Agriculture Daily News 12/21

California leaders are confident the courts will overturn Wednesday's federal decision that blocks the state from imposing stricter auto emission standards. The California Air Resources Board already has begun looking at other options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and meeting the ambitious goals set forth in last year's landmark global warming legislation, agency spokesman Stanley Young said. CC Times 12/21/07

 

A coalition of Garden Highway residents on Wednesday filed suit against Sacramento flood control officials, saying plans to bolster levees in the fast-growing Natomas area fail to consider consequences to existing flood-control systems and the environment. The suit, filed Wednesday in Sacramento County Superior Court, seeks a restraining order against the $400 million levee project as wells as withdrawal of the project's environmental studies. Sacramento BEe 12/21/07

 

Nearly two-thirds of California voters favor a sweeping plan to overhaul health care that is now pending before the Legislature despite the state's looming $14 billion budget deficit, according to a new survey from the Field Poll. The plan is expected to go before the state Senate in the coming weeks. SF Chronicle 12/21/07

 

 

 

Transporation Daily News 12/21

The container ship that slammed into the Bay Bridge in a thick fog in November, spilling 58,000 gallons of fuel oil that fouled beaches from Point Reyes to Pacifica, sailed under sunny skies Thursday. The U.S. Coast Guard said temporary repairs to the 900-foot Cosco Busan had been completed and that the vessel and the crew were cleared to sail. SF Chronicle 12/21/07

 

One day after the Bush administration blocked a California greenhouse gas emissions law, governors and other officials from at least eight states pledged to help California as it prepares to sue the administration. If the administration doesn't relent and the issue goes to court, the support of New Jersey, New York and others surely wouldn't hurt California's case. Moreover, a report in the Washington Post said the Bush administration ignored warnings from its own lawyers that California could prevail if the matter goes to court. Nonetheless, legal experts said California faces a difficult challenge because courts usually give federal agencies considerable leeway. Sacremento Bee 12/21/07

 

The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ignored his staff's written findings in denying California's request for a waiver to implement its landmark law to slash greenhouse gases from vehicles. EPA administrator Stephen L. Johnson announced Wednesday that California's request did not meet the legal standard set out in the Clean Air Act, but his staff, which had worked for months on the waiver decision, concluded just the opposite. LA Times 12/21/07

California officials say this new revelation shows his decision was based on politics, not the law. SF Chronicle 12/21/07

In 1984, California didn't have to prove its diesel pollution was unique or worse than in any other state, according to the then-head of the EPA, as long as it was an important problem because of conditions in the state. SF Chronicle 12/21/07

And so, a powerful congressional committee launched an investigation yesterday into whether the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency put politics ahead of policy in blocking California's first-in-the-nation law to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. San Diego Union Tribune 12/21/07

 

Citing a projected current-year budget shortfall of $3.3 billion, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced today that he will issue proclamations declaring a fiscal emergency and calling a special session of the Legislature to address it on Thursday, January 10, 2008. The proclamations will be issued concurrently with the release of the Governor's proposed 2008-09 state budget. Emergency legislation is also being drafted over the holidays to address the current year shortfall and will be introduced immediately upon opening of the special session.  Yubanet 12/21/07

 

The Air Transport Association, the USA's leading airline trade group, forecasts a record 47 million passengers will travel worldwide on U.S. airlines during the holidays despite higher fares and signs of a slowing economy. USA Today (shudder) 12/20/07

 

California's economy slumped during the third quarter, but San Francisco and Silicon Valley managed to sidestep the downturn thanks to strength in tourism and technology, newly released state sales tax data show. Sales tax collected from San Francisco hotels and restaurants jumped 11.1 percent, an increase analysts say is linked to the falling dollar. Napa County, another important tourist destination, posted an even bigger increase. Local businesses say they're seeing a significant increase in foreign visitors. SF Chronicle 12/21/07

 

 

Agriculture Daily News 12/20

A lawsuit filed by a San Francisco-based environmental group Wednesday accuses the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of the Interior of neglecting to protect one of the state's most vulnerable threatened species, the California red-legged frog, and 12 other endangered animals. The suit, filed in San Francisco's Northern District Court on behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity, suggests the agencies bowed to political pressure from the Bush administration when they reduced the amount of federally designated "critical habitat" for the California red-legged frog by 90 percent last year. CC Times 12/20/07

 

The water level in Lake Shastal is significantly increasing for the first time since late March. The lake had dipped to its lowest level since it hit 155 feet below the crest in 1992. It was still far short of the record low mark of 230 feet below set in 1977. Redding 12/20/07

 

Mexico has announced it will allow imports of California spinach -- as long as it's grown and shipped by member-companies of the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement. Mexico's Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks announced the import requirements late last month. Canada issued similar import requirements earlier this year. Since the Mexican border closed to California spinach in September 2006, the Western Growers Association and the Foreign Agriculture Service have been working with the Mexican government to reverse its decision. The Californian 12/20/07

 

Another Mediterranean fruit fly has been found in Dixon, prompting concern about quarantines affecting future fruit and nut harvests. The last adult Medfly from the original infestation was found on Sept. 17 and the last larvae were found on Sept. 19. A quarantine was put on all Dixon area agriculture, forcing farmers to alter they way they ship, harvest and dispose of their goods. The original quarantine period was set to expire July 31, 2008, but the quarantine period likely will be extended. The Vacaville Reporter 12/20/07

