Transportation Daily News July 31

Emissions:

 

*States, environmentalists to sue EPA over greenhouse gases -- California, New York City, three other states and a coalition of environmental groups will file notice Thursday that they'll sue the Environmental Protection Agency to push it to regulate pollution from ocean ships and aircraft that's causing global warming.  Under the Clean Air Act, a U.S. district court can compel the EPA to take action to protect the public's welfare if the agency delays doing so for an unreasonably long time. The law requires that a notice of intent to sue be filed 180 days in advance, the step that the groups are taking now. McClatchy 7/31/08

 

Planned suit would target ships' and planes' pollution -- California, New York City, three other states and some environmental groups plan to file notice today that they'll sue the Environmental Protection Agency to push it to regulate pollution from ocean ships and aircraft causing global warming. Sacramento Bee 7/31/08

 

*LA utility wary of California's emissions strategy -- The Department of Water and Power relies on cheap, out-of-state coal for some of its energy, which has helped keep its electricity rates among the lowest in the state. But it's one of the dirtiest ways to generate power, making coal-fired plants a major liability for the utility as California forges ahead with a strategy to cut carbon emissions dramatically under the greenhouse gas law Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed in 2006. The debate has exposed a rift between the state's largest utilities and divided the politicians who helped craft the law, which has received international acclaim. AP 7/31/08

 

Transit and infrastructure:

 

California's gas consumption falling -- Gasoline consumption in California, the most populous state, dropped in April from the same month a year earlier, a sign this could be the third straight year of declining demand, according to a state agency report. Inside Bay Area 7/31/08

 

*PLAN AFOOT TO GET S.F. WORKERS OUT OF CARS -- Businesses with more than 20 employees working in San Francisco would be required to help their workers ditch their cars and commute to work on transit or in vanpools under a proposal being considered by city officials. The goal of the plan, which would be the first in the nation, is to cut greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality by getting more people out of polluting cars. SF Chronicle 7/31/08

 

Californians fight cost by reducing their driving -- As gasoline prices climbed in April, Californians continued a trend of using less gasoline, according to figures released Wednesday. The California Board of Equalization said 2.2 percent less gasoline was used in the state in April than in the same month in 2007. Sacramento Bee 7/31/08

 

Agricultural Daily News July 31

Immigration and labor:

 

Stark proposes law helping immigrant foster kids get green cards -- Attempting to avoid situations in which undocumented foster children end up deported, Rep. Pete Stark, D-Fremont, proposed a new law this week that would help abused and neglected children get green cards. The bill by Stark and Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Los Angeles, would not change federal immigration law, but would force states and local child welfare agencies to pay more attention to an existing law, on the books since 1990. Inside Bay Area 7/31/08

 

*Is U.S. losing its appeal for illegal immigrants? -- With a stagnating economy and hundreds of miles of new fences along the Mexican border, the United States - and California - may have become a less inviting destination for illegal immigrants from Latin America. Two key signals - an unprecedented slowdown in money sent by immigrants back to Mexico, and a new report that claims the nation's illegal immigrant population has dropped significantly since last summer - indicate a possible change. SJ Mercury 7/31/08

 

Bill would require paid sick days for most – A bill - AB2716 by Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, D-San Francisco - was modeled on the paid sick leave law that took effect last year in San Francisco. The bill passed the state Assembly in May and is scheduled for a hearing next week in the Senate Appropriations Committee. Business groups led by the California Chamber of Commerce oppose the sick leave bill, saying it is a complicated and costly mandate that could force companies to cut wages or lay off workers. SF Chronicle 7/31/08

 

*Sanctuary policy under review -- A call by Mayor Gavin Newsom to change how city departments interpret San Francisco’s Sanctuary City Ordinance was set against a clash outside of City Hall that ended with two arrests. The ordinance became the target of national ridicule after federal authorities learned that juvenile felons weren’t being reported to immigration authorities. Following an impassioned speech in his office Wednesday in which Newsom supported the spirit of the Sanctuary City Ordinance, the mayor said there would likely be changes in the way city departments interpret the ordinance. Examiner 7/31/08

 

Agriculture:

 

After 7 Years, Talks on Trade Collapse -- World trade talks collapsed here on Tuesday after seven years of on-again, off-again negotiations, in the latest sign of India’s and China’s growing might on the world stage and the decreasing ability of the United States to impose its will globally. After nine consecutive days of high-level talks, discussions reached an impasse when the United States, India and China refused to compromise over measures to protect farmers in developing countries from greater liberalization of trade. Supporters of the so-called Doha round of talks, which began in 2001, say a deal would have been a bulwark against protectionist sentiments that are likely to spread as economic growth falters in much of the world. NY Times 7/30/08

 

Food and nutrition:

 

Restaurant Chains Close as Diners Reduce Spending -- Several national restaurant chains were shuttered on Tuesday, possibly offering an early taste of what’s in store this year for businesses that depend on free-spending consumers whose budgets are now being squeezed. The restaurants are the latest casualties in the so-called casual dining sector, considered a cut above fast food. Soaring food costs and a surfeit of locations have hurt the companies’ bottom lines just as Americans are choosing to take more meals at home. NY Times 7/30/08

 

Analysts blame easy credit for restaurant woes -- Restaurant companies may have depended too much on easy-to-borrow money to back aggressive expansion plans, industry experts say a move that may lead to more bankrupt chains and fewer new eateries opening in the months to come. AP 7/31/08

 

Lunch money going online at Sacramento-area schools -- Starting this year in Elk Grove, in a trend spreading throughout the region, parents have a new option for making sure their children get fed at noontime: They can prepay online through a service called myLunchMoney.com. Instead of sending checks or cash to school, they can use debit or credit cards to make payments, and monitor online when accounts need replenishing. Students punch in personal identification numbers to trigger food purchases. Sacramento Bee 7/31/08

 

 

Health:

 

America on pace for 90 percent to be fat by 2030 -- A new study, based on national surveys done over the past three decades, warns that 9 out of ten Americans will be overweight or obese in less than 25 yearsif the nation's weight-gain trends since the 1970s continue until 2030. The research was carried out by scientists at John Hopkins University and the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and published online in the journal Obesity. CC Times 7/31/08

 

West Nile found in Natomas 'sentinel' chicken -- A chicken in Natomas has tested positive for the West Nile virus, the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District has announced. The "sentinel" chicken is part of 15 six-bird flocks that are maintained in Sacramento and Yolo counties by the district to monitor possible spread of West Nile. The district collects and tests blood samples from the chickens each week. Sacramento Bee 7/31/08

 

Water:

 

*51% of Californians back offshore drilling -- A majority of Californians favor more oil drilling off the coast, according to a statewide survey released Wednesday, for the first time since oil prices spiked nearly three decades ago. The support by 51 percent of residents polled this month by the Public Policy Institute of California represents a shift caused by renewed Republican advocacy for drilling as well as motorists' reaction to soaring pump prices, according to the pollster. SF Chronicle 7/31/08

 

Transportation Daily News July 30

Emissions:

 

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

 

Shipping:

 

Respite at Port of Oakland gives seafarers much-needed break -- At the port, these men are welcomed by the staff of the International Maritime Center, a multi-denominational organization that provides counseling, phone cards and free rides to the shops at Emeryville. With a pool table and beers for sale, the center gives respite from a long, lonely voyage, said the Rev. David Ross, an Episcopal deacon who volunteers there. Inside Bay Area 7/28/08

 

‘Good Jobs, Clean Air!’ Rally backs clean, safe ports plan -- If a broad coalition of labor and community activists, health advocates and environmentalists has its way, pollution from ports around the country will be cut drastically in coming years, while at the same time, a group of port workers wrongly called “independent contractors” will gain a living wage and benefits.  The Port of Los Angeles has already approved a Clean Trucks Program, and in the coming months, Oakland could become the nation’s second port to do so. PWW 7/28/08

 

*ATA sues California ports -- The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach announced their Clean Trucks Program stays on schedule, despite an American Trucking Associations lawsuit against it. The ATA filed a complaint July 28 for declaratory judgment and injunctive relief in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The group charged that the Clean Trucks Program unlawfully re-regulates the industry by limiting port access to trucking companies in port-approved concession contracts. Etrucker 7/30/08

 

Transit and infrastructure:

 

*Bay Area transit projects threatened by state budget proposal -- The construction of a fourth bore of the Caldecott Tunnel, widening of Highway 4 in Antioch and other transportation projects could face expensive delays if California lawmakers raid gas tax funds to close a state budget gap, says the Bay Area's transportation commission. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission has urged Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and lawmakers to reject a proposal under consideration in state budget talks to borrow gasoline state tax revenues meant for transportation projects. CC Times 7/29/08

 

 

Agriculture Daily News July 30

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

 

Transportation Daily News July 29

Transit and infrastructure:

 

Less driving forces gas prices down -- Shocked by prices that reached $4.11 per gallon nationwide and $4.61 in California, drivers stopped buying as much fuel. That cut the demand for gasoline's raw material, crude oil. Crude prices dropped as a result, taking gasoline prices with them. SF Chronicle 7/29/08

 

Steel net preferred for halting bridge jumpers -- According to an unscientific online poll commissioned by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District to gauge public reaction to five design options for a suicide barrier, almost 75 percent of the 1,600 respondents are opposed to any being built at all. But of the design options, the net seems to be the most preferred. SF Chronicle 7/29/08

 

*BART bigwig blasts Muni’s big dig -- A $1.3 billion, four-stop Central Subway would connect Little Hollywood and Visitacion Valley with Union Square and Chinatown by 2016. To lay tracks for it, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency must dig underneath Powell Street station to within six feet of it. Construction is slated to begin in two years. BART board member and longtime Central Subway opponent Tom Radulovich said the draft environmental impact report released last year did not adequately address the problems inherent with displacing groundwater during construction. He said digging underneath the Powell Street station could cause damage to the BART stop and possibly cause it to sink or collapse. Examiner 7/29/08

 

Agriculture Daily News July 29

Parks and forests:

 

Air tanker drops in wildfires are often just for show -- Fire commanders say they are often pressured to order planes and helicopters into action on major fires even when the aircraft won't do any good. Such pressure has resulted in needless and costly air operations, experienced fire managers said in interviews. LA Times 7/29/08

 

Agriculture:

 

*Aerial spray credited with reducing West Nile threat -- Aerial pesticide spraying has reduced the number of mosquitoes plaguing the Sacramento area, the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District said Monday. The two species that most effectively carry West Nile virus declined around the county after spraying, but much more sharply in sprayed areas, district data showed. Sacramento Bee 7/29/08

 

Sunscreen for fruits, veggies? Farmers try it -- Sunscreen for fruits and vegetables is being tested in Australia and Chile, and now California farmers are checking it out courtesy of a local vendor. A California company is finding positive results with an SPF 45 product made of multicrystaline calcium carbonate crystals that are engineered to specifically deflect ultraviolet and infrared light from the plants and trees on which it is sprayed. MSNBC 7/29/08

 

Strawberry Festival celebrates California's top export -- Aiming to rival the Gilroy Garlic Festival, the Monterey Bay Strawberry Festival is getting back to its roots, dedicating more than 100 feet of booths to strawberry desserts alone this year. Live entertainment, gooey strawberry pie-eating contests, arts and crafts vendors, and carnival rides will fill Ramsay Park this weekend. SJ Mercury 7/29/08

 

Bee research aims for diverse bee genetic pool -- University of California Davis bee breeder-geneticist Susan Cobey and Steve Sheppard, a professor and apiculturist at Washington State University, Pullman, Wash., are investigating several races of the Western or European honey bee (Apis mellifera), which European settlers brought to America in 1622. The Cobey-Sheppard research team has received semen from the Italian bee, shipped from Italy; the Carniolan bee, from Germany; and the Caucasian bee, from the Caucasus region of Eurasia. The Italian bee is a honey-colored bee that's the most common honey bee in the United States. The Carniolan and the Caucasian bees are darker in color. Western Farm Press 7/29/08

 

Food and wine:

 

Wine: Iconic winery being sold; Napa's Crimson receives biomass test grant -- Jim Barrett, who purchased the Calistoga winery in 1972, is talking to Michel Reybier, who owns Chateau Cos d'Estournel in the Saint-Estephe appellation of southwestern France, about an acquisition of Chateau Montelena, according to a joint announcement last week. Crimson Wine Group of Napa was awarded a $560,000 federal grant to convert vineyard foliage to fuel at Pine Ridge Winery. Press Democrat 7/29/08

 

*California schools get fruit and vegetable grants -- State Supt. of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced grants today for schools to get kids to eat more fruits and vegetables. Twenty-five grantees, four of them in Los Angeles County, will share $184,100 in Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program grants. LA Times 7/29/08

 

FTC: Kids target of $1.6 billion in food ads -- The nation's largest food and beverage companies spent about $1.6 billion in 2006 marketing their products _ especially carbonated drinks _ to children, according to a Federal Trade Commission report. The report, to be released Tuesday, stems from lawmakers' concern about growing obesity rates in children. It gives researchers new insight into how much companies are spending to attract youth to their products, and what venues the companies are using for their marketing. AP 7/29/08

 

Staff breaks not duty of restaurants, court decides -- A state appellate court has ruled that the owner of Chili's restaurants is not responsible for ensuring employees take mandatory meal breaks. As a result, Dallas-based Brinker Restaurant Corp. will not face a class-action lawsuit from employees who say they were denied paid and unpaid breaks. The court did not rule on the merits of the case filed in San Diego against Brinker, which operates more than 175 restaurants in California, including Chili's, On the Border, Maggiano's Little Italy and Romano's Macaroni Grill. San Diego Union Tribune 7/29/08

 

Water and fishing:

 

Fish farmers fear feed costs -- It's been a struggle for California's catfish farmers, as they try to cope with rapidly rising feed bills.  Farm-raised catfish eat feed that's composed of soybean meal and corn, two commodities that have risen steeply in price.  Central Valley Business Times 7/29/08

 

*Canal in state's future -- A QUARTER CENTURY after it was soundly defeated by California voters, the Peripheral Canal is making a comeback. This time around it has the support of some environmentalists as well as the backing of the respected Public Policy Institute of California. What has changed over the past 26 years since the defeat of the canal is the viability of the Delta ecosystem. CC Times 7/29/08

 

Transportation Daily News July 28

Transit and infrastructure:

 

California school districts ending or reducing bus service for students -- Thousands more California students will have to find their own way to school this fall, as districts slash bus routes to cope with budget shortfalls and high fuel costs. Critics worry that the cuts will increase traffic around schools, shift costs to parents already struggling with rising gas prices and prompt more absenteeism, hurting students' academic achievement. But paramount is the fear that the reductions will endanger students as more walk or drive to school. LA TImes 7/28/08

 

Funds for Highways Plummet As Drivers Cut Gasoline Use -- An unprecedented cutback in driving is slashing the funds available to rebuild the nation's aging highway system and expand mass-transit options, underscoring the economic impact of high gasoline prices. The resulting financial strain is touching off a political battle over government priorities in a new era of expensive oil. A report to be released Monday by the Transportation Department shows that over the past seven months, Americans have reduced their driving by more than 40 billion miles. WSJ 7/28/08

 

Emissions:

 

*State bid to limit emissions hits court snag -- California's effort to limit vehicle emissions of gases that contribute to global warming hit a snag Friday when a federal appeals court ruled that the state and environmental groups acted too early when they sued the Bush administration in January for blocking the law. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco dismissed a lawsuit filed by California, 15 other states and five environmental groups over the Environmental Protection Agency's refusal to let the state enforce its limits on greenhouse gas fumes from new cars and trucks. SF Chronicle 7/26/08

 

