state Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources ordering the company to "take all measures" to stop the flow and prevent a recurrence of the releases, stating that the directive is lacking in specifics.
Environmental groups sue EPA over changes to public records policy
The Hill – July 24
Environmental groups on Wednesday filed two separate lawsuits, one in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and the other in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, arguing that the EPA’s newly implemented Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) rule is intended to prevent the public from receiving requested public information and to hide information from requesters. The new rule, submitted at the end of June without a public comment period, expands the list of EPA officials, including the EPA administrator and other political appointees, who can review FOIA requests and make final determinations as to whether records are responsive and must be released. On Tuesday, a group of bipartisan senators introduced a FOIA reform bill designed to mitigate the EPA’s new rule. This Wednesday, the Interior Department Inspector General said it is investigating Interior’s similar FOIA policy.
Governor Newsom signs $1 billion clean-water package
San Francisco Chronicle – July 24
Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday signed into law SB 200, pursuant to which California will dedicate more than a billion dollars over the next decade to support water systems serving an estimated 1 million residents who do not have reliable access to clean drinking water. Drawing from cap-and-trade auction revenues, SB 200 will require the state to dedicate up to $130 million each year for ten years to fund repairs and other operating expenses of struggling water systems, and to facilitate consolidation of systems that are at risk of failing due to financial difficulties. Currently, some 326 California water agencies are out of compliance with state standards regarding treatment technologies or contaminant levels in drinking water.
New Pentagon chief launches PFAS task force
The Tribune – July 24
Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced on his first day in office that he is launching a task force to evaluate the potential impact of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – chemical compounds, linked to cancer, reproductive problems, and birth defects – which have seeped into the groundwater and well water used as drinking water sources surrounding military bases. PFAS are found in everyday household products, but are concentrated in firefighting foam that the military has used for decades. The task force will include representatives from the EPA, the Pentagon’s health affairs policy office, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Esper directed the task force to provide a report within six months.
San Diego representatives want $2 billion to help stop cross-border sewage flows
The San Diego Union-Tribune – July 22
U.S. Representatives Juan Vargas, Susan Davis, Scott Peters, and Mike Levin, all representing Congressional districts in Southern California, on Monday announced the Tijuana Valley Pollution Solution bill package, which, if passed, would allocate as much as $2 billion for infrastructure projects aimed at stopping the region’s decades-old cross-border sewage problem. The EPA is currently studying the viability of multiple border infrastructure projects to address the pollution issues at the border. The bill seeks to create various revenue streams for whatever projects are ultimately selected.
Federal Railroad Administration gives California environmental oversight of high-speed rail project
The Fresno Bee – July 25
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has removed a major hurdle impeding California’s efforts to develop its high-speed rail program, allowing the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) to assume the federal agency’s role in evaluating compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and other federal environmental laws, according to a July 1 letter from FRA Administrator Ronald Batory. The decision does not affect the FRA’s termination earlier this year of a $929 million federal grant for the state’s rail project, or the potential for CHSRA to seek repayment of more than $2 billion in federal stimulus grants awarded to California.
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