 

Under pressure from imports, farmers are producing less asparagus even as U.S. consumers are eating more, a new federal report says. Most fresh-market asparagus comes from Mexico, which can supply the U.S. market during late winter and early spring, and Peru, which ships in fall and winter. Recordnet 12/20/07

 

Circuit Judge William Gary denied a temporary injunction sought by California citrus growers of an emergency rule designed to guard Florida's citrus crop against a fungus that might be on California fruit shipped into the state. Canadian Press 12/20/07

 

The California Department of Food and Agriculture today launched a website to inform farmers and ranchers of the more than $1.3 million in federal grant funds awarded in October through the California Specialty Block Grant Program to 12 innovative agricultural projects that will increase market demand for the state’s specialty crop industry and further research initiatives on covered commodities. CDFA News Release 12/19/07

 

Transporation Daily News 12/20

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday blocked California's pioneering plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, setting the stage for a national election-year battle over global warming. It was the first time the EPA has rejected any state's effort to regulate pollution, and California officials promised to appeal the decision in the courts and to Congress. CC Times 12/20/07

 

President Bush today defended the Environmental Protection Agency's decision to deny California's bid to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles, saying that a national strategy toward climate change is more effective than a state-by-state approach. LA Times 12/20/07

 

In a statement of response, the Governor vowed to appeal the decision and pursue every legal opportunity to obtain the waiver.  He said, "While the federal energy bill is a good step toward reducing dependence on foreign oil, the President's approval of it does not constitute grounds for denying our waiver. "  Governor's Office 12/19/07

 

The Coast Guard says the Cosco Busan is about to get underway from the Port of Oakland. The ship has clearance from customs and the Coast Guard and is scheduled to sail at 11 a.m. this morning. SJ Mercury 12/20/07

 

The San Joaquin Valley and the Bay Area should be connected with a 200-mph "bullet train" via a rural South Bay route to San Francisco, with no stop planned for Oakland, a state board concluded Wednesday. The California High-Speed Rail Authority did not actually vote, however, to develop the Los Angeles-to-San Francisco part of the $40 billion system via the Pacheco Pass, near state Highway 152 and making its first Bay Area stop in Gilroy. By not voting, it allowed its staff to continue working to approve a federal environmental impact study citing Pacheco as its preference. The board expects to vote on the full study in March. CC Times 12/20/07

 

President Bush on Wednesday signed an energy bill designed to cut U.S. dependence on overseas oil by imposing the biggest increase in fuel-efficiency standards in 32 years and mandating a fivefold increase in the use of home-grown biofuels. LA Times 12/20/07

 

"Unprecedented gas prices and an upsurge in travel expenses are definitely having an impact on holiday travel," said Cynthia Harris, spokeswoman for AAA Northern California, which tracks travel trends. Nationwide, AAA projects that trips by car will increase a scant 0.9 percent and plane travel will drop 0.3 percent, compared with the winter holiday period in 2006. SF Chronicle 12/20/07

 

 

Transporation Daily News 12/19

Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen, under pressure from a bipartisan group of senators, admitted Tuesday that his agency is more than a year behind in reviewing the response plans for spills and leaks filed by owners of large cargo vessels, such as the one that caused last month's spill in San Francisco Bay. In response, Sen. Barbara Boxer complained that protection against spills was "taking second fiddle" to the Coast Guard's overall security concerns. CC Times 12/19/07

 

A slow-moving storm churning across California is expected to drop several feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada and bring much-needed relief to depleted reservoirs. Since July 1, California has received 61 percent of its normal precipitation, a worrisome sign for state water managers after the state had its lowest snowpack in 19 years last winter. One snow resort spokesperson added,  "It's a vacationer's dream come true because it's happening right before a major holiday." CC Times 12/19/07

 

The Coast Guard's commandant, Adm. Thad Allen, told Congress Tuesday he expects the cost of cleaning up the San Francisco Bay oil spill to hit at least $61 million - and is likely to climb even higher. The $61 million figure is significant because it's what the owner of the Cosco Busan, which spilled 58,000 gallons of fuel after striking the Bay Bridge on Nov. 7, is required to pay under federal law. But those liability limits, set by the Coast Guard for each type of ship, can be waived if the Justice Department determines a spill was caused by gross negligence. SF Chronicle 12/19/07

 

The success of a bullet train to Southern California rides on the route the California High-Speed Rail Authority chooses between the Bay Area and the Central Valley. Today, it is scheduled to review two options. The environmental community is unanimously and strongly united in support of an Altamont Pass route for high-speed rail, and against a Pacheco route. Environmentalists claim a Pacheco route would expose vast, currently undeveloped areas to huge pressures for growth and degrade large areas of wetlands in the Central Valley that would be impossible to replace. SJ Mercury 12/19/07

 

Not so, argues an editorial in the Chronicle. "The Pacheco Pass route more seamlessly connects the key economic engines of Silicon Valley and the L.A. area, and effectively links Silicon Valley to the rest of the Bay Area." 12/19/07

 