*EPA conducts tests on air in Oakland neighborhood -- Federal environmental officials paid visits to a handful of West Oakland homes early Friday, testing for possible dangerous levels of hazardous compounds in the air. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency tested about a half dozen homes, a business and a day care center near the former Lane Metal Finishers site on 30th Street and San Pablo Avenue. The state Department of Toxic Substances Control earlier found elevated levels of volatile organic compounds in five samples taken 8 feet below the surface of the former metal plating location. SJ Mercury 7/26/08

 

Shipping:

 

*Navy fears Calif. shipping rule will affect range -- The Navy now fears its testing grounds could be irreparably compromised with a law passed Thursday by California air regulators. They have ordered cargo ships to use cleaner-burning - but more expensive - fuel within 24 nautical miles of the coast. At issue is the sea lane used by cargo ships entering and exiting the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. With the new air regulation, shipping companies looking to save money by burning less of the cleaner fuel could take a more direct path between the ports and international waters. That would put them on course for the Navy's training ground. Modesto Bee 7/26/08

 

 

Agriculture Daily News July 28

Parks and forests:

 

*As wildfires get wilder, the costs of fighting them are untamed -- A century after the government declared war on wildfire, fire is gaining the upper hand. From the canyons of California to the forests of the Rocky Mountains and the grasslands of Texas, fires are growing bigger, fiercer and costlier to put out. And there is no end in sight. In response, firefighting has assumed the scale and sophistication of military operations. Wildfire costs are busting the Forest Service budget. A decade ago, the agency spent $307 million on fire suppression. Last year, it spent $1.37 billion. LA Times 7/27/08

 

 

Food and wine:

 

State ban on serving trans fat first in U.S. -- California became the first state to outlaw trans fat in restaurants and food facilities Friday when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill banning the artery-clogging oils and shortenings. Bakers have an extra year to adhere to the ban because pastries are the most difficult products to make without trans fat-laden oils and shortenings. Packaged foods are not affected by the law. SF Chronicle 7/26/08

 

California food industry fears impact of Bush's worker ID order -- A new White House order that federal contractors verify employees' identity documents has some businesses sweating over the potential impact – especially California's huge food industry. President Bush has ordered businesses and institutions with federal contracts – from janitorial companies to the state of California – to use E-Verify, a database that checks if workers' names, Social Security numbers or other ID match. The U.S. food industry acknowledges that illegal immigrants are in their work force. Workers with fake documents began filling farm jobs as immigrants who had received amnesty in 1986 moved out, representatives say. Sacramento Bee 7/26/08

 

Tenderloin struggles to get local grocery store -- A local nonprofit has been working with city officials for two years to open a grocery store here, an area more known for drug dealers and prostitution than for its thousands of children and families. That admittedly well-deserved reputation, combined with the neighborhood's poor residents, security concerns and a lack of parking and financing, has made it nearly impossible. SF Chronicle 7/28/08

 

Water and fish:

 

*State panel recommends strict measures to reduce plastic marine debris in California -- California's leaders should ban smoking on beaches, forbid fast-food joints from distributing polystyrene cups and containers and require markets to recycle plastic bags or ban them outright as part of an aggressive campaign to reduce plastic marine debris. These and dozens of other recommendations are included in a report to be released next week by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's Ocean Protection Council, a policy body designed to coordinate the patchwork of local efforts to protect California's waters and beaches. LA Times 7/26/08

 

Salmon, steelhead catch limits increased -- State wildlife officials have increased salmon and steelhead catch limits on the Klamath and Trinity rivers for the fishing season that starts Aug. 15. The action is possible because fish runs on those rivers are strong this year. This makes up somewhat for a sharp decline in Central Valley salmon stocks, which prompted all other waters of the state to be closed to salmon fishing.

 

Water wars examined in new book -- In "Bottlemania,'' Elizabeth Royte looks at the water wars: between bottled water and tap water, between big corporations and local water interests, between consumers who say they want the convenience, cleanliness and even status of bottled water, and environmentalists who condemn bottled water as "the moral equivalent of driving a Hummer,'' producing tons of plastic bottles, racking up huge transportation fees and leaving behind a significant carbon footprint. NY Times 7/25/08

 

Lake Tahoe warming faster than oceans -- A 2004 study by the University of California, Davis found the lake water warmed about 1 degree over a 33-year period ending in 2002, a rate roughly twice the levels of warming recorded for the world's oceans. Officials with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency are incorporating climate change into some of the agency's most fundamental efforts, including a plan guiding land use across the region and a $2 billion-plus list of environmental improvement projects over the next decade. Reno Gazette Journal 7/28/08

 

*Study: come up with a plan or face water shortages -- Local and regional water agencies and water companies must jointly develop a strategy to avoid water shortages now that the Southland's traditional sources are drying up, according to a study released today.  The recommendation was among the preliminary findings of a study -- "Where Will We Get The Water? Assessing Southern California's Future Water Strategies" -- carried out by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation for the Southern California Leadership Council, a business advocacy organization founded in 2005, and other sponsors.  CC Times 7/28/08

 

Agriculture:

 

Pending California farm bill would open range for animals -- California voters will consider the most comprehensive farm animal rights law in the country, a measure that would ban cramped metal cages for egg-laying hens, metal gestation crates for pregnant sows and veal crates for lambs — standard industry practices in which the animals are kept so confined that they can barely move. Waco Tribune 7/28/08

 

California unveils grape chart toppers -- The California Table Grape Commission has unveiled a new variety chart for the 2008 season.The brightly coloured wallchart, pictured, features full-colour photography of all the major varieties available from the Golden State this season, with details for shippers and receivers of their harvest calendar. Fresh Info 7/28/08

 

Agriculture Daily News July 25

Agriculture:

 

*The Illogic of Farm Subsidies, and Other Agricultural Truths -- Last week we solicited your questions for agricultural economist Daniel Sumner. Sumner has answers for questions about organic produce, biofuels, the logic of locavores, whether the U.S.'s attachment to cotton is emotional or financial, and how to talk to farmers about the economics of agriculture. Freakonomics Blog 7/25/08

 

*Tomato Industry Seeks Compensation -- Rep. Tim Mahoney, a Democrat from Florida, a big tomato producer in the U.S., introduced legislation Wednesday night that would give the nation's tomato growers and shippers $100 million to compensate for losses they incurred in the outbreak. The Agriculture Department would decide who qualifies, much like the way disaster assistance is carried out. WSJ 7/25/08

 

Grower-Shipper Association, Salinas, and Monterey County to research rail feasibility -- The Monterey County Board of Supervisors on July 22 approved to match Salinas' investment in a rail feasibility study that will be administered by the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California (GSA). The county and city are each contributing $15,000 to this study which will evaluate the feasibility and industry interest in using rail carriers for the transport of agricultural products. This study will determine whether returning some shipments to a rail delivery system is a more cost-effective method of providing much of the nation and surrounding countries with the Central Coast's fresh produce. Western Farm Press 7/25/08

 

Farm animal rights law would require room to roam -- This fall, California voters will consider the most comprehensive farm animal rights law in the country, a measure that would ban cramped metal cages for egg-laying hens, metal gestation crates for pregnant sows and veal crates for lambs. A showdown between proponents and opponents of the California measure, initiated by the Humane Society of the United States, looms. The egg industry, the fifth largest in the country, is preparing an all-out campaign to defeat the measure. SJ Mercury 7/25/08

 

*Budget cutbacks blamed for lack of study on moth -- State agriculture leaders Thursday blamed budget cuts since the 1980s for setting back study of the invasive light brown apple moth and allowing the pest to establish itself in Northern California. Now, researchers are scrambling to learn whatever they can about the Australian pest that set up residence in Santa Cruz County and parts of the Bay Area last year, as well as the threat the moth poses to crops and other plants. SJ Mercury 7/25/08

 

Food:

 

Garlic beckons health buffs -- Not everyone agrees on the health benefits of garlic.  Christopher Gardner, an associate professor of medicine at Stanford University, said that while there have been "literally thousands" of studies on garlic's purported effects, the medical community has "no consensus" on any of them. SJ Mercury 7/25/08

 

*Schwarzenegger signs trans fat ban -- California will be the first state to ban trans fats in restaurants and bakeries under legislation signed today by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The measure requires restaurants to quit using trans fats by January 2010, and for bakeries to follow suit one year later. The legislation, Assembly Bill 97, was proposed by Democratic Assemblyman Tony Mendoza of Artesia and opposed by most Republicans. Sacramento Bee 7/25/08

 

California's Largest Family Owned Restaurant, Scoma's on San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, Concerned About State Water Policy and Decline of Salmon -- Yesterday, another report was issued—this time by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), "Fish Out of Water: How Water Management in the Bay-Delta Threatens the Future of California's Salmon Fishery," describing how the State Water Project and Central Valley Project contribute to declining salmon populations. Bennett, who has been with Scoma's for 15 years and is their fish buyer, said that "In the business model when Scoma's started in 1965 and I'm sure for years and years, sea food was plentiful, inexpensive, and it wasn't very popular. Now it's gotten to where seafood is extremely popular, it's expensive. It's extremely hard to come by." California Progress Report 7/25/08

 

Water:

 

*State plans land surveys for possible Delta canal routes -- State water officials today are sending letters to about 1,000 property owners in the Delta – a heads up that surveyors may need to access private land to begin planning a canal to ferry fresh water to Southern California. Surveys won't begin until next year, but the letters confirm the seriousness of efforts to lay a controversial canal around the Delta. Sacramento Bee 7/25/08

 

Senator wants unified federal effort on quaggas mussel invasion of waterways including two Inland lakes -- Federal agencies should take a stronger role in the fight against a species of mussel that has invaded Western waterways, including two Inland lakes, and develop a plan to eradicate the pest, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said. PE 7/25/08

 

 

 

Transportation Daily News July 25

Shipping and water:

 

*California adopts stiff pollution rules for ships -- California regulators adopted the world's toughest pollution rules for oceangoing vessels Thursday, vowing to improve the health of coastal residents and opening a new front in a long battle with the international shipping industry. The rules, which take effect in 2009, would require ships within 24 nautical miles of California to burn low-sulfur diesel instead of the tar-like sludge known as bunker fuel. About 2,000 vessels would be affected, including container ships, oil tankers and cruise ships. LA Times 7/25/08

 

Ships docking in state must use cleaner fuel -- California air regulators on Thursday approved the nation's toughest rules to reduce harmful emissions from ocean-going ships using the state's ports. The regulations require domestic and foreign cargo ships, tankers and cruise vessels sailing in and out of California ports to use cleaner fuel to power their engines and boilers. SJ Mercury 7/25/08

 

Agencies practice oil spill skills -- Trainees from two dozen federal, state and local agencies converged at the mouth of Bolinas Lagoon on Thursday to test oil spill skills as they prepared for the next disaster.  The emergency response drill coordinated by the Marin County Parks and Open Space Department capped several days of classroom training aimed at preparing participants for an oil spill. SJ Mercury 7/25/08

 

Emissions:

 

*Air board OKs toughest limits on ship exhausts -- The shipping association wants to wait for the matter to come before the International Maritime Organization, the body that regulates international shipping, said T.L. Garrett, the association's vice president. SF Chronicle 7/25/08

 

Boxer: Public needs to see EPA findings on threat of greenhouse gases -- The head of the Environmental Protection Agency told the White House in December that high levels of manmade heat-trapping gases are causing global warming and endanger the American people, Sen. Barbara Boxer said Thursday after she reviewed the EPA finding, which has not been made public. Boxer said the key excerpt was: "In sum, the administrator is proposing to find that elevated levels of greenhouse gas concentrations may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public welfare." Sacramento Bee 7/25/08

 

Transit and infrastructure:

 

*BART to begin modernizing of stations -- BART plans this year to begin a $400 million modernization of its stations over 10 years to make them more attractive and reliable. Crews will install new lighting, windows, walls, trash can enclosures, furniture and entrance signs in an effort to make the stations more appealing than their cold, warehouselike architectural style, BART managers told the transit board Thursday. CC Times 7/25/08

 

How Healthy Are Truckers? -- Members of the House of Representatives discussed the health of the nation's commercial truck drivers on Thursday. The congressional hearing comes after a government investigation identified several truckers who suffer from conditions that should have disqualified them from working on the road. How healthy do you have to be if you want to become a truck driver? Slate 7/24/08

 

Air travel:

 

JetBlue to halt Sacramento-to-New York flight in January -- etBlue will cancel its service from Sacramento to New York starting Jan. 5 until May, JetBlue CEO Dave Barger has announced. Debuting in 2004, it was the first carrier to fly nonstop from Sacramento to New York in airport history. The route would not be profitable for the company during the winter off-season because of gas prices. Sacramento Bee 7/25/08

 

*It saves to fly out of San Francisco -- While domestic airfares rose 4.4 percent nationwide over the past year, passengers flying out of San Francisco International Airport actually saved money, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Transportation this week. Fares out of SFO dropped 6.2 percent from the first quarter of 2007 to the first quarter of this year, bringing the average domestic airfare ticket from $422 to $396. The numbers are based on a combination of round-trip and one-way tickets. Unusually high fees and trips taken with frequent flyer miles were excluded. Examiner 7/25/08

 

Agriculture Daily News July 24

Water:

 

Rally demands state face up to water crisis -- Wednesday's rally was designed to give a human face to the state's water woes. At least 300 farmworkers, most from the Valley's parched west side, marched and carried homemade signs declaring "agua es vida," or water is life, and "agua = trabajo," water equals work. Sacramento Bee 7/24/08

 

Park Service skewed data on oyster farm -- National Park Service officials overstated scientific data and deleted a key e-mail in a bitter dispute over an oyster farm's ecological impact on Drakes Bay in Marin County, according to a federal investigation. However, the report issued Wednesday by the U.S. Department of the Interior's inspector general found no evidence Park Service officials aimed to shut the Drakes Bay Oyster Co. before 2012 - when the company's permission to operate within Point Reyes National Seashore expires. SF Chronicle 7/24/08

 

UPDATE: Park Service cleared in probe of oyster farm fight -- A federal investigation found no evidence that National Park Service officials tried to prematurely close an oyster company engaged in a dispute with the agency over its ecological impact. SF Chronicle 7/24/08

 

*Attorneys: Projects don't threaten fish -- Attorneys representing state and federal water projects said Wednesday they could prove the massive system of pumps, dams and canals isn't harming three threatened fish species. U.S. District Judge Oliver W. Wanger gave them until Aug. 29 to submit reports showing that's true. Wednesday's action was the latest in a long-running fight between environmental groups and the state and federal governments over the projects' effect on winter-run chinook salmon, spring-run chinook salmon and Central Valley steelhead, all of which are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Sacramento Bee 7/24/08

 

*Carbon dioxide project could help the Delta -- Government scientists and researchers at UC Davis will test a novel way to capture a gas associated with global warming before it gets into the air, and possibly help shore up levees in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The California Department of Water Resources on Wednesday said it has awarded $12.3 million to a project that aims to discover whether carbon dioxide can be stored in marsh plants and soils while also restoring Delta islands and, in the process, protecting levees. Sacramento Bee 7/24/08

 

Labor and immigration:

 

Worker's death costs Merced Farm Labor $263K; biggest farming fine ever -- The company that hired a pregnant teen who died of heat stroke this spring after working in a San Joaquin County vineyard was hit Wednesday with the highest fine ever issued to a California farming operation. The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health fined Atwater-based Merced Farm Labor $262,700 on Wednesday afternoon for violating eight workplace safety requirements. Modesto Bee 7/24/08

 

Health:

 

*Budget impasse threatens Medi-Cal clinic funding -- California lawmakers' inability to pass a budget on time is threatening the cash flow of health clinics that are funded by Medi-Cal and serve some of the state's poorest residents. Most clinics funded by Medi-Cal, a health care program for the poor, bill for reimbursement and get a weekly check. When the fiscal year began July 1 without a state budget, an emergency fund of $2 billion kicked in. That amount included $1 billion in matching federal money. SJ Mercury 7/24/08

