Transportation Daily News August 1

Air travel:

 

Travelers' Laptops May Be Detained At Border -- Federal agents may take a traveler's laptop computer or other electronic device to an off-site location for an unspecified period of time without any suspicion of wrongdoing, as part of border search policies the Department of Homeland Security recently disclosed. Washington Post 8/1/08

 

Infrastructure and transit:

 

*Schwarzenegger's layoff plan could lengthen lines for state services -- Beaches at Lake Natoma and Folsom Lake will go without lifeguards. Drivers could wait longer for licenses at the Department of Motor Vehicles. But state officials said Thursday that they couldn't predict how much state services will suffer now that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has laid off an estimated 10,300 temporary workers. Sacramento Bee 8/1/08

 

Water and shipping:

 

Recreational boaters win reprieve on permits -- Recreational boaters who were set to pay as much as $1,500 in annual fees for a federal environmental permit were spared this week. A federal ruling filed last year on a California lawsuit said all sailing vessels should be required to participate in a permit process designed to control the influx of foreign marine life. The permit process was aimed largely at cargo ships, but the ruling said small motorboats, kayaks and other recreational boats should be included. Sacramento Bee 8/1/08

 

Dockworkers, shippers reach deal -- The union representing thousands of West Coast dockworkers has reached a tentative contract deal with shippers that promises to keep ports - and the economy running. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union announced a six-year agreement Monday, July 28, with the Pacific Maritime Association - a proposal that still needs to be ratified by union and PMA members. Neither side released details of the contract, which came after months of negotiations. Capital Press 8/1/08

 

Emissions:

 

*Application filed to bury power plant waste gas -- A subsidiary of two of the world's biggest energy companies applied to state regulators Thursday to build what could become the nation's first full-scale power plant to capture the carbon dioxide in its exhaust and store it underground. The application launches a lengthy review process. At best, the $1 billion-plus Kern County project would begin operating in 2014, according to a spokeswoman. The plant is being developed by Hydrogen Energy International LLC, a joint venture of oil firm BP and mining giant Rio Tinto. Sacramento Bee 8/1/08

 

*State's global warming solutions should produce good jobs -- Today is the final day for public comments on the draft plan for implementing AB32, California's global warming solutions plan, and one area that has still received far less attention than it should is the key role California's workers must play in restructuring our economy to reduce our carbon footprint. Here are some ideas we should incorporate into the plan… SF Chronicle 8/1/08