Powerful advocates for the Pacheco Pass alignment and those who favor Altamount Pass are each firmly entrenched in their respective positions and threatening to derail the already difficult project if they don't get their way. Says Chairman Quentin Kopp, the committee probably won't be able to make the crucial decision today. SF Bay Guardian 12/18/07

 

In Francisco's historic cable cars on the California-61 line are not running this morning due to problems with the cables, according to San Francisco Municipal Railway spokesman Alan Siegel. The cable cars stopped running at about 8:50 a.m., Siegel said.  ABC News 12/19/07

 

Mr. Schwarzenegger last week said he would declare a fiscal emergency in the state, which faces a projected $14.5 billion gap over two years. With taxable sales growth slowing to 1.3% in the second quarter from as high as 7.4% in 2005, those revenues for the current fiscal year are now projected to be as much as $624 million lower than expected. California is one of only a few states where two-thirds of legislators, rather than a simple majority, have to sign off on any tax increase. Wall Street Journal 12/19/07

 

Los Angeles Port News:

 

Port authorities approved a controversial container fee Monday expected to generate $1.6 billion to subsidize the purchase of cleaner trucks working in the nation's largest seaport. The fee, approved unanimously by the Port of Long Beach Harbor Commission, will be tacked onto every loaded container leaving or entering waterfront marine terminals by truck beginning June 1 and ending in 2012. Press Telegram 12/17/07

Port authorities acknowledged that the fee may ultimately increase the cost of goods shipped by container. However, they also contend they cannot continue to move goods, or expand terminal operations, without reducing health risks of air pollution, linked to 2,400 deaths a year. LA Times 12/18/07

 

The Los Angeles Harbor Commission on Thursday approved an agreement with the Port of Los Angeles to "identify and reduce" some of the greenhouse gases generated at the port. At the same meeting that it approved a proposal to increase ship calls by 30 percent at one of the West Coast's largest shipping terminals. The Attorney General is seeking to balance that traffic increase with new requirements that the Port of Los Angeles monitor and report its greenhouse gas emissions. Environmental News Service 12/17/07

 

 

Agriculture Daily News 12/19

As with other retail sectors, holiday sales are crucial for bakeries and cookie sellers who say that the month of December alone can account for up to 25 percent of annual receipts. The season is important enough to merit overtime and extra production shifts to crank out holiday-themed products. Sacramento Bee 12/19/07

 

Two men police believe are robbing East Bay Asian restaurants and their customers struck twice in Albany in the past few days, bringing the number to at least 13 in the past month. Asian restaurants in Richmond, El Cerrito, Albany, Berkeley, Oakland, San Leandro and Union City have been robbed, police said, including a number of Japanese restaurants. A UC Berkeley professor offered that maybe the stereotype “that Asians are passive” is fueling the spree. CC Times 1219/07

 

A slow-moving storm churning across California is expected to drop several feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada and bring much-needed relief to depleted reservoirs. Since July 1, California has received 61 percent of its normal precipitation, a worrisome sign for state water managers after the state had its lowest snowpack in 19 years last winter. One snow resort spokesperson added,  "It's a vacationer's dream come true because it's happening right before a major holiday.” CC Times 12/19/07

 

Famous local chefs are attracting buyers by opening restaurants in San Francisco's newest luxury residential complexes. For example, homeowners in the under-construction Millennium Tower each will get a 20,000-square-foot clubhouse and nationally known restaurateur Michael Mina.  According to the most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers, the average San Francisco household spends $3,769 a year eating outside the home. That's $545 more than households in New York, $598 more than in Chicago, $660 more than in Seattle, $986 more than in Atlanta and $1,725 more than in Miami. SF Chronicle 12/19/07

 

While cotton remains an important crop for the state, there has been a dramtic shift away from it as the crop of first choice among San Joaquin Valley row-crop farmers. Leaders of this agricultural sector say the number of acres has decreased by about half and the price growers get for the crop is what they would have received prior to the 1980s. The price for cotton has remained at or below the cost of production for quite a few years. California Farm Bureau Federation 12/19/07

 

The California citrus industry has filed a lawsuit against Florida when the state began quarantining truckloads of oranges over a local fungus. The move has threatened to cut off one of California's most lucrative domestic markets for oranges, lemons and grapefruits. California exports about $75 million worth of citrus to Florida each year. Growers and agricultural officials faced off in state court in Tallahassee on Tuesday battling over the validity of the quarantine, with a decision by the judge expected as soon as Wednesday. SJ Mercury 12/18/07

 

 

Agriculture Daily News 12/18

The landmark measure that would provide coverage to most uninsured Californians cleared its first major hurdle when it was approved along party lines in the Democratic-controlled lower house. If the Senate approves the bill and voters agree to pay for it, it would extend coverage to nearly 70 percent of the state's permanently uninsured and require most Californians to buy health insurance. The governor and Democratic Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez – who negotiated the legislation known as AB 1x – were optimistic, though the $14.4 billion plan must still be approved by voters.  Sacramento Bee 12/18/07

 

The Delta Vision Final Report is out and posted here..  Aquafornia 12/18/07

 