 

Transportation Daily News July 24

Emissions:

 

*California joins big carbon-trade partnership -- California, six other Western states and four Canadian provinces launched plans on Wednesday for one of the world's largest carbon-trading systems, a sweeping effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. The North American program, like a similar market-based system in Europe, focuses on heavy polluters such as electric utilities, oil refineries and large industrial and commercial facilities. SF Chronicle 7/24/08

 

Carbon market takes shape -- California officials are counting on that market magic to shrink the state's carbon footprint by 35 million metric tons by 2020. That's a fifth of the total reductions mandated under Assembly Bill 32, the omnibus global-warming law passed in 2006. Sacramento Bee 7/24/08

 

*Judge: EPA must regulate ship water discharge -- An appeals court Wednesday upheld a ruling ordering the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate the water discharged from ships as a way to protect local ecosystems from invasive species. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said it agreed with the federal judge who in 2005 ruled that the EPA exceeded its authority in exempting certain ship discharges from the pollution control requirements of the 1972 Clean Water Act.  A handful of environmental groups and states sued the EPA to require it to regulate ballast water because of concerns that invasive aquatic species such as mollusks were being pumped into local waters. AP 7/24/08

 

EPA urged to control mercury from cement kilns -- Environmental groups Wednesday called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to enforce a law that would control the thousands of pounds of toxic mercury discharged into the atmosphere every year by cement kilns in the United States. Two of the nation's worst mercury-emitting cement kilns are in Northern California - in Cupertino and Davenport, north of Santa Cruz. They dump hundreds of pounds of the poison into the air each year and help make the Bay Area's mercury emissions the highest of any region in California. SF Chronicle 7/24/08

 

Transit and infrastructure:

 

*Bay Area officials approve toll-lane network -- Solo drivers would be able to a pay a toll for the privilege of using carpool lanes to speed their commutes on a dozen highways from the South Bay to Sonoma and east under a plan approved Wednesday by Bay Area transportation officials. The system would be phased in over nearly two decades, starting in late 2010 or early 2011. SF Chronicle 7/24/08

 

Fight brews over plan to shut Market Street -- With record gasoline prices, increasing bicycle traffic, growing concern about climate change and Mayor Gavin Newsom's recent efforts to close a 6-mile stretch of road along the city's waterfront on two upcoming Sundays, Supervisor Chris Daly said there's never been a better time to push a car ban on Market Street from Hayes Valley to the Embarcadero. SF Chronicle 7/24/08

 

*MTC approves outlook plan for Bay Area -- Despite pleas that some projects be replaced with more transit-friendly alternatives, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission approved its $223 billion, 25-year Bay Area transportation plan Wednesday. About 85 percent of the budget was committed to ongoing projects, MTC spokesman John Goodwin said. Nearly $6.1 billion went toward establishing 800 miles of carpool and high-occupancy toll lanes. Examiner 7/24/08

 

Shipping and ports:

*Federal prosecutors charge shipping company in Bay oil spill -- Federal prosecutors charged the shipping company that employed the crew of the Cosco Busan with falsifying documents to cover up its negligence in the November spill that poured more than 50,000 gallons of heavy fuel into the Bay. The indictment says the ship's crew and its supervisors made up detailed voyage plans after the spill to make it appear those plans were onboard when the cargo ship struck the Bay Bridge. SJ Mercury 7/24/08

 

Bay Area Coast Guards return home on new ship -- The first new Coast Guard ship in almost four decades reached home Wednesday, reuniting its crew with family and friends they hadn't seen in six months. The Bertholf, a 420-foot ship and the first of its class in the Coast Guard, is a multi-mission ship designed for law enforcement, search-and-rescue missions and working military operations with the Navy, said Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Dave Oney. Crew members spent the past six months training on the ship in Pascagoula, Miss., and arrived home Wednesday after a goodwill tour. SJ Mercury 7/24/08

 

Agriculture Daily News July 23

Food and organics:

 

Slow Food Savors Its Big Moment -- AT the end of the summer, the gastronomic organization called Slow Food USA will host a little party for more than 50,000 people in San Francisco. To get things ready, the mayor let the group dig up the lawn in front of City Hall and plant a quarter-acre garden. It will be the centerpiece of the festival, ambitiously named Slow Food Nation. The Slow Food faithful say they want the festival to be the Woodstock of food, a profound event where a broad band of people will see that delicious, sustainably produced food can be a prism for social, ecological and political change. NY Times 7/23/08

 

A Locally Grown Diet With Fuss but No Muss -- Trevor Paque, who lives in San Francisco, will build an organic garden in your backyard, weed it weekly and even harvest the bounty, gently placing a box of vegetables on the back porch when he leaves. Call them the lazy locavores — city dwellers who insist on eating food grown close to home but have no inclination to get their hands dirty. Mr. Paque is typical of a new breed of business owner serving their needs. NY Times 7/22/08

 

Bio-fuel:

 

Uprising Against the Ethanol Mandate -- Gov. Rick Perry of Texas is asking the Environmental Protection Agency to temporarily waive regulations requiring the oil industry to blend ever-increasing amounts of ethanol into gasoline. A decision is expected in the next few weeks. His request for an emergency waiver cutting the ethanol mandate to 4.5 billion gallons, from the 9 billion gallons required this year and the 10.5 billion required in 2009, is backed by a coalition of food, livestock and environmental groups. NY Times 7/23/08

 

Parks and forests:

 

In California Neighbors' Dispute, Officials Find It's Time to Speak for the Trees -- More than six months after two Santa Clara residents were convicted under a state nuisance law for letting their redwoods cast shade on a neighbor's solar panels, the governor signed into law a bill that gives trees the right to grow as they please — as long as they predate any solar panels they might be shading. NY Times 7/23/08

 

 

Agriculture Daily News July 23

Agriculture:

 

*Report: Farmers, ranchers hit hard by health care costs -- About a third of California's farmers and ranchers are forced to buy health insurance through the costly individual market because they have no access to lower-cost group coverage, according to a report Wednesday by a group dubbed the "Access Project" and commissioned by the California Endowment. Family farmers and ranchers who purchased health coverage through the individual market spent approximately $4,600 more on premiums and out-of-pocket health care costs than those farmers and ranchers who obtained group health coverage from off-ranch or off-farm employment, the report says. Central Valley Business Times 7/23/08

 

*California fruit and nut review – An in-depth update of growing conditions in California for a number of crops. The 2008 California grape crop is shaping up to be an average crop despite frost damage that occurred when unusually cold temperatures hit California during the middle of April. The 2007-2008 California Navel orange forecast is 99.0 million cartons, unchanged from the April forecast, but up 43 percent from the 2006-2007 production. California's 2008 almond production is forecast at a record 1.50 billion meat pounds, up 3 percent from May's subjective forecast and 8 percent above last year's crop. Western Farm Press 7/23/08

 

Farmland prices favor sellers, but for how long? -- Values for farm and ranch real estate vary by location, and agricultural property experts say the current market definitely favors sellers. But, they warn that there are financial clouds on the horizon.  Tighter lending criteria and uncertainties about water supply are among the factors overshadowing the current "sellers" market for agricultural properties. As a result, very little agricultural property is changes hands. California Farm Bureau Federation 7/23/08

 

*Specialty Crop Block Grants $2.8 Million in Funding Available -- Secretary A.G. Kawamura has announced that $2.8 million in federal Specialty Crop Block Grant Funds will now be awarded on a competitive basis to qualified applicants.  "Our goal is to stimulate innovation in marketing California's specialty crops by funding projects that can produce the highest degree of measurable benefits to meet and exceed the needs of people around the world—people who rely on our products, solutions and services," said Secretary Kawamura. CDFA Press Release  July 18, 2008

 

Doc helps launch Kaiser farmers markets -- Since founding the market at the Oakland Kaiser campus five years ago, Maring has tweaked and expanded it, helped establish 29 other markets at Kaiser locations all over the country. To him, it's all about getting produce to busy people, old people, young people, even patients in the hospital. Inside Bay Area 7/23/08

 

*Downer cattle law signed -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation Tuesday to crack down on the sale of downed cattle for human consumption in response to the largest beef recall in U.S. history. Sacramento Bee 7/23/08

 

Water:

 

Farmworkers rally at state Capitol for water bond -- Hundreds of farm workers plan to rally at the state Capitol in support of placing a water measure on the November ballot. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein have proposed a $9.3 billion water bond to build reservoirs, encourage conservation and restore the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. SF Chronicle 7/23/08

 

Levee funds are still dry -- San Mateo County does not have enough money to fix a levee that was deemed unsafe by the federal government, a county official said Tuesday, putting thousands of southern Peninsula residents much closer to the reality of paying high flood-insurance fees. Approximately 1,000 feet of Redwood City-area levees were deemed unsafe in April. SF Examiner 7/23/08

 

Profs Urge End to Fluoride in Water -- Over 1,750 professionals signed a statement urging Congress to stop water fluoridation until Congressional hearings are conducted. They cite new scientific evidence that fluoridation, long promoted to fight tooth decay, is ineffective and has serious health risks. See statement: http://www.fluorideaction.org/statement.august.2007.html Folsom Telegraph 7/23/08

 

*Flood of plans muddies water supply solution -- The California water crisis has stimulated a cascade of proposals from political leaders, think tanks and state agencies, aimed at improving the reliability of water supplies and the environment in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. California Farm Bureau Federation 7/23/08

 

Health:

 

The Number of West Nile Virus Cases in California Goes Up to Seven -- The West Nile virus situation seems to be getting worse, as the first case in San Diego county has been reported. In 2007, the first West Nile case for this area was recorded at the end of August. Eflux 7/23/08

 

Food and restaurants:

 

California appeals court backs flexible rules on meal breaks -- The long-running dispute about California's rules governing on-the-job meal breaks flared up again Tuesday, with an appeals court ruling in favor of flexible policies favored by employers. The 4th District Court of Appeal said employers aren't responsible for making sure their workers take their meal and rest breaks. The employers are only obliged to make those breaks available, the court said. Jot Condie, president of the California Restaurant Association, said the decision means workers will have greater flexibility in deciding when to take a break. Sacramento Bee 7/23/08

 

Transportation Daily News July 23

Transit and infrastructure:

 

*800 miles of toll lanes on Highway 101, other Bay Area freeways proposed -- A Bay Area transportation commission is proposing the creation of a $3.7 billion, 800-mile-long network of mixed-use carpool and toll lanes on more than 12 freeways in a big new attempt to ease chronic traffic congestion. Called High Occupancy Toll or HOT lanes because they are free to car poolers in rush hour and open to other vehicles for a toll, the network of express lanes would be developed over the next 25 years by a group county, regional and state transportation agencies. The lanes would be established along much of Highway 101 on the Peninsula, Santa Clara County, and in parts of Marin and Sonoma counties. SJ Mercury 7/22/08

 

Traffic deaths fall as gas prices climb -- Researchers with the National Safety Council report a 9 percent drop in motor vehicle deaths overall through May compared with the first five months of 2007, including a drop of 18 percent in March and 14 percent in April. Preliminary figures obtained by The Associated Press show that some states have reported declines of 20 percent or more. Thirty-one states have seen declines of at least 10 percent, and eight states have reported an increase, according to the council. AP 7/23/08

 

Plan to ban cars on part of Market St. -- San Francisco's Market Street from the Embarcadero to Hayes Valley would permanently close to all traffic except for city mass transit vehicles under a proposal announced at City Hall on Tuesday night. Supervisor Chris Daly asked the city attorney to draft legislation to permanently ban cars on Market Street between Octavia Boulevard and the Embarcadero, an idea that has been floated by various city leaders, including former Mayor Willie Brown, for more than a decade. SF Chronicle 7/23/08

 

Emotions high at forum on suicide barrier -- Bridge officials have been accepting comments online, and of the more than 900 tallied so far, an overwhelming 75 percent of the respondents said they prefer that no barrier be built at all. But a small, passionate group of proponents - many of them family members of people who jumped to their deaths from the bridge - insist a barrier is needed. Any barrier.  SF Chronicle 7/23/08

 

Emissions:

 

*White House nixed Calif. emissions rule, ex-EPA official says -- The Environmental Protection Agency told the Bush administration that by law California should be able to set air-quality standards that were tougher than federal law, but President Bush rejected the advice and made clear that he wanted a single national standard, a former EPA official said Tuesday. McClatchy 7/23/08

 

Plug-in hybrids generate buzz in San Jose -- Once known only to a small group of devotees, the ultra-high-mileage cars have generated enough buzz to draw about 650 people to a plug-in conference in San Jose Tuesday. Major auto companies discussed their plans to mass market plug-ins, which operate like regular hybrids but can recharge off a wall socket, greatly extending their mileage. SF Chronicle 7/23/08

 

Shipping:

 

*Shipping company charged in SF Bay oil spill -- A Hong Kong-based shipping company has been charged with obstructing justice in last year's ship accident and spill that dumped 53,000 gallons of toxic fuel into San Francisco Bay. A federal grand jury indicted Fleet Management on Tuesday for allegedly doctoring paperwork in an attempt to thwart investigators after the vessel struck a bridge support. Federal prosecutors announced the indictment on Wednesday. SF Chronicle 7/23/08

 

 

 

 

 

Transportation Daily News July 22

Transit and infrastructure:

 

S.F. bike project still stuck in the slow lane -- San Francisco officials assured angry and frustrated bicycle activists on Monday that court-ordered environmental studies on proposed bike lanes and other infrastructure improvements to benefit two-wheelers will be wrapped up by Thanksgiving. But it will still take several more months - at least - before the projects can move forward. SF Chronicle 7/22/08

 

*Two death-defying transit stunts: biking on freeways and walking across the street -- Federal officials recently issued a report on pedestrian deaths across the United States between 1997 and 2006. Here's a sampling of what the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found: -

Pedestrians had only a slightly higher chance of dying in a car crash than people in a vehicle had.

-About one-third of the pedestrians killed were legally drunk.

