Water:
3 West Coast governors oppose new offshore oil drilling -- West Coast governors urged the federal government Tuesday to keep new oil drilling rigs out of their waters and to spend more money on programs to restore the health of the Pacific Ocean. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, joined with Democratic Govs. Ted Kulongoski of Oregon and Chris Gregoire of Washington to reaffirm their opposition to opening undersea oil fields to new drilling, as part of an elaborate action plan for preserving coastal waters. LA Times 7/30/08
Brown threatens to sue to block Nestle's water-bottling plant -- Attorney General Jerry Brown said Tuesday that he will sue to block a proposed water-bottling operation in Northern California unless its effects on global warming are evaluated. Nestle Waters North America wants to pump about 200 million gallons of water a year from three natural springs that supply McCloud, a Siskiyou County town about 280 miles north of San Francisco. Brown's office said that is enough to fill 3.1 billion 8-ounce plastic bottles. SF Chronicle 7/30/08
*California considers ban on plastic bags to protect marine life -- Secretary of Resources Mike Chrisman is head of a cabinet-level panel - the California Ocean Protection Council - that is mulling over a list of proposals, including a ban on plastic bags, to improve the health of the ocean. While the panel has no power to impose such a prohibition, its recommendation would give the idea a tremendous shot of momentum. SJ Mercury 7/30/08
Parks and forests:
Court denies stay in Pacific Lumber case -- Billionaire founders of San Francisco's Gap Inc. are expected to take control of some of the most valuable timberland in the country within days, after a federal appeals court Tuesday shot down some of the last legal arguments from opponents to a plan to reorganize the storied Pacific Lumber Co. SF Chronicle 7/30/08
Food:
Court overturns ruling that allowed Whole Foods-Wild Oats merger -- The purchase of Wild Oats Markets Inc. by rival organic foods purveyor Whole Foods Market Inc. turned a bit wilder than anticipated on Tuesday when a federal appeals court overturned a lower-court ruling that allowed the merger to go through.The ruling comes almost a year after Whole Foods in Austin, Texas, purchased the 110-store Wild Oats chain for $565 million and brings up questions about whether it would be possible to unwind the merger so long after the fact. LA Times 7/30/08
L.A. blocks new fast-food outlets from poor areas -- The Los Angeles City Council has approved a one-year moratorium on new fast-food restaurants in a low-income area of the city. The moratorium unanimously approved Tuesday is a bid to attract restaurants that offer healthier food choices to residents in a 32-square-mile area of South Los Angeles. AP 7/30/08
Health:
*Board passes tobacco ban in pharmacies -- San Francisco lawmakers voted Tuesday to make the city the first in the nation to ban the sale of tobacco products at most pharmacies, a move that backers hope will lead to similar laws across the country. The ban passed the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on an 8-3 vote, with some supervisors predicting it would be a "first step" toward additional bans on the sale of tobacco in the city. SF Chronicle 7/30/08
Senate Democrats urge EPA chief to resign over air pollution rulings, alleged false testimony -- Four Democratic senators called Tuesday for Stephen Johnson to resign as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and asked Attorney General Michael Mukasey to begin an investigation into whether he lied in testimony to a Senate committee. The senators, all members of the Environment and Public Works Committee, said Johnson — the first career scientist to head the agency — had repeatedly succumbed to political pressure on decisions vital to protecting health and the environment. AP 7/30/08
EPA tests show no danger in West Oakland -- A neighborhood in West Oakland can breathe easier after tests for dangerous levels of hazardous compounds in the air came back negative, according to federal environmental officials. The results of those tests showed no high levels of trichloroethylene, cis-dichloroethene, trans dichloroethene or vinyl chloride that would require the agency to take immediate action. Inside Bay Area 7/30/08
Agriculture:
*New farming method to help 'grow' wetlands in delta area -- Thanks to a grant from the California Department of Water Resources, a new farming method in the delta is attempting to "grow" wetlands. The DWR has invested $12.3 million to explore "carbon-capture" farming, which traps atmospheric carbon dioxide and rebuilds lost soils in the delta. A partnership with U.S. Geological Survey and U.C. Davis will take methods that have been used in a pilot program on Twitchell Island for 10 years and will use them in areas of the western delta. The Reporter 7/30/08
Bay Area firm develops spray-on sunscreen to protect fruit and vegetable crops -- A Fremont company called Purfresh has created a sunscreen that's applied to fruits and vegetables to protect the harvest. Called Purshade, it's made of multi-crystalline calcium carbonate crystals, which ward off the sun's harmful rays, but still allow the photosynthesis that lets fruits and vegetables to grow. SJ Mercury 7/30/08
Almond growers short water urged to conserve for post-harvest irrigation -- Water rationing until Sept. 1 is forcing some almond growers in California's western San Joaquin Valley (SJV) to make tough water use choices this summer and fall which will likely result in reduced almond yields through next year. Surface water supplies are limited due to two continuous years of below-average rainfall. Another reason is severe water restrictions caused a federal court ruling last year on the endangered Delta smelt that limited federal and state pumping from the Delta into the San Luis Reservoir. Water supplies are also low since this past spring was the driest on record. Western Farm Press 7/30/08
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