The DWR’s official statement regarding Judge Oliver Wanger’s decision over Delta smelt supports the ruling, stating, it underscored “the fragility and unreliability of the Delta as California's water delivery hub.”   Director Lester Snow  calls the Delta “broken, both environmentally and as a source of water for most of California's people.” The statement  goes on to support Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposed plan to ensure California’s water. Snow said, and calls for major investments in surface and groundwater storage. DWR 12/17/07

 

There wasn’t a lot of optimism to be heard at a water issues panel discussion held at the California Farm Bureau Federation’s 89th annual meeting. Water leaders who participated in the discussion predicted years of difficulty, particularly for agricultural water users. Most anticipated higher prices for water and saw the hardest period as the 8-10 years before a periphery canal could be built. Siskiyou Daily News 12/18/07

 

Universities in California and three other states will receive $950,000 in cooperative agreements from the USDA for research against harmful pests and diseases. Among the subjects the projects will examine are:

-UC Riverside ($196,000) will examine mechanisms, including random inspections, compensatory payments, early warning systems, that may prevent the import of invasive species in agricultural commodities by encouraging exporters to reveal information about the presence of invasive species in cargo.

-UC Davis ($175,000) will examine the economic efficiency of alternative strategies for managing mobile insects and analyze incentives for homeowners and commercial growers to participate in regional pest management organizations. Western Farm Press 12/18/07

 

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. will announce its support for plans to build the nation's first commercial wave power plant off the coast of Northern California, slated to begin operating in 2012. It will generate enough power to light only 1,500 homes at most, but it represents another potential front in the fight against climate change. California has ordered utilities such as PG&E to buy more power from renewable sources. San Francisco's PG&E won't build or own the proposed wave park, near Eureka, which will be designed and built by Canadian company Finavera. Instead, PG&E has agreed to buy the plant's power. SF Chronicle 12/18/07

 

At a seminar in Fresno last week, row-crop farmers learned how a new state law aimed at reducing greenhouse-gas emissions could affect them. A California Farm Bureau specialist says farmers may develop opportunities to obtain and market carbon credits, through their work to reduce emissions and energy use.

 

The USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service received more than 3,500 comments on a proposed leafy greens safety program, which they are now posting online. USDA is weighing various options, including developing a marketing agreement similar to the one in California that requires handlers to comply with food safety standards after voluntarily entering the program. Another option is a federal marketing order that would be implemented following a grower referendum, requiring mandatory compliance for all handlers. Fresh Plaza 12/18/07

 

Scientists with the Center for Irrigation Technology (CIT) at California State University, Fresno are expanding their research in the use of air injection as a means of enhancing soil properties for crops. The system uses high-efficiency injectors to mix microscopic bubbles of air with the water inside irrigation drip lines. The air permeates the soil along with the water during irrigation and helps to aerate the soil. Fresh Plaza 12/17/07

 

A statement by A.G. Kawamura on 12/14/07 applauds the U.S. Senate’s passage of the 2007 Farm Bill, stating, “The farm bill recognizes the diversity of California production and special environmental needs.” CDFA News release

 

This fall, the California Department of Education distributed $11 million to California schools to help promote, develop and sustain gardens. The California Instructional School Garden bill, or AB 1535, designed by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, and signed into law last year, allocated $15 million, of which $4million will be saved for next year's applicants. Advocates say it helps connect kids with the sources of food. Tri-Valley Herald 12/17/07

 

 

 

Transporation Daily News 12/17

On Nov. 14 and Dec. 7, BART had its second and third biggest days ever, with 382,865 and 381,499 people, respectively, inserting tickets on their way out of the stations. The jump has been noticed at other transit agencies, too, especially those that carry longer-distance commuters who have the choice of driving. CalTrain's ridership jumped 9.3 percent last month over November 2006. While bridge closures and events have driven ridership in the past, this time, the most likely cause is the will of commuters who have decided not to drive.  CC Times 12/15/07

 

The federal government and the owners of the container ship Cosco Busan on Friday resolved a legal standoff that had kept the vessel here for more than five weeks after it struck a bridge support and dumped 58,000 gallons of toxic oil into the Bay. The government asked for, and received, $79.5 million -- the full value of the ship -- as the maritime equivalent of a release bond.  The money serves as a kind of security deposit the government sought to cover a possible judgment in its civil case against the ship's owner. CC Times 12/15/07

Dan Walters says the federal court order by Judge Oliver Wanger  finalized Friday could mean millions of Californians will have to get accustomed to spending more money on less water – and soon. Land being fallowed, enforced water rationing, and rising water bills are all on the horizon for the south. Sacramento Bee 12/15/07

 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California during a radio address, urged President George W. Bush to sign into law an energy bill increasing auto fuel efficiency standards to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. In an 86-8 vote on Dec. 13, the Senate approved the energy legislation, the first in three decades to increase fuel efficiency standards. The bill also increases the use of biofuels to reduce gasoline consumption. Bloomberg 12/15/07

 

A deal signed Tuesday by U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez in Beijing will allow Chinese travel agencies to market packaged leisure tours to American destinations, and it will permit U.S. destinations to advertise directly to the Chinese public. The American travel industry hopes the expected surge in Chinese visitors will bring in billions of dollars. Chinese travelers on average spend upward of $6,000 per visit to the United States -- more than residents of any other nation -- according to the Commerce Department's most recent calculations. Miami Herald 12/16/07