-Generally speaking, both the rate and total number of pedestrian deaths have been dropping over the last decade. LA Times 7/22/08

 

Shipping and ports:

 

*Leaders urge Port of Oakland to reduce pollution -- Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will join a coalition of labor, environmental and community leaders today to push for policies at the Port of Oakland to reduce diesel emissions and boost living conditions for thousands of independent truckers who move goods to and from the West Oakland facility. The Oakland Board of Port Commissioners set a goal this year of reducing the health risk from diesel particulates by 85 percent by 2020. The port has helped pay to replace 80 old trucks and it has set aside $5 million this fiscal year to help retrofit 1,000 rigs with new filters. Inside Bay Area 7/22/08

 

Ag may ride rails again -- With skyrocketing fuel costs, the agricultural industry is giving the railroad another look. After securing $15,000 from the Salinas City Council, the Grower-Shipper Association today is slated to get another $15,000 from the Monterey County Board of Supervisors to pay for a study examining whether trains can keep costs down and quickly move produce to far-flung domestic markets. County and city staff will help draft the report. According to the Grower-Shipper Association, the fuel for just one truck trip across the country cost $7,000 last year. Now, the association says, a trip is costing $10,000. The Californian 7/22/08

 

Opinion: Long Awaited Bill to Clean Up Health Damaging Pollution from California’s Ports Expected to Land Soon on Governor’s Desk -- SB 974, a bill that would impose a $30 fee on each shipping container processed at the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Oakland to fund congestion management and air quality improvement projects related to ports, is a real solution for a real problem. California Progress Report 7/22/08

 

Idea calls for sinking old ships -- Dismantling retired and obsolete former war and merchant vessels is not the only solution for the Suisun Bay mothball fleet, according to a group of divers.  The nonprofit California Ships to Reefs says sinking ships and turning them into artificial reefs is the best way for the federal government to remove the reserve vessels from the fleet. While the group is open to other large ships for sinking, the big prize would be the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet, said Executive Director Eleanore Rewerts.  Times Herald 7/22/08

 

Budget:

 

*Oakland deficit could reach $50 million -- Oakland's budget deficit is on course to more than triple the $15 million shortfall that former City Administrator Deborah Edgerly figured in the city's current spending plan, according to new projections obtained by The Chronicle. Officials said Friday that the dire forecast may force them to lay off employees and cut services, difficult decisions they say they will make after returning from summer recess and begin poring over Oakland's finances. SF Chronicle 7/22/08

 

Agriculture Daily News July 22

Water:

 

*State's water chief worries 2009 will be worst drought -- California's second-largest storage reservoir will end this year with the lowest amount of water in more than 30 years, the state's water chief said yesterday. Lester Snow, Department of Water Resources director, spoke at a congressional hearing on California's drought in Fresno, where farmers, climate change experts and area politicians testified about the financial impacts wrought by the water shortage. San Diego Union Tribune 7/22/08

 

Slowdown begins as Folsom Lake level falls -- The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation declared that because the lake continues to get shallower, exposing more hazards, the speed limit for motorboats is 5 mph. That limit is imposed when the lake's surface elevation falls to 400 feet above sea level. The lake's level was 399 feet at 4 a.m. today. Sacramento Bee 7/22/08

 

Agriculture:

 

Salmonella strain found in jalapeño in Texas -- A jalapeño pepper grown in Mexico and stored in a Texas border town warehouse has tested positive for the same rare strain of salmonella that has confounded federal disease investigators for nearly two months. As a result, the Food and Drug Administration issued an advisory Monday for consumers to avoid eating uncooked jalapeños from any source - another potential blow to California, which produces about $45 million worth of chile peppers annually. Only nine cases have been reported in California. There have been 475 in Texas. SF Chronicle 7/22/08

 

FDA warns about salmonella danger of jalapeno peppers -- Raley's Stores and Save Mart Supermarkets don't plan to remove jalapeños from their shelves. Produce Express, a distributor that supplies vegetables to hundreds of the region's eateries, planned to deliver jalapeños as usual this morning, along with a notice about the warning. Many restaurants contacted by The Bee on Monday afternoon had heard nothing of the FDA alert. A local pepper farmer called it nonsensical. Sacramento Bee 7/22/08

 

*Mosquito spraying put on hold until testing completed -- After three evenings of spraying pesticide over the skies of south Sacramento and Elk Grove, West Nile warriors will have to wait until next week to learn if the treatment cut down on infected mosquitoes. It will take that long to finish a series of before-and-after mosquito trapping and testing in the sprayed areas, said Gary Goodman, assistant manager of the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District. Sacramento Bee 7/22/08

 

Parks and forests:

 

*U.S. to announce fire settlement with Union Pacific -- In a landmark case, the federal government will announce a $102 million settlement today with the Union Pacific Railroad Co. over a forest fire that devastated a massive national forest area near the Feather River Canyon eight years ago. It is the largest settlement ever in a lawsuit over the origin of a forest fire case, thanks in no small part to a groundbreaking order by a federal judge. The judge ruled UP must pay for the loss of public scenery and recreation and habitat and wildlife, rather than merely the costs of the lost timber and firefighting resources used to douse the blaze. Sacramento Bee 7/22/08

 

News Update July 21

Food:

 

State of the Cart -- In one area San Francisco falls perplexingly short: It's not a great city for street food. Senior inspector Rodney G. Ong of the San Francisco Department of Public Health, which inspects, licenses, and issues permits to all pushcarts and taco trucks (which also must be issued permits by the police department and permitted and inspected by the fire department), estimated there were only a hundred or so licenses for selling food outdoors. Kevin Westley, executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, says his group supports street vendors as long as they're licensed and pass quarterly inspections. He muses that there are so few because there are "so many very small restaurant spaces available in San Francisco, where you can do much better and ambitious food than you can in a cart or a truck." SF Weekley 7/16/08

 

FDA finds salmonella strain in jalapeno pepper -- Government inspectors have found the same salmonella strain responsible for a nationwide food-poisoning outbreak in a Mexican-grown jalapeno in a Texas plant, prompting a new warning for consumers to avoid eating fresh jalapenos. SF Examiner 7/21/08

 

Transit:

 

*Commuters ready to launch -- Plans are afloat to construct two new ferry launches on San Francisco's waterfront, part of a plan to spin a web of ferry routes throughout the Bay. The two launches, which will be built just south of the Ferry Building on Pier 2 and will cost at least $45 million, could be the destination of ferries carrying commuters and visitors from South San Francisco, Berkeley or Alameda, Hercules, Antioch, Martinez, Richmond, Redwood City and Treasure Island.Proponents say the ferry system could bring in millions for waterfront businesses, and save time and money. Examiner 7/21/08

 

Deadly Tolls: Sick truckers causing fatal wrecks -- Tractor-trailer and bus drivers in the United States have suffered seizures, heart attacks or unconscious spells behind the wheel that led to deadly crashes on highways. Hundreds of thousands of drivers carry commercial licenses even though they also qualify for full federal disability payments, according to a new U.S. safety study obtained by The Associated Press. AP 7/21/08

 

*Rail plan on track to eminent domain -- California's proposed high-speed rail system could force hundreds of residents and businesses along the Caltrain corridor off of some or all of their property. Approximately 38 percent of the Caltrain corridor is less than 100 feet wide, too narrow to accommodate the high-speed rail line. High-Speed Rail Authority board member Ron Diridon said 100 feet is needed for both the Caltrain and high-speed rail tracks. Examiner7/21/08

 

Redwood City ferry plans sail along -- A planned ferry system between Redwood City and San Francisco that would reportedly shuttle 1,420 passengers between the two cities in fewer than 50 minutes has made it over its first bureaucratic hurdle. San Mateo County currently does not have a ferry service, although a different ferry terminal project — for South San Francisco's Oyster Point — recently received $10 million in funding.  SF Examiner 7/21/08

Transportation Daily News July 21

Ports and shipping:

 

*2 trials for bay pilot: negligence, lying -- A federal judge refused Friday to dismiss criminal charges against the pilot of the container ship that struck the Bay Bridge in November and spilled more than 50,000 gallons of fuel oil into San Francisco Bay. John Cota is charged with two misdemeanor counts of criminal negligence for guiding the 901-foot Cosco Busan in the fog, allegedly proceeding at an unsafe speed and making other errors that led to the vessel hitting the second tower west of Yerba Buena Island the morning of Nov. 7. SF Chronicle 7/19/08

 

Detained Chinese crew members facing longer stay -- Lawyers for the pilot of the ship that struck the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge say there is new evidence raising doubts about the Chinese crew's truthfulness after the incident, but say the crew should be detained as witnesses for several more months.The six crew members have already been held in Northern California as "material witnesses" for eight months while the case against Capt. John Cota plods along. According to Cota's lawyers, the prosecution has said the Chinese captain has admitted "he did not know how to interpret the symbols on the electronic chart." AP 7/19/08

 

A shipshape ports bill -- Under SB 974, shippers and retailers would have to pay a fee of $60 on every typical-sized container passing through the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland. Local officials had a legitimate beef with past versions of the bill, which would have directed state transportation and air-quality boards to distribute the money. These boards tend to care more about regional equity than about distributing funds where they're most needed. LA Times 7/21/08

 

Program Would Provide Certified Training For Maritime Cops -- Port police and other maritime law enforcement folks will be able to share a common base of knowledge, terminology, and procedures under a new training program announced last week at the Port of Los Angeles. Port Operations Director John Holmes noted that although several agencies employ maritime officers, there is no standardized training similar to the Police Officer Standards and Training certified program provided for all police personnel in California. Cunningham Report 7/20/08

 

Transit and infrastructure:

 

*Rough ride ahead for Muni's overhaul plan -- Municipal Railway officials have mapped out an ambitious strategy to improve transit service in the city by overhauling the decades-old route map and concentrating resources on the most popular lines. The idea is that Muni, the Bay Area's biggest transit agency with some 700,000 boardings a day, should use its limited resources to boost service reliability and on-time performance for the vast majority of people who use the system. That will mean the elimination of some lines and expansion of others. SF Chronicle 7/21/08

 

State budget games get played out in Sacramento -- and on the 110 -- For decades, Sacramento has shortchanged the state's infrastructure, diverting the funds into its own waste, work force and special-interest excess. Because of this abuse, the state's leaders told us in 2006, we would have to take out huge bonds just to keep California's infrastructure from crumbling. Voters were skeptical, but what else could they do? The dreadful state of California's choked roads and freeways left us no other choice. So we dutifully approved Proposition 1B.  And now state leaders want to use that money to help underwrite the wasteful general-fund spending practices that forced us to pass Proposition 1B in the first place. Daily News 7/20/08

 

*U.S. highway trust fund veers toward crisis -- As motorists cut back on their driving and buy more fuel-efficient cars, the government is taking in less money from the federal gasoline tax.The result: The principal source of funding for highway projects will soon hit a big financial pothole. The federal highway trust fund could be in the red by $3.2 billion or more next year.The fund, set to finance about $40 billion in transportation projects next year, is increasingly strained. And the problem has taken on greater urgency as lawmakers face a backlog of projects to maintain the nation's aging interstate highway system and ease traffic congestion. LA Times 7/21/08

 

A tale of four commutes -- As gas prices top $4.50 a gallon, alternative forms of commuting are becoming more popular. Bay Area workers are flocking to bus, BART and other options in increasing numbers. BART ridership, for example, has jumped 6 percent compared with a year ago, to record-high ridership of some 370,000 on a typical weekday. Here's a rundown from four Bay Area commuters on how they dumped their cars and saved a bundle on the trip to work. Inside Bay Area 7/20/08

 

Suicide barrier for Golden Gate Bridge? Public debate promises to be emotional -- The 71-year-old bridge has the dubious distinction of being the world's No. 1 suicide draw, though a recent 10-year study by the Marin County coroner found that most victims are from the immediate Bay Area. Renewed discussion over barriers is the most serious to date, said bridge district spokeswoman Mary Currie, calling the newly released environmental impact report and design options "a milestone."Currently, efforts to deter jumpers include emergency counseling telephones, foot and bike patrols, employee training and surveillance cameras. Sacramento Bee 7/21/08

 

Emissions:

 

EPA Says Life Is Worth Less -- Last week, it was revealed that an Environmental Protection Agency office had lowered its official estimate of life's value, from about $8.04 million to about $7.22 million. Now, for the first time, the EPA has used this little-known process to devalue life, something that environmentalists say could set a scary precedent, making it seem that lifesaving pollution reductions are not worth the cost. Washington Post 7/19/08

State to consider ban on car texting -- The Assembly will consider a bill to ban text messaging while driving next month, officials said at a news conference Friday. Mike Eng, who will be the head of the Transportation Committee in the 2009 legislative session, said he was not yet sure whether the texting legislation is necessary. Daily Bulletin 7/18/08

 

Agriculture Daily News July 21

Fish and water:

 

*Salmon threatened with extinction, judge says -- A federal judge has concluded that California's water operations are driving some salmon runs toward extinction — but he declined to intervene. The order, issued late Friday by U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger in Fresno, contained both good news and bad news for environmentalists and commercial salmon fishing advocates, representatives of those groups said. Although they did not win immediate measures to protect the fish, the judge's conclusions mean regulators will be forced to impose more protective conditions when they issue a new permit in March, lawyers said. SJ Mercury 7/18/08

 

Delta diversion threat to salmon, judge rules -- A federal judge in Fresno affirmed Friday that water diversions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta have jeopardized the existence of California's beleaguered salmon. It was the latest in a string of rulings ordering state and federal regulators to fix a water system that supplies millions of Californians with water but is all but dysfunctional when it comes to protecting fisheries and the environment. SF Chronicle 7/19/08

 

*Pelosi vows to block offshore drilling vote -- Despite growing public support for ending the ban on offshore drilling, even in California, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she won't allow a vote.It's an example of the vast power placed in the office of the speaker, who sets the agenda for the 435-member House. Members can force a vote if enough of them sign a petition, but that's a rarity because it requires rank-and-file Democrats to line up against their boss. McClatchy's 7/18/08

 

Daniel Weintraub: Get used to hearing a lot more talk about the Delta -- the Delta is defined by more than 1,000 miles of man-made levees protecting dozens of islands, many of which are used for farming. The levees also keep saltwater out of the Delta, making it easier to send fresh water south for drinking and irrigation. But this man-made landscape is not sustainable. The islands are sinking, falling victim to decades of farming and the oxidation of the soil. Building a canal to shuttle water from the lower Sacramento River around the Delta and then to the south would be cheaper, less disruptive to the water supply and might ultimately be better for the Delta itself. Sacramento Bee 7/20/08

 

Bio-fuel:

 

Pacifica closer to building biodiesel production plant -- This sleepy seaside city is one big step closer to building the Bay Area's first biodiesel production plant coupled with a wastewater treatment plant thanks the California Coastal Commission, but not everyone is rejoicing. In a unanimous vote last Friday, the Coastal Commission gave its blessing to a plan to build a biodiesel refinery at the current site of Pacifica's Calera Creek Water Recycling Plant. Inside Bay Area 7/16/08

 

Immigration and labor:

 

*California bill would extend jobless benefits in drought areas -- California lawmakers are considering legislation to expand unemployment benefits for workers who have lost their jobs due to the state's drought. Assembly Bill 1107 would let those workers earn up to $200 per week before their benefits are cut. Unemployment recipients in the drought areas now face a far lower earnings cap – $25 per week – before their benefits drop. Sacramento Bee 7/21/08

 

Valley unemployment keeps rising -- Northern San Joaquin Valley unemployment continued to climb in June, according to a report released Friday. Statewide, job seekers are facing the toughest time finding work in five years. Modesto Bee 7/19/08

 

Parks and forests:

 

Warming West is ground zero for wildfires -- California has been hit by 2,000 fires this year, and climate scientists are predicting that the situation will worsen as temperatures rise. The American West has been warming dramatically during the past 60 years at a rate surpassed only by Alaska. This year has been particularly dry for California, with less snowfall, earlier snowmelt and lower summer river flows. SF Chronicle 7/20/08

 

Private firms help in fighting state fires -- Contractors are often overlooked outside the fire zones, but they are considered valuable allies as strained state and federal forces battle blazes such as the ones in recent weeks that have scorched more than 900,000 acres from Big Sur to Mount Shasta. These re-enforcements do not come cheap. The federal government has spent $75 million on private contractors in the state since Oct. 1, which includes the wildland fires that devastated Southern California last fall. San Diego Union Tribune 7/20/08

 

Agriculture:

 

Salmonella scare hit state growers hard -- By the time the Food and Drug Administration cleared tomatoes Thursday in its investigation of a salmonella outbreak, California's tomato sales had plummeted more than 40 percent. Tomato growers accuse the FDA of failing to do control studies interviewing people who ate tomatoes but did not get sick. Those are now under way. SF Chronicle 7/19/08

 

Transportation Daily News July 18

Water and shipping:

 

*Cosco Busan's impact still not entirely clear -- Nine months after an oil slick spread across the Bay from the Cosco Busan, the ship’s tarnished name has been scrubbed off its hull, but exhaustive cleanup efforts have failed to remove all of the spilled toxic fuel from area shorelines. Evidence of the oily mess surfaced as recently as last month, with tar balls showing up on beaches north of Marin and in Alameda. Examiner 7/18/08

 

Port of Oakland nears investment deal for shipping berths -- As it seeks to shake up its business model, Oakland's port is getting closer to picking a logistics company to renovate and operate several shipping berths.  The Port of Oakland traditionally has paid for renovations and expansions of its berths by selling bonds. But, in an effort to shift the cost burden to an outside investor, the port wants to strike a long-term deal with a private company willing to pay for infrastructure improvements in exchange for rights to operate berths. East Bay Business Times 7/18/08

