Daily News 10/23

California and three others - Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Washington - filed suit against the EPA today in federal court to allow states to regulate GHG emissions from sources like tailpipes. Brown and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger gave six months notice to the EPA in late April. The four-state suit aims to force the EPA to grant a "waiver" allowing them to set their own GHG-emission limits under the Clean Air Act. Today's suit got a boost in Vermont last month when a federal court there allowed the state to set its own limits. Eleven other states have also voted to enforce the Golden State's stricter GHG limits on car-makers. Legal Newsline 10/23/07

 

California motorists saw the worst of a nationwide surge in gasoline prices during the last week, the government said Monday, bringing fuel prices to the highest level since early August and reflecting record crude oil prices. The California price for a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline averaged $3.143, up 9 cents from a week earlier, according to the Energy Department's weekly survey of gasoline stations. The U.S. average was $2.823 a gallon, up 6.1 cents. LA Times

 

The newly opened, federally funded Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) brings together scientists from three federal labs and three academic institutions to find more effective ways to break down cellulose and convert plant matter into air-friendly fuel. The research will focus on microbes such as common yeasts and the E coli bacterium found in human intestines, as well as the role of enzymes in breaking down and converting plant fiber. SF Chronicle 10/23/07

 

Retirements of veteran air traffic controllers have surged beyond government expectations since the Bush administration imposed a contract on their union on Labor Day last year, new data shows. A veteran force of controllers — most hired in the early 1980s after President Reagan fired 11,000 members of a predecessor controllers union — is being replaced by lower-paid, less experienced young controllers. That long-expected transformation is occurring faster than the government anticipated. AP 10/23/07

 

A preliminary list of top priorities for state bond money has been released, with short-haul rail appearing on the list. Unfortunately, proposed projects outweigh budgeted money at this point. A number of hearings have been held around the state to gather thoughts on the proposed criteria for choosing which projects get funded and the timeline for making decisions. Modesto Bee 10/23/07