 

 

Agriculture Daily News 12/17

The Senate approved a $286 billion farm bill Friday that remains a work in progress and now must reconcile its bill with one the House passed in July. One senator described the passed bill as a victory for the agriculture status quo. The bill includes between $2.2 billion and $2.5 billion for fruits and vegetables,  four or five times the amount provided in 2002. Sacramento Bee 12/16/07

 

Pushing harder to prevent deadly wildfires from sweeping through the East Bay hills, operators of regional parks are preparing to expand and revamp plans to reduce fire-prone vegetation such as eucalyptus and Monterey pine trees. The still-developing plan for 11 parks in the hills on the border of Contra Costa and Alameda counties will focus heavily on converting dense forests of non-native trees such as eucalyptus to native oak and making bay trees and bunch grasses less prone to fuel fires. CC Times 12/17/07

 

The number of dedicated burn units, medical units where severe burns are treated,  in the United States has dropped from 132 in 2004 to 127 in 2007, and the number of beds has fallen from 1,897 to 1,820 during that time period. But a burn unit in San Francisco, the Bothin Center, is bucking that trend with a planned expansion from 10 to 14 beds, with a doubling of the outpatient section. CC Times 12/17/07

 

Backers of a bond that would build new dams and possibly a peripheral canal around the Delta have submitted four versions of their proposals to the attorney general, the first step to circulating it in preparation for a November ballot fight. Bankrolled by the California Chamber of Commerce, the California Farm Bureau Federation, Western Growers and the Building Industry Association, the proposals are all taken from ideas contained within legislation pushed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sen. Dave Cogdill, R-Modesto. Record Net 12/15/07

 

Two reservoirs that supply drinking water to parts of eastern and central Los Angeles have been shut down and will be drained because a rare sunlight-fueled chemical reaction tainted them with high levels of a chemical that can lead to cancer, utility officials said Friday. CC Times 12/17/07

 

A measure set to restore the San Joaquin River below Friant Dam has a $500 million federal price tag. Lawmakers must offset, through either increased revenue or decreased spending, about half of this under budget rules written by House Democrats. They remain stymied, though, on precisely how to account for the ambitious river fix. Sacramento Bee 12/16/07

 

Sacramento River water will be diverted to the city of Folsom under a deal approved Friday by shareholders in the Natomas Central Mutual Water Company. The agreement calls for the city of Folsom to pay roughly $4,000 an acre-foot for the water, with costs to be reimbursed by landowners seeking to develop the property. Measure W, passed by Folsom citizens in 2004, requires the city to find a new water source for development south of Highway 50. Sacramento Bee 12/15/07

 

This month marks the beginning of a yearlong celebration of the 100-year anniversary of the establishment of Muir Woods as a national monument. U.S. Rep. William Kent, the heir to a Chicago meat-packing fortune, had purchased what was then the last stand of old-growth redwoods in the Bay Area. He donated it to the federal government just as a local water company was preparing to condemn it and build a dam. SF Chronicle 12/17/07

 

The Araujo Dam Fish Passage and Water Quality Improvement Project will retire the dam in Shasta because it was impeding fish passage and impairing water quality. Phase 2 of the project, which will consist of installing seven miles of piping for earthen irrigation ditches, is out for bid right now and should be completed by the April 2008 irrigation season.  Phase 1 of the project was just completed with the removal of the cement structure, installation of a pumping station, building of a new boulder weir and insertion of a fish screen. Siskiyou Daily News 12/14/07

 

Cattle rustling, or the theft of livestock, is on the rise. From May to November, 807 head of cattle and calves were reported missing or stolen in California, according to the state. That compares with 602 for the same period last year. Over the past 10 years, more than 16,000 head of cattle and calves valued at more than $9 million have been reported missing and stolen from California farms and ranches, according to the livestock bureau. SF Chronicle 12/16/07

 

After weeks of roller-coaster negotiations, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez have come to an agreement on a landmark overhaul of health care in California, sources close to each of them said Friday. The state Assembly is expected to consider the bill next week, but it is not clear when - or even if - the state Senate will do the same as pressure mounts to sideline the sweeping health care measure in the face of the state's mounting fiscal problems. SF Chronicle 12/15/07

 

 

 

 

Transporation Daily News 12/14

The Golden Gate Bridge Board of Directors Friday considered a toll increase of $1 for 2008 and also a proposal by the San Francisco Transportation Authority to tack on another dollar or two as a fee to use Doyle Drive. The MTA is asking for approval of a Doyle Drive toll to pay part of a projected $1 billion earthquake renovation project to upgrade the 1.4-mile stretch that runs from the bridge to the Marina District and Lombard Blvd. The transportation authority executive director said the toll would also remove some of the financial burden on San Francisco. KTVU 12/14/07

 

An article in the SJ Mercury depicts Jerry Brown as he reinvents himself as a carbon-fighting attorney general. The article follows Brown as he uses threats, petitions, negotiated deals and a series of lawsuits to pressure automakers, county governments and the Bush administration to curb emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases blamed for warming the planet. 12/14/07

 