 

Emissions:

 

UC Davis to Study How New Fuels Will Affect Air Quality -- As millions of cars and trucks hit the road using fuels other than gasoline, the Environmental Protection Agency is funding a $900,000 research project at UC Davis to learn precisely what emissions those alternative-fuel vehicles produce and how climate change might affect those emissions. The research is urgently needed to improve forecasts of how climate change will affect air quality in California, said Michael Kleeman, who is the project's lead researcher and a UC Davis professor of civil and environmental engineering. Govtech 7/18/08

 

 

Agriculture Daily News July 18

Water:

 

*Peripheral canal urged to save the delta -- After decades of thirsty cities and farms sucking water through the fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta - the main valve for California's aging water system - only a man-made pipeline around the estuary can both restore wildlife habitats and provide a safe water supply, according to a new study by an influential research group. SF Chronicle 7/18/08

 

Delta peripheral canal should be built, report concludes -- A team of experts says the best way to fix California's troubled water system is to build a peripheral canal that would deliver water around the Delta rather than through it. The report concludes that a canal would be the cheapest economic alternative and the best choice for the environment short of cutting off Delta water shipments to the Bay Area, San Joaquin Valley and Southern California. The report was conducted by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California and written by several leading Delta experts, mostly at UC Davis. CC Times 7/18/08

 

Delta Future: Expert Sources on New California Delta Report -- This week's unprecedented, science-based report recommending a peripheral canal as the best solution to the California Delta's ecological and economical problems was written by a multidisciplinary team from UC Davis and the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC). The authors were Jay Lund, William Fleenor, William Bennett, Richard Howitt, Jeffrey Mount and Peter Moyle of UC Davis and Ellen Hanak, PPIC associate director and senior fellow. Delta report of July 17, 2008: http://www.ppic.org UC Davis Press Release 7/18/08

 

*Sierra snowpack could shrink faster than previously thought -- The same phenomenon that is causing Arctic sea ice to melt at an accelerating rate also poses a bigger threat to California's snowpack than previously thought, a new study suggests. Spring snowmelt could begin up to two months earlier in parts of the western United States by the end of the century, the study predicts. That could further dry the West and increase the number of forest fires. Inside Bay Area 7/18/08

 

Cosco Busan's impact still not entirely clear -- Nine months after an oil slick spread across the Bay from the Cosco Busan, the ship's tarnished name has been scrubbed off its hull, but exhaustive cleanup efforts have failed to remove all of the spilled toxic fuel from area shorelines. Evidence of the oily mess surfaced as recently as last month, with tar balls showing up on beaches north of Marin and in Alameda. Examiner 7/18/08

 

Environmentalists sue EPA for cleaner water rules -- Five environmental groups sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday, claiming the federal government is violating the Clean Water Act by failing to set standards for farm and urban runoff that is polluting Florida's waterways. SJ Mercury 7/18/08

 

*City, University Prepare to Dramatically Reduce Water Usage -- In the face of impending water restrictions and drought rates, both the city and UC Berkeley are bracing for water reductions of up to 30 percent. EBMUD will require that the city's park system cut its water usage by 30 percent on each of its 300 meters. In the past month, park maintenance has started watering areas only every three days, adjusting sprinkler coverage to reduce waste, replacing leaking or high-flow sprinkler heads and simply letting some areas suffer. Berkely Daily Planet 7/18/08

 

Comprehensive guide published on Sustainable Management of Winery Water and Associated Energy -- Wine Institute and the American Vineyard Foundation, in partnership with the National Grape & Wine Initiative, recently published a new Comprehensive Guide to Sustainable Management of Winery Water and Associated Energy. The document gives wineries of all sizes the tools for self-assessment to make improvements in environmental performance and to lower overall production costs for water and energy use. Workshops on how to use the guide will be provided by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance and PG&E. For details on post-harvest winery water workshops and other sustainability educational events, visit www.sustainablewinegrowing.org to view the workshop calendar. Western Farm Press 7/18/08

 

Health:

 

*2 Health Insurers to Pay $13M to Calif. Regulators -- Two of California's biggest health insurers have agreed to collectively pay $13 million and reinstate more than 2,000 insurance policies to settle claims with the state that they illegally dropped policyholders from coverage. Anthem Blue Cross will pay $10 million and reinstate coverage for 1,770 enrollees while Blue Shield of California will pay $3 million and reinstate coverage for 450 enrollees. Both insurers will also reimburse policyholders for any outstanding medical debts that resulted from loss of insurance. AP 7/18/08

 

*U.S. exclusion of visitors with HIV could end soon -- A two-decade ban on people with HIV visiting or immigrating to the United States may end soon through a Senate bill aimed at fighting AIDS and other diseases in Africa and other poor areas of the world.  The U.S. is one of a dozen countries — including Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Libya and Russia — that ban travel and immigration for HIV-positive people. CC Times 7/16/08

 

Parks and forests:

 

*Forest Service explains its 'let it burn' policy -- Federal land managers in California are retooling their firefighting strategies to capture more of the public safety, economic and environmental benefits of letting wildfires run their natural course without overwhelming the public with smoke and destroying homes. That's a tough balancing act in the nation's most populous state, which already endures the smoggiest and grittiest air in the country. But in a select few remote national forests, parks and wilderness areas, ecologists say, the federal government has been weaning itself off Smokey Bear's admonitions with measurable success. Sacramento Bee 7/18/08

 

President Bush tours California wildfires -- President George W. Bush took an aerial tour of the California wildfires at Redding and Shasta-Trinity National Forest. After the tour, Bush and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger gave brief remarks.  Mark Rey, the Undersecretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment, told reporters on Air Force One that there were more than 2,010 fires this year, up from 270 last year.  San Francisco Business Times 7/17/08

 

Agriculture:

 

Planes spray a second night for W. Nile virus -- The Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District began its second consecutive day of spraying Thursday night in portions of south Sacramento and Elk Grove to kill mosquitoes and control the spread of West Nile virus. Planes, which took off from Stockton airport, began spraying at 8:32 p.m. and ended at 11:06 p.m., according to the district's Web site. Sacramento Bee 7/18/08

 

*Cotton vs. olives -- The conventional wisdom is that California's crops drink up about 80 percent of the usable water supply (that is, the amount captured by the water system and not devoted to environmental purposes). Urban dwellers use the rest. With water harder to come by, it makes sense more experts are wondering whether California farmers should be growing lots of thirsty crops. Cotton is one. And it seems those farmers are wondering the same thing. The number of acres planted in cotton has plunged by almost half in the last decade: 1 million acres in 1997 to 560,000 acres in 2006. Other crops get a bad rap for water use, too -- alfalfa and rice -- but they haven't declined, or not by much. SF Chronicle 7/18/08

 

*Tiny bug threatens California citrus industry -- Border agents have stepped up searches and hundreds of traps have been placed on the California-Mexico line in an aggressive campaign to stop a tiny bug from bringing in a disease farmers say could wipe out the $1.3 billion citrus industry here. Already, Asian citrus psyllid has hurt citrus production in parts of China and infested millions of dead and dying trees in Florida and Brazil. Growers say the bug has the potential to be more damaging than the Mediterranean fruit fly because entire groves — not just fruit — are at risk. AP 7/18/08

 

Experts call for new program of long-term ag research -- Long-term agricultural research is key to meeting U.S. demands for the three "Fs" -- food, fuel and fiber -- according to a USDA-led investigation that includes a UC Davis faculty member. The study calls for the creation of a national Long-Term Agricultural Research (LTAR) program that includes growers, conservationists and other interested parties. Titled "Long-term Agricultural Research: A Research, Education, and Extension Imperative," it is published in the current edition of the peer-reviewed journal BioScience. Western Farm Press 7/18/08

 

*Sen. Feinstein seeks crucial support for Emergency Agriculture Relief Act -- As American agriculture continues to face a serious and worsening labor crisis, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) urged the presidents of the nation's state Farm Bureaus on July 15 to support her efforts to pass the Emergency Agriculture Relief Act. Feinstein told the American Farm Bureau Federation's (AFBF) Council of Presidents that she will continue to work to pass the measure, which was stripped from the emergency supplemental spending bill in May. Western Farm Press 7/17/08

 

Tomato warning is lifted -- Americans can put tomatoes back on their grocery lists, following the Food and Drug Administration's announcement Thursday that the fruit is once again safe to eat. However, officials cautioned that the source of a recent salmonella outbreak - which had been initially linked to tomatoes - remains unknown. SJ Mercury 7/18/08

 

Cherry exporters see Japan's door open wider -- U.S. fresh cherry exporters look forward to Japan relaxing its phytosanitary protocols for importing the product in about two years. Currently, exporters must pay for all the costs of Japanese inspectors traveling to the U.S. to inspect the produce. That's despite the cherries being inspected again once they reach Japanese port, said the Japan representative of the Northwest Cherry Growers. Capital Press 7/18/08

 

Transportation Daily News July 16

Shipping:

 

*California port fee would fight pollution, congestion -- Saying California children shouldn't breathe soot so people across the country can buy cheap televisions, legislators voted Tuesday to impose a fee on every container moving through the ports of Long Beach, Los Angeles and Oakland. The money -- at least $400 million a year -- would be used to ease the traffic congestion and air pollution generated by the ports, which handle more than 40% of the nation's goods. LA Times 7/16/08

 

CA imposes new fee on shipping -- In an effort to clean up the air around its shipping ports, members of the California House of Representatives voted Tuesday to impose a fee on every container moving through the ports of Long Beach, Los Angeles and Oakland.   The bill calls for a $60 fee for every container that passes through the ports and is expected to raise at least $400 million a year in revenues to be put towards easing the traffic congestion and air pollution generated by the ports, which handle more than 40 percent of the nation's goods. Oh My Gov 7/16/08

 

Emissions:

 

*EPA unveils first rules on carbon dioxide storage -- The Environmental Protection Agency wants to make sure curbing global warming doesn't contaminate drinking water. In its first regulations on the burial of carbon dioxide underground, the EPA on Tuesday unveiled measures to protect drinking water from the gas behind the bubbles in carbonated beverages. The fledgling technology, known as carbon sequestration, is critical to reducing carbon dioxide released into the air from coal-fired power plants. AP 7/16/08

 

Grants available to truckers to clean up rigs' emissions -- Bay Area truckers using the Port of Oakland can get a jump on impending environmental regulations by applying for a piece of millions of dollars to clean up emissions on their rigs.  The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is offering up to $10,000 to equip trucks with filters to cut down on air pollution, said Ralph Borrmann, public information officer for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.  Known as the Bay Area Goods Movement Program, the BAAQMD is teaming with the state's Air Resources Board and the Port of Oakland to offer a financial break to drivers who will have to outfit the trucks in the future anyway. The Reporter 7/16/08

 

*U.S. EPA funds study on alternative fuel vehicle emissions -- The University of California, Davis, is launching research into how new alternative fuel vehicle emissions will affect air quality, with funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA is putting up $900,000 for the project, which will look at flex-fuel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and biodiesel vehicles. Cleantech 7/16/08

 

Transit and infrastructure:

 

Big Public Support for Proposition 1 -- Recent polling data from J. Moore Methods (hat tip to Californians for High Speed Trains) shows a significant amount of public support for Proposition 1.

Q: "Would you support or oppose a statewide $10 billion dollar bond measure to build a high-speed train system linking the major population centers in Southern California with the Central Valley and the Bay Area?"
July 2008: 58% support, 33% oppose, 9% no opinion
May 2008: 53-36-11
Feb. 2008: 54-39-7
Nov. 2007: 52-42-6 High Speed Rail Blog 7/15/08

 

High speed rail on track -- The $9.95 billion bond measure, Proposition 1, would cover about a third of the costs for this initial phase (the plan would eventually extend the tracks to run from Sacramento to San Diego), with the balance borne almost equally by the federal government and private investors. With around 100 million passenger trips per year, and LA-SF tickets projected to cost around $60, fiscal studies show the project will more than pay for itself in less than 20 years, then generate about $1 billion a year in profits. Bay Guardian 7/16/08

 

Agriculture Daily News July 16

Health:

 

Congress Easily Overrides Medicare Veto -- President Bush sought to block a bill yesterday aimed at forestalling an 11 percent cut in payments to doctors taking care of Medicare patients, but Congress quickly overrode his veto. At issue in this bill was how the government should respond to a planned reduction in Medicare doctors' fees, mandated by a formula that requires the cuts if certain spending targets are not reached. Washington Post 7/16/08

 

Water:

 

Sacramento hires sleuths in case of missing water meters -- Scott Johnston spends his days looking for Sacramento's lost water meters, lifting heavy concrete hatches in yards and on sidewalks, meticulously recording serial numbers. Johnston works for U.S. Metering & Technology, a Colorado-based consultant Sacramento hired to help locate 4,492 water meters that are missing from the city's inventory. The Sacramento Utilities Department does not know where the meters are. They were labeled "unaccounted for" in a recent city investigation. Sacramento Bee 7/16/08

 

*Local Company Turns Sewage Into Profit -- Currently the EWA treats 30 million gallons of wastewater a day, turning it into a solid material that resembles coal particles. Every day, four truckloads of it are then hauled to farmland at an expense of $2.2 million. A new part of the treatment facility is under construction in North County. Currently it is about 80 percent complete. When finished, it will take even more water out of the sludge and turn it into a different kind of solid substance that feels grainy and looks like fertilizer. The finished product can be used in biofuel or sold as fertilizer. NBC San Diego 7/16/08

 

Meetings Set for Irrigated Lands Program -- Almond and other growers or interested parties are encouraged to attend meetings to hear about the development of a long-term Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program and an overview of monitoring results and regulatory activities in response in the current ILRP. California Farmer 7/16/08

 

Agriculture:

 

Mosquito spraying starts today -- The Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District plans to spray 23,000 acres in two areas of south Sacramento for three consecutive nights starting tonight in an effort to control the spread of West Nile virus. Sacramento Bee 7/16/08

 

'Dry farming' starting to take root with California winegrowers -- They call it "dry farming," the way agriculture used to be before plastic hoses hooked up to a water supply made deserts bloom. It's something a few vintners are returning to, driven by factors including concern over dwindling water supplies, the belief that the method produces more intensely flavored fruit, or, as is the case at Kunde, to forge a link with old traditions. Growing wine grapes without artificial irrigation is practiced in various countries such as Spain and France. LA Times 7/16/08

 

*USDA sees decreased production -- For the 2008-2009 crop year, USDA's July report projects a US crop of 14.00 million bales, down 500,000 bales from the June report. Mill use increased 100,000 bales to 4.40 million bales while exports were lowered 500,000 bales to 14.50 million bales. The estimated total offtake stands at 18.90 million bales, resulting in ending stocks of 5.30 million bales. The projected ending stocks-to-use ratio is 28.0%. Western Farm Press 7/16/08

 

USDA announces $28.4 million in funding for specialty crop research -- Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer announced today that USDA is making available $28.4 million for research and extension projects in fiscal year 2008 to address the critical needs of the specialty crop industry by developing and disseminating science-based tools to address needs of specific crops. Western Farm Press 7/16/08

 

*Which produce has the most pesticide? -- To help consumers make informed decisions, the Organic Center has published a pocket guide to the conventionally grown produce that poses the greatest risk of residual pesticide. Topping the non-profit's list are domestically grown cranberries, nectarines, peaches, strawberries, pears, green beans, sweet bell pepper, celery, cucumbers and potatoes. Among the imported products, the organization lists grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, strawberries, sweet bell peppers, lettuce, cucumbers, celery and tomatoes. SJ Mercury 7/16/08

 

 

 