The director of California's high-speed rail board on Wednesday defended his recommendation of the Pacheco Pass as the primary route for bullet trains to the San Francisco Bay area, saying it was more efficient and environmentally sound.  But several environmental group representatives criticized the proposal, and one predicted that selecting the Pacheco route could sink a nearly $10 billion bond measure scheduled to go before voters next year. That money would help pay for the first leg of a 700-mile rail system linking the state's major cities. SJ Mercury 12/14/07

 

The Port of Long Beach Harbor Commission plans to consider on Monday, Dec. 17, approving a new fee of $35 per every 20-foot equivalent unit shipping container in order to raise $1.6 billion for a truck replacement program. Landline Magazine 12/14/07

 

Biofriendly Corporation announced today that John D. Dunlap III has joined its Board of Advisors. Mr. Dunlap's experience in air pollution control is extensive; he was appointed by former California Governor Pete Wilson to serve as Chairman of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) from 1994 to 1999. Sys Media 12/14/07

 

 

 

Agriculture Daily News 12/14

The consequences of an e.coli crisis from spinach fell heavily on California's Central Coast farmers, who are now being pressed by buyers to comply with many new food-safety measures, some of which, according to the Environmental Protection Agency and other regulatory agencies, are costly, scientifically unproven and environmentally harmful. But the growers must follow these measures in order to market their crops to the larger contractors or handlers. An article in the SF Chronicle examines the history of reaction to the break-out in length, and poses the question of whether response tactics have been more damaging than beneficial. 12/14/07

 

Warning the business lobby and farmers to back off, state Senate Democrats said Thursday that it should be up to the governor and Legislature to decide how to control the state's water supplies next year. Frustrated with the inaction, the California Chamber of Commerce and its allies last week announced their own water bond initiatives -- a move Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, said exacerbated the political gridlock at the Capitol. The chamber is circulating four versions of an $11.7 billion bond initiative that would set aside billions of dollars for dams without the Legislature's approval. However, Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata chastised the group, saying, "We're not going to have any interruptions, disruptions or alternatives." CC Times 12/14/07

The No. 3 U.S. grocery-store operator, Safeway, said Thursday it's striking partnerships to sell its "O Organics" line in Asia and South America. Since its launch, O Organics has grown to 300 items, including milk, chicken, food entrée and juice products. Marketwatch 12/14/07

 

An effort to limit government payments going to the largest farms failed in the Senate Thursday, quashing the best chance consumer and environmental groups had to promote healthier diets and better environmental stewardship of the nation's nearly one billion acres of farmland in the $288 billion farm bill now steamrolling to passage. California Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, both Democrats, voted to limit payments despite pressure from the state's cotton and rice producers. SF Chronicle 12/14/07

 

The California Fish and Game Commission expanded the ban on lead hunting ammunition adopted by the California legislature earlier this year. Lead fragments and slugs from big game hunting ammunition have been blamed for the poisoning of endangered California condors which eat the fragments in the remains of butchered game left in the field, and the legislature banned lead ammunition for big game and coyote hunting within condor range. Last week, the commission defined what constitutes "lead free" for the regulations and expanded the regulation to ban popular .17 and .22 rimfire ammunition for the hunting of all non-game animals - not just coyotes - in condor range. San Bernardino County Sun  12/14/07

 

 

Transporation Daily News 12/13

In a major environmental victory for California and 16 other states, a federal court in Fresno on Wednesday upheld a bid to slash auto emissions to combat global warming, a move fiercely opposed by automakers and the Bush administration. Wednesday's ruling that California has the authority to impose emission-related mileage standards on cars and trucks -- a plan that would cut emissions from vehicles 30 percent by 2016 -- increases pressure on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to give the state a waiver to do that. CC Times 12/13/07

 

Promoting tourism and marketing Marin's environment-friendly image helped attract more visitors during 2007, according to the annual report of the Marin Convention and Visitor Bureau. The bureau said the number of hotel rooms booked in the county this year was up 13 percent over 2004, when the agency was created. The bureau is funded by a 1 percent charge on room rents. Marin Independent Journal 12/11/07

 

Foss Maritime, which operates a fleet of 63 tugboats and 69 barges, are building the world's first hybrid tugboat using a combination of batteries, generators and small main engines. This tugboat is currently under construction at our shipyard and is scheduled for delivery to San Pedro Harbor next summer. Industry Week 12/12/07

 

When Caltrain started its bicycle program in 1992, riders were relatively scarce on the San Jose-to-San Francisco commuter line. Officials figured it couldn't hurt to replace some empty seats with bike racks, giving commuters a new, eco-friendly way to get from the train stop to their final destination. Now, ridership is soaring amid high gas prices and global warming fears. The bicycle program is a well-established hit, with about one in 15 Caltrain riders bringing their wheels on board, according to a February ridership count. In fact, Caltrains are getting so crowded at peak commute hours that not everyone's bike can fit on board. So when a Baby Bullet pulls out of the station, a handful of the rail line's most dedicated customers are left in the cold. SJ Mercury 12/4/07

 

Ridership on the state-supported Amtrak San Joaquins Corridor service exceeded all expectations during the month of November with a dramatic jump of 13.1 percent, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced. Business Wire 12/11/07

Agriculture Daily News 12/13

President Bush vetoed legislation Wednesday that would have expanded government-provided health insurance for children, his second slap-down of a bipartisan effort in Congress to dramatically increase funding for the popular program. AP  12/12/07

 

California was one of the earliest to develop a farmed caviar industry and now, more than 15 years of experience have paid off with consistent quality from the two producers, Sterling and Tsar Nicoulai. They are likely to be the least expensive sources for good caviar this season. NY Times 12/12/07

 

The long-awaited road map for restoration of the South Bay's system of salt ponds was released Wednesday, outlining the steps that will be taken to rebuild a working ecosystem at the site. The first steps, planned for 2008, will return three regions - Eden Landing, Alviso and Ravenswood - to tidal habitat and shorebird habitat. SJ Mercury 12/13/07

 

The Westlands Water District announced today that it acquired property in the northern Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The District plans to restore natural tidal wetlands and upland habitat for the protection and conservation of listed species, including the Delta smelt. The Westlands Water District serves a community of more than 600 families who farm some of the most productive agricultural lands in the world. Business Wire 12/13/07

 

Last week, the Florida Department of Agriculture issued a new regulation requiring all citrus fruit shipped from California to Florida to be inspected, fumigated and certified free of a fungal disease known as Septoria spot. For California's part, growers there say the state's move is all about retaliation. The federal government is not allowing Florida growers to ship citrus to other citrus-growing states because canker is epidemic there. Relations between California and Florida have been strained because of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's canker ban, first mandated in June 2006. California citrus interests had asked for Florida fruit to be restricted from all states except northern states east of the Mississippi.  Palm Beach Post 12/12/07

 

California's top insurance regulator has accused Blue Shield, one of the state's largest health plans, of 1,262 violations of claims-handling laws and regulations that resulted in more than 200 people losing their medical coverage. LA Times 12/13/07

 

The deadline for health care reform in California has been set Dec. 21. If legislators don't produce a bill that the governor will sign by that date, California has little hope for health care reform this year - probably for the next several years. SF Chronicle 12/13/07

 

Compared with a year earlier, fall season (primarily October through December) area for harvest of 11 selected fresh-market vegetables (excluding melons) is expected to be up 5 percent this year for the US according to USDA’s latest Vegetables and Melon Outlook. Despite this, acreage in California, which accounts for about two-thirds of fall vegetable area, is expected to remain even with a year ago. Lower area is expected for most vegetables in the state (including head lettuce, tomatoes, and broccoli) but will be offset by stronger area for cauliflower and carrots (up 33 percent). Fresh Plaza 12/11/07

 

The USDA is tracing seed-potato shipments to California and seven other states from Canada that it fears might have been carrying a microscopic, wormlike pest that attacks potato plants. Officials are concerned that discovery of the golden nematode in any of the eight states could lead to some countries banning U.S. potatoes, which happened in 2006 with the discovery of the similar pale potato cyst nematode in Idaho. Seattle Times 12/13/07

 

A study of organic and conventionally grown processing tomatoes by a team of researchers at the University of California, Davis, indicated that, on the four participating commercial farms, organically produced tomatoes were higher in sugars and other soluble solids, consistency and acidity, all of which are desirable attributes in processing tomatoes. The organically grown tomatoes were lower, however, in red color, vitamin C and certain healthful compounds known as phenolics. UC Davis 12/12/07

 

Newly appointed members of the Seedless Mandarin and Honeybee Co-Existence Working group met for the first time Dec. 12 at the Fresno County agriculture department. The working group was established by the state and charged with resolving differences between seedless mandarin growers and beekeepers. Growers charge that beekeepers are moving bees into citrus groves and other locations without regard for the seedless mandarins, which can be cross-pollinated and develop seedy fruit. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation that established the working group in October. The legislation gives the working group until June 1, 2008 to develop best management practices for beekeepers and mandarin growers to sustain both industries. Fresh Plaza 12/12/07

 

Large handlers of leafy green vegetables, still recovering from last year's E. coli bacteria- induced recalls of packaged spinach, want U.S. permission to self-regulate the safety of your tossed salad. An Oct. 4 Department of Agriculture proposal to consider a voluntary-standards program generated 3,500 comments by last week, compared with the usual handful in these cases, demonstrating the industry isn't united. Small growers and consumer groups fear the plan gives larger rivals more control in the $2.2 billion-a-year lettuce and spinach market. Bloomberg 12/11/07

 

 

 

Transporation Daily News 12/12

A federal judge Wednesday rejected an automakers' lawsuit against California, saying the state has the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. The ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Anthony Ishii clears one of the hurdles in California's effort to regulate tailpipe emissions from cars, trucks and sports utility vehicles. AP 12/12/07

 

A new class of slot-machines is being aimed at attracting younger players who grew up with video games. Coming soon are slot machines with joysticks, which the industry expects to be particularly popular, and others that will allow users to play in tandem or against one another. Industry surveys show that those 21 to 40 have fewer moral qualms about gambling than baby boomers and their parents. Young people are heading to Las Vegas and other gambling spots in large numbers. Slot machines bring in nearly three-quarters of the roughly $60 billion in gambling revenue that American casinos generate. NY Times 12/10/07

 