Transportation Daily News July 15

Transit and infrastructure:

 

*The transit village at the Pleasant Hill BART station breaks ground Thursday -- The $366 million Contra Costa Centre transit village is a joint project undertaken by BART, Contra Costa County and the county Redevelopment Agency. The new, 1,547-space Pleasant Hill BART parking garage, which opened last month, represents the first phase. On Thursday, county and city leaders will gather for the groundbreaking on the second phase of the project. That includes 422 upscale apartments, 100 condominiums and 35,590 square feet of retail space. The third phase includes 270,000 square feet of office space, and a 19,400-square-foot conference center. CC Times 7/14/08

 

*No accord on high-speed rail -- Lawmakers on Monday failed to compromise on changes to the $9.9 billion high-speed rail bond voters will take up in November. Republicans, Democrats and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger agree that the current ballot measure lacks oversight language. But the two parties have not agreed on how to fix the measure, which lawmakers originally crafted in 2002. As envisioned, bullet trains eventually would run from San Diego, through the Central Valley, to the Bay Area and as far north as Sacramento, with top speeds of more than 200 mph. Sacramento Bee 7/15/08

 

Emissions:

 

Projected California Warming Promises Cycle Of More Heat Waves, Energy Use For Next Century --  As the 21st century progresses, major cities in heavily air-conditioned California can expect more frequent extreme-heat events because of climate change. This could mean increased electricity demand for the densely populated state, raising the risk of power shortages during heat waves, said Norman Miller, an earth scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and geography professor at the University of California, Berkeley. Their results were published in the online version of the Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology. Science Daily 7/15/08

 

Shipping

 

Dockworkers wait for new contract -- Dockworkers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are synchronizing their work breaks, temporarily bringing business at the ports to a halt. The two sides have a tentative deal on health care benefits, but are still bargaining over pensions, worker safety and productivity. Marketplace 7/15/08

 

Agriculture Daily News July 15

Health:

 

Fires, foreclosures raise risk of West Nile virus -- Two plagues in California, fires and foreclosures, may be increasing the risk of another: West Nile virus. Wildfires have sullied the air in the Sacramento area so badly that officials there have held off aerial spraying of insecticide to combat the virus, which is spread to humans and animals by infected mosquitoes. At the same time, backyard pools left with standing water in abandoned, foreclosed properties have created a breeding ground for mosquitoes, raising the risk of West Nile infection. SJ Mercury 7/14/08

 

West Nile spraying to begin Wednesday in south Sacramento -- Now that the smoke has cleared from the air, planes carrying aerial treatments for West Nile virus plan to begin their work over south Sacramento on Wednesday night. The Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District plans to begin spraying a 23,000-acre area of south Sacramento between 8 p.m. and midnight Wednesday. Treatments will continue for three consecutive nights at about the same time, the district announced in a news release Monday. Sacramento Bee 7/15/08

 

Food:

 

*Legislature approves bill banning trans fats -- California is poised to become the first state in the nation to ban restaurants and other food facilities from using trans fats, which are known to increase the risk of heart disease, under a bill approved by the state Legislature Monday and sent to the governor. The measure, passed with a bare majority, comes two weeks after a similar ban in New York City became fully effective. SF Chronicle 7/15/08

 

Soaring fuel costs take huge bite out of grocery, farm budgets -- Farmers are paying more money to fill their tractors with diesel for planting and harvesting. They also spend more for fertilizer, pesticides and plastic packaging, most of which are petroleum-based.  Then, products are shipped using diesel trucks and rail cars that are far costlier to run now than in years past.  The result is bigger and bigger food bills that are causing financial hardship for millions of Americans. Sign on San Diego 7/15/08

 

Water:

 

Water Fight ... Deja Vu? -- Less than a week after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger offered a new version of his water bond proposal, Democratic leaders in the Legislature today resurrected their own spending plans for water projects that the governor vetoed last year. While many agree that California needs to revamp its water supply infrastructure, the Republican governor and Democratic lawmakers who control the Legislature so far have not been able to close a deal on a comprehensive plan. SF Chronicle 7/15/08

 

*Dan Walters: Can we trust California's water future in politicians' hands? -- Don Perata, the outgoing president pro tem of the state Senate, said Monday he and other legislators are exploring whether they should shift responsibility for handling a worsening water supply crisis to an independent commission based on the Transportation Commission model. Sadly, it may be the only way to resolve the self-defeating, never-ending political wrangle over whether to build new dams and reservoirs, whether to construct a new "conveyance" for Northern California water through or around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, whether to shift more water from agricultural to residential and industrial users, and whether to focus on conservation as an alternative to new storage. Modesto Bee 7/14/08

 

State leaders say 'no' to offshore oil -- Fearing environmental damage to the state's coastline, California's top leaders made it clear Monday that they want no part of President Bush's plan to lift the offshore-drilling moratorium. As soon as the president announced his plan, California's Democratic leaders accused him of cozying up to oil interests and said his plan would do nothing to lower gas prices. San Luis Obispo 7/15/08

 

Parks and forests:

 

*California gets control of worst fire event in state history -- Most of the fires were started on June 21st when a massive lightning storm moved across the state sparking over 800 fires.  Thus far the wildfires have consumed over 860,000 acres of land - a number that appears to be a record since record keeping began in 1950.  Daniel Berlant, spokesman for the state's Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention, or CalFire, said Monday, "We now have light at the end of the tunnel." Examiner 7/15/08

 

Transportation Daily News July 14

Transit and infrastructure:

 

Richmond hoping ferry service can be revived -- Hundreds of homes have cropped up near Richmond's waterfront. Now, a regional water transit agency and Richmond city leaders are looking at bringing back the ferry. An environmental study will begin this summer and could take a year to complete. Locations for a terminal include an area that has within a half-mile more than 1,200 existing and approved housing units and businesses that employ just more than 2,000 people.  Those numbers exceed some estimates that indicate at least 750 rooftops are needed within a half-mile to generate sufficient ridership. Inside Bay Area 7/10/08

 

Golden Gate Toll To Increase By $1 -- The toll for crossing the Golden Gate Bridge is going up again.The $1 increase approved Friday by the board of that oversees the famous span goes into effect on Sept. 1.Drivers using cash will pay $6, and those using the electronic payment system FasTrak pay $5. AP 7/11/08

 

*BART goes solar at Orinda station -- A solar energy company has landed a BART contract to install carports with photovoltaic panels on top to provide renewable power to run the lights, fare gates and ticket machines at the station — or about everything there except for the trains, which have a separate power source. "We would like to put solar in other stations, but this was the only scenario where we could make money," a spokesperson said. SJ Mercury 7/12/08

 

BART paying more in bet on solar power -- BART plans to power two maintenance facilities and a passenger station in the East Bay with solar energy - at almost double the cost of electricity purchased today off the grid.  But BART officials said the higher cost is worth the investment to help combat global warming.  And in the long run, they say, the bigger bill for solar may prove fiscally prudent if - as expected - the price of hydroelectric and fossil fuel-derived power continues to escalate.  SF Chronicle 7/11/08

 

HSR as Strategic Value -- There's a fascinating op-ed in the Yomiuri Shimbun by Yoshiyuki Kasai, chairman of the Central Japan Railway Company, focusing on the strategic importance of HSR. Kasai makes a point I've been trying to push out here on the blog - that in the 21st century, a global economy is simply not competitive without something like high speed rail. Dependence on oil is the mounted cavalry of our time. High-Speed Rail Blog 7/13/08

 

*Higher gas prices mean increased tax revenue for California -- Pump prices here are almost always higher than in the rest of the country, partly because taxes — assessed to maintain roads and highways — are higher. The prices also reflect California's stringent clean-fuel requirements and a tight supply-and-demand situation. There are relatively few sources for the state's unique blend of gasoline. Californians pay nearly 75 cents in taxes on every gallon of gas to the state and federal government — more than any other state, according to the July report from American Petroleum Institute, a trade association that represents the oil and natural gas industry. California's 7.25 percent sales tax is generating what some say is a windfall for the government, because the amount collected is tied to the price of gasoline. Ventura County Star 7/13/08

 

Emissions:

 

Greenhouse gases: Citing cost, administration rejects proposal by EPA experts for curbing global warming --  The Bush administration, dismissing the recommendations of its top experts, yesterday rejected regulating the greenhouse gases blamed for global warming, saying it would cripple the U.S. economy. In a 588-page federal notice, the Environmental Protection Agency made no finding on whether global warming posed a threat to people's health or welfare, reversing an earlier conclusion at the insistence of the White House and officially kicking any decision on a solution to the next president and Congress. AP 7/12/08

 

Water and shipping:

 

*Feds set for mothball fleet study -- A study of the environmental impact, if any, of a mothball fleet on Suisun Bay water is set to begin this month.  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) took an interest in the federal Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet's decomposition after the fleet's level of deterioration was made public last year.  Large chunks of lead and toxin-containing paint had been reportedly peeled off into bay waters from obsolete ships set to be dismantled as they were cleaned. The Reporter 7/11/08

 

Shippers say dockworkers staged work stoppage -- Dockworkers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach staged an unapproved break Friday that brought work to a halt for 15 minutes amid ongoing contract talks, a spokesman for an association representing West Coast ports said. The workers deviated from their staggered break schedules and took a single coordinated break that temporarily brought port activity to a halt, Pacific Maritime Association spokesman Steve Getzug said. SF Chronicle 7/11/08

 

Budget crisis:

 

State overspent by $3.9 billion in fiscal year that just ended, controller says -- State Controller John Chiang delivered more grim evidence of the state's budget meltdown Thursday. Chiang's office released cash figures showing that California overspent by $3.9 billion in the fiscal year just ended. General fund expenditures for the 2007-08 fiscal year that ended June 30 totaled $107.3 billion, while total receipts were $103.4 billion. Sacramento Bee 7/11/08

 

Air travel:

 

SFO stop planned for world's biggest jet -- Emirates Airlines announced Thursday that it's planning to fly the world's largest passenger airplane to the Bay Area in two to three years. The Dubai-based company, which begins daily service to San Francisco in November, hopes to tap into the region's global business travelers and wealthy individuals who frequently travel abroad. On Aug. 4, Emirates, known for its luxury service, will show off the first fully outfitted Airbus A380 at San Francisco International Airport. The plane has 14 first-class suites, 76 business class seats and 399 seats in economy. SJ Mercury 7/11/08

 

 

Agriculture Daily News July 14

Water and fishing:

 

*$9.3 billion water bond proposal goes to lawmakers -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sen. Dianne Feinstein floated a $9.3 billion proposal for new dams and Delta projects Thursday in what amounted to a last-ditch attempt to get lawmakers on board with a water bond package in time for November's elections. The plan, however, got a cool reception in the capitol where lawmakers are struggling with an estimated $15.2 billion budget deficit and mindful that voters just two years ago approved billions of dollars in mostly unused bonds for some of the same initiatives. SJ Mercury 7/10/08

 

Bad Fish -- Over the years, state health officials have put out advisories that recommend maximum amounts of fish that people can eat from the bay without causing ill health effects. The seven chemicals examined by the state in the new assessment are the banned pesticides chlordane, DDT, toxaphene and dieldrin; mercury leaking from old mines and industrial sources, PCBs once used in electrical equipment and selenium draining from irrigated soils in the Central Valley and from the bay's oil refineries. At the end of June, Cal-EPA's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment quietly released the new look at toxics in fish, which serves as the scientific underpinnings of future consumption advisories for sport fish in California, including in San Francisco Bay. SF Chronicle 7/14/08

 

*Governor signs Wolk bill to improve Delta oversight -- Late Thursday, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law legislation by Assemblywoman Lois Wolk (D-Davis) to improve the efficiency of the commission that provides oversight over local land use decisions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Wolk's Assembly Bill 2503 authorizes voting members of the Delta Protection Commission to select a designee to vote in their absence, better enabling the commission to convene a quorum and effectively take action on items even when a member is unable to attend. Daily Democrat 7/13/08

 

EBMUD plugs 130 million gallon leak -- The East Bay's largest water district is fixing a leak that wastes more water in one day than renters just above it use in one month. The 36,000 gallon per day leak is one of four that have spilled into a storm drain for more than 10 years. The total loss: 300 million gallons. A district engineer noted that the leak was relatively small compared with the 200 million gallons a day ratepayers use. CC Times 7/11/08

 

Calif. aquafarmers cash in on demand for abalone -- n a process that has taken years to complete, microscopic abalone larvae have finally grown into fist-sized mollusks that can fetch $30 a pound from top-shelf restaurants and other buyers. The operation is one of a dozen or so aquafarms along the California coast betting on the culinary comeback of the puck-shaped mollusks that were brought to the brink of extinction by overfishing. Abalone production in the United States _ most of it in California _ roughly doubled from about 254,000 pounds in 1999 to about 522,000 pounds in 2005, the last year Ray Fields, owner of the Central Coast-based Abalone Farm, surveyed the nation's output for the International Abalone Symposium. AP 7/12/08

 

Levee project up for review -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency, or SAFCA, will take comments on a draft environmental impact statement at a meeting Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m. at Teal Bend Golf Club, 7200 Garden Highway. The study examines environmental effects of the project's first phase, which extends from Elverta Road to Highway 99. Most work is set for 2009 and involves raising levees up to 3 feet and widening them by as much as 350 feet. Sacramento Bee 7/14/08

 

Agriculture:

 

*EPA strengthens controls on 5 common pesticides -- The federal Environmental Protection Agency strengthened regulations Thursday on five common pesticides and for the first time required farmers to set up sizable buffer zones around fields treated with the chemicals. The new restrictions came after four years of heated meetings among scientists, environmentalists and the chemical industry about how to protect farm workers' health while allowing growers to use the pesticides to reap more bountiful crops. AP 7/10/08

 

Bad economy hits day laborers hard -- As the housing crisis continues to ripple through every level of the economy, many are feeling its effects. Day laborers have been particularly hard hit, as their mainstays — new home construction, residential remodels, painting and landscaping — fall victim to belt-tightening in an uncertain economy. "The truth is, there are no jobs," said Rudy Lara, program assistant for the Multicultural Institute, a Berkeley-based program that connects day laborers with jobs. He added that many of the 70 to 75 people who line the streets each day had legitimate construction and painting jobs but were laid off because of the downturn in the economy and the mortgage crisis. CC Times 7/12/08

 

Record-breaking heat wreaking havoc on honey bees, too -- On days when temperatures exceed 100 degrees, bees collect more water to cool the hive to protect the brood (immature bees) and ward against a meltdown, said Susan Cobey, University of California, Davis, bee specialist.  She said bees reduce their flight activity for nectar and pollen, but collect more water. They spread droplets of water and then fan their wings to ventilate and cool the hive.  Western Farm Press 7/14/08

 

USDA increases 2007 crop year sugar marketing allotments -- In response to a tightening domestic refined sugar market, the U.S. Department of Agriculture today increased the 2007 crop year sugar Overall Allotment Quantity by 500,000 short tons, raw value. The Overall Allotment Quantity (OAQ) is the quantity of sugar that may be marketed in the United States without being subject to penalties. USDA expects this action to effectively eliminate marketing allotment program restrictions on domestic sugar beet and sugarcane processors and increase the 2007 crop year marketable sugar supply by 100,000 to 200,000 tons. Western Farm Press 7/11/08

 

Health:

 

Private hospitals join S.F. health care plan -- San Francisco's ambitious universal health care program took a step forward Thursday, when private hospitals agreed to begin treating participants rather than leaving their care entirely up to the city's strained public health system. The 25,000 people who have enrolled in Healthy San Francisco since it began a year ago have been treated at 27 community clinics for their primary care needs and at San Francisco General Hospital for inpatient services. SF Chronicle 7/11/08

 