Big trucking companies got their wish Tuesday when federal regulators maintained existing limits on drivers' hours, rather than endorsing a court order sought by consumer advocates that would have required one less hour behind the wheel each day. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued an interim rule that maintains the 11-hour driving limit, under which truckers are required to rest for 10 hours. Consumer advocates sued to reduce the amount of time truckers can stay behind the wheel continuously because they say the industry is putting the public at risk. CC Times 12/12/07

 

The Quebec government will adopt California-level standards to reduce pollution from new cars. Canada.com 12/12/07

 

 

 

 

Agriculture Daily News 12/12

A U.S. District Court judge on Tuesday gave federal wildlife officials until September to come up with a new plan to protect the threatened delta smelt while still providing water to about 25 million Californians and thousands of acres of farmland around the state. U.S. District Court Judge Oliver Wanger ruled that until they come up with a permanent plan, water managers must limit pumping out of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta this year as early as Dec. 25, when the fish typically spawn, until June 20 when the young fish have moved pass the pumps. Fresno Bee 12/12/07

 

State and federal wildlife officials will unveil an ambitious wetlands restoration plan Wednesday that promises strong levees around South Bay homes and businesses, new bayside trails for hikers and more places for bird watchers to spot shorebirds and ducks. The plan is the first phase of a $1 billion, 50-year effort to restore thousands of acres of former Cargill Inc. salt ponds purchased by the government four years ago. Today's plan favors converting 90 percent of the former ponds to tidal marsh. SF Chronicle 12/12/07

 

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Tuesday that he will decide early next year whether to impose mandatory curbs on water usage in Los Angeles. LA Times 12/12/07

 

The Senate rejected an overhaul of farm subsidies Tuesday,  with a 37-58 vote.  More key votes to whittle away subsidies for programs such as organic and food education are expected, starting Wednesday. An analysis by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief economist that found a radical overhaul of farm programs would greatly benefit California farmers, 91 percent of whom are ineligible for current crop subsidies because they grow fruits, nuts or vegetables. SF Chronicle 12/12/07

 

Dwindling snowpack, earlier stream flow and rising temperatures in the western United States can be attributed directly to human activity and will seriously affect California's water supply, perhaps in a matter of decades, according to new research. Since 1950, the Sierra snowpack has decreased by about 20 percent, the temperature in the Rocky Mountains has gone up 3 degrees, and spring water flow in the Columbia River has decreased significantly. Researchers claim only  adding past human greenhouse gas emissions into the equation accounts for the models they have recorded. CC Times 12/12/07

 

A reader reviews Alice Water’s new cookbook, “The Art of Simple Food,” in the CC Times. 12/12/07

 

There is one licensed child care slot for about every four children with working parents in California, according to a report to be released Wednesday, which says that San Francisco fares better than any other Bay Area county in terms of child care. In San Francisco County, licensed care is available for 43 percent of children with working parents, according to the 2007 California Child Care Portfolio, a county-by-county report that looks at child-care supply, demand and costs. SF Chronicle 12/12/07

 

Last month the White House said new rules would soon make it easier for people with HIV/AIDS to travel to the United States. Gay rights advocates have long opposed a 1993 federal law that strictly restricts travel and immigration to the U.S. by HIV-positive people. The rule proposed by the Department of Homeland Security would allow short-term visas to be granted to HIV-positive people by U.S. consulates in their home countries. What angers critics, however, is that applicants would have to agree to certain conditions, including giving up the right to apply for a longer stay or permanent residency in the U.S. Fresno Bee 12/11/07

 

 

Transporation Daily News 12/11

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has ordered the state Office of Spill Prevention and Response to continue funding the equipment, known as PORTS -- Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System -- until June 30, 2009. A high-tech system ship captains use to reduce the risk of accidents in the Bay, funding for PORTS was scheduled only until June 30. CC Times 12/11/07

 

The city of San Francisco on Monday sued the owners of the container ship that sideswiped the Bay Bridge last month and spilled 58,000 gallons of fuel oil, blackening the coastline and wildlife, shutting down the fishing industry and spawning an expensive mop-up operation. City Atty. Dennis Herrera filed suit in San Francisco Superior Court against Regal Stone Ltd. and several other firms that own the Cosco Busan, saying the accident was "wholly avoidable" and had caused "more injury to the San Francisco Bay Area than we can yet begin to fathom." LA Times 12/11/07

 

The California Air Resources Board passed a regulation Thursday mandating that vessel operators whose container, reefer or passenger fleets make at least 25 annual visits to six California ports start using shoreside power or some other type of significant emission reduction measures when their ships are at berth. The Cunningham Report 12/9/07

 

Backing up tough actions taken by Los Angeles-area ports, state regulators Friday enacted a strict air emission measure that will ban much of the current fleet of diesel trucks from all ports statewide. The California Air Resources Board will require all trucks to meet 2007 emission standards by 2014, an effort that mirrors a plan approved by the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. LA Times 12/8/07

 

The pilot involved in the recent San Francisco Bay oil spill has been asked to surrender his Federal Merchant Marine Officer's license after the Coast Guard said Capt. John Cota is not physically competent to maintain the license. News 10 12/8/07

 

The small city of Curitiba, Brazil has an innovative public transport system used by 85% of city residents. The system has inspired similar designs in Los Angeles and around Central and South America. Inhabit.com 12/11/07