Heat wave adds to West Nile danger -- California's heat wave this week has created ideal conditions for the spread of West Nile virus, the mosquito-borne illness that killed 21 state residents last year and is emerging once again as a public health threat this summer. SF Chronicle 7/12/08

 

Food:

 

Event relies on expert but aging crew -- Like Obon bazaars held by Japanese-American Buddhist temples every summer, San Jose's attracts and feeds thousands of visitors who depend upon finding favorites like sushi, tempura and teriyaki boasting the homemade taste that restaurants lack. At Obon, an aging corps of dedicated workers, especially those who make sushi, is not being replenished fast enough. SJ Mercury 7/13/08

 

Rocky Aoki, founder of Benihana eateries -- Rocky Aoki, who founded the theatrical Benihana chain of steakhouses, where Japanese chefs with flashing knives double as performers, died Thursday night in Manhattan. He was 69. In 1964, when Aoki opened his first Benihana steakhouse in Manhattan, he introduced New Yorkers to dining as theater, and chefs as culinary acrobats. SJ Mercury 7/13/08

 

*Restaurants fight new menu law -- Ordinance 40-08 requires any chain restaurant with 20 or more locations to print the total number of calories, saturated fat, carbohydrates and sodium for every item on its menu, and to put that information right on menus and menu boards. The California Restaurant Association is suing the city and county of San Francisco in federal court over the ordinance, asking that it be declared unconstitutional.  The trade group says the law would only confuse customers and violates restaurants' First Amendment rights. The Golden Gate Restaurant Association will stay neutral. Last year, state Sen. Alex Padilla, a Los Angeles Democrat, proposed legislation similar to San Francisco's ordinance that would have applied to chains with at least 10 locations. Kevin Westlye, executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, said his group got in touch with the senator and was able to convinced him to increase the minimum number of outlets to 15. In exchange, the Golden Gate Restaurant Association did not oppose the bill. California Restaurant Association Executive Director Jot Condie told LNL the issue must be decided at a state level, if menus are to be regulated at all.  Legal News Line 7/14/08

 

Agriculture Daily News July 8

Governor's $9.3 billion bond to expand, protect state's water system -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today unveiled a sweeping, $9.3 billion water bond proposal that would expand the state's water storage capacity, help sustain the fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and promote conservation projects across the state. The governor's plan, aimed for the November ballot, comes after Democrats in the state Legislature balked last year at the governor's proposal for a $9 billion overhaul of the state water system that focused primarily on building three dams. But the governor has a huge political ally this time in Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who came to Sacramento in February to urge lawmakers to negotiate a water bond deal. Feinstein co-sponsored the new proposal with Schwarzenegger. SF Chronicle 7/10/08

 

Golden Gate Bridge toll likely to rise $1 -- A $1 toll increase on the Golden Gate Bridge starting in September appears likely after a bridge district committee approved the hike for $5 for those paying with FasTrak and $6 for those handing over cash. The increase is expected to help erase a $90 million budget deficit forecast for the coming five years. SF Chronicle 7/10/08

 

 

 

Transportation Daily News July 10

Transit and infrastructure:

 

*Senator talks about lowering speed limit again -- An influential Republican senator has suggested that Congress might want to consider reimposing a national speed limit to save gasoline and possibly ease fuel prices. Congress in 1974 set a national 55 mph speed limit because of energy shortages caused by the Arab oil embargo. The speed limit was repealed in 1995 when crude oil dipped to $17 a barrel and gasoline cost $1.10 a gallon. ABC 7/10/08

 

California gets economic stimulus -- Governor Schwarzenegger highlighted the economic benefits of the housing and infrastructure bonds and announced fund allocations. Proposition 1C and Proposition 46 funds are part of the historic $42 billion package of infrastructure bonds approved by voters in 2006.  The governor says Proposition 1C provides $2.85 billion. Inland News Today 7/10/08

 

Dignitaries hail award of railyard bond funds -- Schwarzenegger appeared with an array of state and local dignitaries inside the cavernous building just north of downtown Sacramento that once served as the paint shop for the Southern Pacific railyard. The railyard's new owner, Thomas Enterprises, will receive $47 million this year in state bond funds to build streets into the 240-acre property – the first step in its transformation from a dusty, shuttered industrial site to an extension of downtown with thousands of housing units, an entertainment area, offices and shopping.. Sacramento Bee 7/10/08

 

Local transit adapts to high fuel costs -- The county's public transportation system may not be able to accommodate everyone because there simply aren't enough buses, or seats, to go around. If state funds were available, the RTA would apply for them, but the state is cutting funding for key areas of public transportation, Bates said.  Mustang Daily News 7/10/08

 

Emissions:

 

*Board bans wood fires on bad air nights -- Bay Area residents who repeatedly burn wood in fireplaces and stoves on bad air nights may face a $100 fine starting this winter. Ending the era of unrestricted indoor wood burning, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District passed a measure Wednesday making it illegal to burn wood on Spare the Air nights, when unhealthy soot levels are forecast. SJ Mercury 7/10/08

 

High-speed rail:

 

*High-speed rail route OK'd -- A proposed high-speed rail network linking Southern California and Northern California will reach the Bay Area via Pacheco Pass, after approval of an environmental impact report Wednesday by the California High-Speed Rail Authority's governing board. The 800-mile system will come from Southern California through the San Joaquin Valley, then cut westward through Merced and Santa Clara counties, with a stop in Gilroy before continuing to stops in San Jose and San Francisco. SJ Mercury 7/10/08

 

*Eco study OK'ed for bullet train -- The $42 billion to $45 billion enterprise to create the nation's first high-speed rail network reached a major milestone Wednesday as the California High-Speed Rail Authority's governing board approved an environmental impact assessment of the 800-mile system's entry into the Bay Area. The next step toward building the train system would be the passage of the $10 billion Proposition 1 bond measure on the Nov. 4 ballot, which would pay nearly a third of the cost of the system's "spine" from Anaheim to San Francisco. CC Times 7/10/08

 

High-speed rail route OK'd -- Before the vote, board Chairman Quentin Kopp read passages from the environmental report that described problems with the Altamont route. Those included the environmental, engineering and funding challenge of building a new rail bridge across San Francisco Bay near the Dumbarton Bridge and adding time to the main rail line's central attraction: a 2 1/2-hour trip between San Francisco and Los Angeles. SJ Mercury 7/10/08

 

Gov. Schwarzenegger Throws Support Behind High-Speed Rail -- Schwarzenegger told NBC11 he wants California to lead the way in transporting commuters across the state at near-record speeds while reducing global warming at the same time. Voters must approve $10 billion Proposition 1 this fall. Even Schwarzenegger admits the proposal would only pay for about one quarter of the cost of the entire train system. That is why opponents are determined to see it stopped dead in its tracks. NBC 7/10/08

 

*Pacheco It Is -- It's time now for HSR advocates to unite behind this project alignment and help ensure the bond is passed this November. The last piece is AB 3034, which goes before the Senate Appropriations Committee tomorrow in Sacramento. It's not clear what will happen - whether Leland Yee's changes, including reprioritizing the SF-LA "spine", will remain.  California High Speed Rail Blog 7/10/08

 

Shipping and water:

 

*Ship engineer charged with polluting ocean -- A cargo ship's chief engineer and the companies that own and operate the vessel were charged Wednesday in federal court with using a "magic pipe" to illegally dump oil and other harmful waste into the ocean.  Pantelis Thomas is charged with four counts of falsifying log books and other charges related to illegal dumping. His attorney Douglas Schwartz said Thomas plans to plead not guilty when he appears in U.S. District Court in San Francisco on Thursday.  SJ Mercury 7/10/08

 

Cargo Ship Crew Pleads Not Guilty to Dumping Waste -- A "not guilty" plea is expected in San Francisco Thursday from the chief engineer of a greek cargo ship accused of illegal dumping. KTVU 7/10/08

 

*One Senator Blocks Passage of Clean Boating Act-- The Clean Boating Act of 2008 (S. 2766) narrowly missed passage by the Senate on June 26-- by one vote. The primary sponsor of the bill, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), requested an immediate vote that could have quickly passed the bill with a Unanimous Consent Agreement. However, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) raised an objection, putting action to a halt. Murkowski presented an amendment that would expand the Clean Boating Act to include some commercial vessels. At this submission, senators Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Nelson objected to the amendment inclusion, arguing the bill was the product of delicate compromise. The Log 7/10/08

 

In San Francisco, Mapping Out a Trail on the Water -- The nation’s inventory of recreational water trails is about to expand. In 2005, the California State Legislature sanctioned a plan for San Francisco Bay that was proposed by boating enthusiasts. Last fall, the Bay Conservation and Development Commission handed its vision off to the California Coastal Conservancy for implementation. Cities, counties and agencies ranging from the National Park Service to the East Bay Regional Park Service have plans to participate. NY Times 7/7/08

 

*Black cloud over estimates of tugboat, cargo ship soot -- Tugboats and cargo ships alike are pumping out far more soot than previously thought, according to new findings released today by federal and private scientists. Stubby tugboats plying busy harbors puff out more sooty black carbon than any other commercial vessels, and large cargo ships emit more than twice as much soot as previously estimated, according to the first broad study of commercial vessel emissions, say researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Colorado. LA Times Blog 7/9/08

Agriculture Daily News July 10

Water:

 

*California's water management must adapt to climate change -- Despite the debate on dams, some leaders are already looking to shift the focus from old strategies to new policies that work under our changing climate. This session Assembly Member Krekorian introduced AB 2153 and Assembly Members Laird and Feuer introduced AB 2175. Both measures would significantly increased water efficiency in the state. AB 2175 is now in the Senate, and hopefully will move to the Governor's desk. AB 2153, unfortunately, did not move passed the Assembly this year. Capitol Weekly 7/10/08

 

In San Francisco, Mapping Out a Trail on the Water -- The nation's inventory of recreational water trails is about to expand. In 2005, the California State Legislature sanctioned a plan for San Francisco Bay that was proposed by boating enthusiasts. Last fall, the Bay Conservation and Development Commission handed its vision off to the California Coastal Conservancy for implementation. Cities, counties and agencies ranging from the National Park Service to the East Bay Regional Park Service have plans to participate. NY Times 7/7/08

 

U.S. proposes to put smelt on endangered list -- The delta smelt, a tiny but important fish in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, could officially become "endangered" under a proposal announced Wednesday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Smelt are an indicator of the delta's health, and nearly 750,000 acres of farmland and 25 million people from the Bay Area to Central and Southern California rely on water from the delta. SF Chronicle 7/10/08

 

Parks and forests:

 

*California fire forces 10,000 to evacuate -- Authorities ordered more than 10,000 residents of Paradise, California, to leave their homes on Wednesday as a stubborn wildfire threatened to jump a river and spread into town where a blaze destroyed 74 homes in June. The so-called Butte Lightning Complex fire near Paradise, 86 miles (138 km) north of Sacramento, is one of more than 300 wildfires burning across California after lightning storms swept across the state last month sparking blazes in wilderness areas thick with bone-dry brush and trees. Reuters 7/10/08

 

Maritime chaparral fuels more than fire in Big Sur -- A majestic landscape and homes aren't the only things on fire in Big Sur: Angry local property owners, who have long chafed at the authority of the California Coastal Commission, contend that state rules protecting maritime chaparral have placed homeowners at risk and exacerbated the fire danger. The familiar chaparral--brushy thickets that thrive along the foggy coast between Santa Barbara and southern Mendocino County--is prime fuel for fires. Capitol Weekly 7/10/08

 

With Pride, Californians Step Up to Fight Fires -- While the few cities in this county have paid firefighters, in the small communities that dot this region, fires are fought mostly by trained volunteers.  To fight the 123 fires that have been burning over 41,000 thickly wooded, mountainous acres, there was only one helicopter, no air tanker with fire retardant and no one tending to 17 of the fires. When the lightning fires struck in June, Mr. Acker said, "The entire governmental system broke down; we had to rely on ourselves and our neighbors." NY Times 7/7/08

 

Agriculture:

 

*Farms May Vanish, but Their Festivals Survive -- From the Garlic Festival this month in Gilroy, Calif., which attracts more than 100,000 people, to the small Pear Fair, also this month, in Courtland, Calif., it is the season of the agricultural fair. The tradition hangs on, even as sprawl swallows up orchards. In Patterson, "the apricot capital of the world," the acreage devoted to apricots is dwindling and farmers blame the influx of dried apricots from Turkey. NY Times 7/9/08

 

Food and nutrition:

 

Students nationwide feel lunchtime pinch -- Around the country, school districts have been raising school lunch prices due to increased food, fuel, labor and other costs. The increases have been noticed in Washington, where a hearing was held Wednesday before the House Education and Labor Committee, chaired by Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez. Inside Bay Area 7/10/08

 

Food banks besieged by hard-hit families -- The Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties has distributed 3.4 million more pounds of food this year than last as demand for help continues to rise. With requests for free food up by as much as 20 percent at some food banks, the California Department of Social Services has committed the remaining $1 million from the 2007 citrus freeze relief fund to help meet the increased need. SJ Mercury 7/10/08

 

Labor and immigration:

 

*S.F. working on protocol for teen illegals -- In the wake of a national firestorm over the city's practices, Juvenile Probation Chief William Siffermann told the little-known commission about how the city is developing a protocol to surrender underage Hondurans caught dealing crack on the streets of San Francisco over to the federal authorities if they are here illegally. SF Chronicle 7/10/08

 

Agriculture Daily News July 9

Water:

 

*East Bay rationing plans calls for increase --  The East Bay's largest water district will raise rates by 10 percent and impose surcharges on customers who do not conserve water as part of a plan to cut water use by 15 percent. The new rates start Aug. 1 and will show up on customers' bills beginning in September and October. Inside Bay Area 7/9/08

 

Water rates to go up 10% in East Bay on Aug. 1 -- Starting Aug. 1, most of the East Bay Municipal Utility District's 1.3 million customers will pay 10 percent more for water. They will, in addition, face surcharges if they drink, pour or otherwise use more than a personal allocation. The rate hike, which the EBMUD board approved by a 7-0 vote, is an effort to shave 15 percent off water use in the aftermath of a second consecutive year of below-average rainfall. SF Chronicle 7/9/08

 

Glaciers on California's Mt Shasta keep growing -- Scientists say a warming Pacific Ocean means more moist air sweeping over far Northern California. Because of Shasta's location and 14,162-foot elevation, the precipitation is falling as snow, adding to the mass of the mountain's glaciers. SF Chronicle 7/9/09

 

Agencies urge water conservation -- Water conservation tips are a part of the new "Water Saving Hero" campaign, sponsored by the Santa Clara Valley Water District and 10 other Bay Area water agencies. The campaign, launched this month, is part of the ongoing effort to encourage voluntary water conservation as drought conditions continue. SJ Mercury 7/9/08

 

Food and wine:

 

Governor Schwarzenegger Proclaims September 2008 California Wine Month -- Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared September 2008 California Wine Month for the fourth consecutive year. In the proclamation, the Governor lauds the state's wine community as one of the largest and most successful wine producing regions in the world. As the state's leading advocate, Governor Schwarzenegger has also given his support to the historic partnership between the Wine Institute and the California Travel & Tourism Commission (CTTC). Market Watch 7/9/08

 

Agriculture:

 

California Checks On Farmworkers In Heat Wave -- Searing temperatures are expected this week in most of California. That spells more trouble for firefighters, and can be deadly for people laboring in agricultural fields. This summer, at least one farmworker has died due to heat exhaustion. California officials are trying to better enforce laws requiring growers to provide adequate water and shade. NPR 7/9/08

 

*Mating race with light brown apple moth questioned -- The plan to substitute sterile moths for aerial spraying as a way to combat the light brown apple moth has mollified many anti-spraying activists, but some pest-control experts have cast fresh doubt on how effective the program can be, based on the moth's mating habits. At issue is whether the female moth mates more than once in her lifetime, which would expose her to multiple opportunities to lay eggs. The California Department of Food and Agriculture says the female moth mates only once. But independent pest control experts and entomologists say the female light brown apple moth can mate several times in the one- to two-week period preceding the period in which she lays her eggs. SJ Mercury 7/9/08

 

Health:

 

*Coalition plans major health care reform drive -- In cities across the nation, a coalition of groups kicked off a $40 million campaign Tuesday with a simple message for the presidential candidates: Affordable health care should be available to all Americans by 2009. The groups plan to spend $1.5 million on advertising immediately and will invest $25 million in a media blitz before the November election. They also plan to have 100 organizers in 45 states. CC TImes 7/9/08

 

South Sacramento may face aerial West Nile spraying -- South Sacramento residents face the possibility of aerial spraying as early as next week to combat the spread of the West Nile virus. Mosquito sample lab results available today will help officials determine whether to spray, said Luz Maria Rodriguez of the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District. Sacramento Bee 7/9/08

 

Transportation Daily News July 9

Emissions:

 

*AB 32 Cosponsor Says CARB Draft Implementation Plan Needs More Recommendations to Cut Land Use, Transportation Emissions -- The draft scoping plan by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to implement The Global Warming Solution Act (AB 32) "will need to further develop recommendations on changing the way land use and transportation decisions are made," according to testimony today by an AB 32 cosponsor at the first public workshop on the draft scoping plan.  Earth Times 7/8/08

 

Air board to restrict fireplace use on bad air days -- A clash between the public's right to breathe clean air and individuals' rights to burn wood in fireplaces comes to a showdown today when the Bay Area's air pollution board is expected to ban wood fires on bad air nights.The rule also would limit the visibility of smoke from chimneys year round in an effort to protect people from odors, eye irritation, and respiratory problems aggravated by burning of wet wood, plastic or trash. Adoption of the rule is likely after the Bay Area Air Quality Management District board holds a final public hearing on one of the district's most contentious proposals in decades. SJ Mercury 7/9/08

 

Budget crisis:

 

*California's fiscal woes largely of its own making -- Analysts say the state's troubles stem largely from its budget system -- the most dysfunctional in the country -- and they look to California as an example of how not to do things. In a recent ranking of state policies by the Pew Center on the States, California scored D+ on fiscal management. The average grade was B-. LA Times 7/7/08

 

Infrastructure:

 

Judging the bridge's 5 suicide barrier designs -- Each design would cost an estimated $40 million to $50 million if built today, bridge officials say, but no funding has been secured. The public can comment on the designs and review the draft environmental impact report at www.ggbsuicidebarrier.org. SF Chronicle 7/9/08

 

High speed rail:

 

Veteran former lawmaker and judge to lead charge for high speed rail ballot measure -- Prop. 1 asks voters to approve a $9.95 billion bond issue to partially pay for the heretofore sketchy transportation proposal that's been floating around the Golden State's political world since before 1996 when the state-sponsored HSRA was established. Kopp got five minutes or so this morning on KTVU Channel 2 and was interviewed on the measure by veteran anchor Ross McGowan. Politicker CA 7/9/08

 

Our View: High-speed future is here -- The proposal to build an 800-mile system of 200-mph trains linking Southern and Northern California, by way of the Valley, has made a great deal of sense throughout its two-decade gestation. Proposition 1, the $9.95 billion bond measure, is the necessary first step. High-speed rail will be an engine of economic development that we badly need in this state, creating tens of thousands of jobs in both its construction and its operation. Merced Sun Star 7/9/08

Agriculture Daily News July 8

Agriculture:

 

*Slaughter under way of dairy herd exposed to TB -- More than 1,000 cattle at risk of contracting bovine tuberculosis are being slaughtered in Fresno County, where the contagious lung disease has been found at three dairies. Federal officials have quarantined more than 12,000 cattle there to protect the country's largest milk-producing region from economic hardship.  U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary of Agriculture Bruce Knight is on the scene, and the agency has begun drawing up new regulations for California cattle shipped out of state. SJ Mercury 7/8/08

 

Five things to watch in next year's cotton market -- Never before has the cotton market been pulled and pushed in so many directions, from such great distances and by factors the market usually has ignored. With the price of corn headed to between $7 and $8, and the price of soybeans headed toward $16, we could be in for another year of low acreage for cotton in 2009. Western Farm Press 7/8/08

 

*Good quality gets California tree fruit season off to solid start -- California fresh peach, plum and nectarine growers are at the supply peak of a marketing season that is expected to send more than 56 million packages to markets worldwide by season's end. It has been a roller coaster start for the season, with many producers, especially from the Modesto area north, suffering frost damage. Some orchards were a 100 percent loss due to frost. However, the frost damage cut significantly into the early fruit supply, which has been marketed to pleased consumers who are paying respectable prices for plentiful, good-eating quality fruit. Western Farm Press 7/8/08

 

California tree fruit growers reduce nitrogen to improve quality -- Progressive California fresh fruit growers have significantly reduced nitrogen use on peach, plum and nectarine trees, and the result has been improved quality fruit. University of California Extension Pomologist Scott Johnson told growers at a University of California Kearney Agricultural Center field day featuring nutrient management that growers have reduced nitrogen use by half, compared to a decade or more ago. Western Farm Press 7/8/08

 

Health:

 

Senate to vote Wednesday on cutting Medicare payments to doctors –A  pay cut was scheduled to take effect July 1. But after public complaints, the Bush administration intervened at the last minute, suspending the pay cuts until July 15. The pay cuts are part of a Medicare cost-containment package approved by Congress in 1997. It created a new formula for determining physician payment rates, but Congress has so far been unwilling to follow through, voting four times since 2002 to stop the pay cuts. Sacramento Bee 7/8/08

 

Aerial spraying considered to combat West Nile virus -- South Sacramento County residents, already suffering from heat and dirty air, face the possibility of aerial spraying to combat the spread of the West Nile virus. The Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District announced today that because of the extreme heat, transmission of the virus is expected to increase in bird and mosquito populations. Brown said the district is evaluating its response. Though no formal decision has been made, the district said aerial spraying might be needed as early as next week. Sacramento Bee 7/8/08

 

Sacramento-Yolo mosquito district treats abandoned pools -- Technicians assigned to crack down on mosquito-borne West Nile virus have seen a drastic increase in cases involving abandoned or neglected swimming pools in the Sacramento area. Pool-related treatments handled by the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District have increased sixfold in the first half of this year compared with the same period last year. Mosquitoes often seek out such pools and standing water to lay their eggs. Sacramento Bee 7/8/08

 

*More fines considered for Anthem Blue Cross in policy cancellations -- California health care regulators say they are reviewing whether Anthem Blue Cross should face more fines in addition to a $1 million penalty for canceling coverage for hundreds of policy holders. Gubernatorial adviser Daniel Zingale says investigations have been launched into each of the health insurer's 1,770 canceled policies to look for individual fines. A possible $200,000 maximum fine in each case means the next set of fines could dwarf the initial million-dollar fine announced last year. SJ Mercury 7/8/08

 

Water:

 

*Most of Sacramento's water meters purchased without contracts or bids -- Over the past decade, Sacramento's problem-plagued Department of Utilities purchased most of its $10.5 million in new water meters without a contract and by sidestepping the competitive bidding process, records show. In order to buy from one company, department administrators repeatedly misinformed the City Council that the firm was the only source for the type of meter they sought, according to City Auditor Marty Kolkin. Sacramento Bee 7/8/08

 

Nanotechnology may decrease energy costs for desalination -- Following an announcement two years ago that "Nanotube membranes offer [the] possibility of cheaper desalination", scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have continued progress toward the goal of nanotech membranes for water purification that will greatly decrease the energy cost for desalination. In one recent study they showed that carbon nanotubes reject ions that make up common salts while they rush through at great speeds chains of water molecules held together by hydrogen bonds. Foresight Nanotech Institute 7/8/08

 

Irrigation technology: Smart water solutions for state's farmers -- Faced with another dry year, California farmers and ranchers are looking for ways to stretch their water supplies to the maximum, hoping they won't lose everything they've invested in their crops.  For farmers in the drought-stricken regions of the state, progress is taking the form of new irrigation technology that in many cases is providing farmers with additional water, greater efficiency and monetary savings.  California Farm Bureau Federation 7/8/08

 

Softener-ban bill moves toward full CA Senate vote -- A California softener-ban bill, AB 2270, passed out of the state Senate Appropriations Committee by party line vote on July 7, continuing its move toward Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk. Before AB 2270 goes before the governor for his signature, it needs to pass the whole California state Senate. Industry observers said this could happen as early as next week, according to a July 8 Water Quality Association (WQA) press release. Water Tech Online 7/8/08

 

Food:

 

*Restaurants sue over nutrition posting law -- California's restaurant industry is taking San Francisco to court over a city law that requires chain restaurants to post calorie totals and other nutritional information on menus and menu boards. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court last week, says the law set to take effect Sept. 20 lacks flexibility, will confuse customers, illegally skirts state and federal authority, and violates the restaurants' First Amendment rights.

 

On the menu at the G8 -- A Guardian UK blog makes fun of poor English translation on menus released for G8 summit. 7/8/08

 

Transportation Daily News July 8

Infrastructure:

 

*Golden Gate Bridge options to prevent suicides -- Erecting a suicide barrier on the Golden Gate Bridge would cost between $25 million and $50 million and would alter the look of the historic span, bridge officials said Monday. Bridge officials outlined five design options that were studied in an environmental impact document scheduled for release today. SF Chronicle 7/8/08

 

Transit:

 

High Speed Rail Station Locations Coming -- The California High Speed Rail Authority will consider approving the final plans Tuesday for the portion of the state's new high speed rail system that would run from the Bay Area to the Central Valley.  The proposed system would feature trains that run at speeds of up to 220 mph and travel from San Francisco, Oakland and Sacramento to the Central Valley and down to Los Angeles and San Diego.  Meetings will be held both Tuesday and Thursday in San Francisco. On Wednesday, the authority is scheduled to consider possible station locations for the Bay Area to Central Valley portion of the route. NBC 11 7/8/08

 

*California Moves to Curb Bad Habits of Motorists -- Long commutes and a passion for the auto have long combined to make the California car a second home. But that way of life is being chipped away slightly, with a series of new laws — and more being contemplated by state legislators — that take aim at the bad habits of the state’s 22 million drivers. NY Times 7/8/08

 

Air travel:

 

California's airport projects may be grounded -- Thanks to higher oil prices, fares are rising, airlines are cutting flights, older gas-guzzling planes are being mothballed and passenger fees are being added almost weekly. Now improvements worth hundreds of millions of dollars at aging passenger terminals and other airport facilities are in jeopardy. LA Times 7/8/08

 

 

 

Agriculture Daily News July 7

Immigration and labor:

 

*S.F. mayor shifts policy on illegal offenders -- San Francisco will shift course and start turning over juvenile illegal immigrants convicted of felonies to federal authorities for possible deportation, Mayor Gavin Newsom said Wednesday as he took the blame for what he conceded was a costly and misguided effort to shield the youths. SF Chronicle 7/3/08

 

Water:

 

*$1 million water-conservation campaign begins -- Elected officials from around the Bay Area hope a new public awareness campaign spurs people to voluntarily cut their water use by 10 percent - enough perhaps to avoid the mandatory water rationing already imposed on some East Bay cities. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and a representative of Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums gathered at a San Francisco park Wednesday to announce a new "Water Saving Hero" campaign aimed at persuading residents to take little steps like turning off the tap when they brush their teeth and taking shorter showers.  SF Chronicle 7/3/08

 

EBMUD water rationing allocations debated -- Roger Avery and 165 of his San Ramon neighbors slashed water use 25 percent in their front yards served by a common irrigation system two years ago, when they installed sophisticated computerized water controls. Now, they fear they will be penalized by the East Bay Municipal Utility District's water-rationing plan, which requires large irrigators to cut water use 30 percent from past use amounts. SJ Mercury 7/6/08

 

*District wants water use cut by up to 10% -- More than a quarter-million residents in Granite Bay and northeastern Sacramento County have been asked to cut their water use between 5 percent and 10 percent. For efficient water use, San Juan Water District officials are asking customers to tune up their irrigation systems, fix leaky plumbing, and water their lawns before noon. In announcing the voluntary program Wednesday, San Juan officials said the region's exceptionally dry spring triggered the Stage 2 alert. Sacramento Bee 7/3/08

 

New lab to safeguard water supply -- The new water quality lab is the canary in the coal mine for the drinking water supply of 1.7 million people in Santa Clara County. Its 16 chemists and microbiologists conduct 138,000 water tests a year, sampling water as it comes into the district's three drinking water treatment plants from underground wells and San Francisco Bay's delta, and again as it goes out to taps across Silicon Valley. The new facility, among the most advanced drinking water labs in the nation, is built to never stop running. SJ Mercury 7/6/08

 

*Greenhouse gases called threat to Pacific life -- Ocean waters welling up from the depths along the Pacific Coast from Canada to Mexico are threatening a wide variety of marine organisms as carbon dioxide, the major greenhouse gas, saturates the water and increases its corrosive acidity, government scientists report. In separate recent reports in the journal Science and in congressional testimony, the scientists warn that the rate of "ocean acidification" is increasing, and say damage to some of the most important living organisms in the sea's food web is becoming more apparent. SF Chronicle 7/4/08

 

Parks and forests:

 

California fine dies along with the lawn -- Sacramento city officials have admitted their code enforcement policies may not be drought-friendly, and said they won't fine the couple featured in a local newspaper who let their front lawn die to save water. The story prompted a torrent of outrage from the public.  McClatchy News 7/3/08

 

*Fungus-killed oaks make Basin Complex fire hotter, harder to fight -- Firefighters battling to protect Big Sur are working in forests riddled with many thousands of flammable dead oak trees, making the savage Basin Complex fire burn hotter and and travel faster, forest experts said Sunday. Hundreds of thousands of oak trees in the area have been killed in recent years by a disease known as sudden oak death, producing fuel that allows flames to spread more quickly through redwoods and other evergreens, they said. LA Times 7/7/08

 

Food:

 

*Restaurant lobby sticking a fork in menu-label reform -- The restaurant industry is walking the halls of the California Legislature offering a "compromise" to a major obesity prevention bill. But this compromise is like banning smoking and exempting cigarettes. Now that New York City, San Francisco and other localities have passed menu-labeling policies for fast-food and other chain restaurants, the restaurant industry has changed its lobbying strategy. Instead of just opposing the menu-labeling bill, Senate Bill 1420 introduced by Sen. Alex Padilla, D-San Fernando Valley, as it did last year, it's gotten its own bill introduced. Sacremento Bee 7/3/08

 

Cost of a meal driven higher by hoarding nations -- At least 29 countries have sharply curbed food exports in recent months, to ensure that their own people have enough to eat, at affordable prices. The restrictions are making it harder for impoverished importing countries to afford the food they need. The export limits are forcing some of the most vulnerable people, those who rely on relief agencies, to go hungry. International Herald Tribune 7/1/08

 

Biofuel:

 

Weather Hazards Threaten Promise of Biofuels -- As the world grows more reliant on crops like corn and palm oil for its fuel supply, it is becoming vulnerable to the many hazards that can damage agriculture, ranging from droughts to plagues to storms. Estimates released Monday suggest that damage from the floods may not have been as bad as initially feared. But corn and ethanol prices are still up substantially from their recent lows on fears that supplies would be tight over the next year. The price of ethanol, which was already rising before the floods, has nearly doubled in the United States from its low of $1.50 a gallon, or 3.8 liters, in September. NY Times 7/2/08

 

*Ethanol mixes finding way into traditional tanks -- The practice has caught the attention of the Environmental Protection Agency as a handful of filling stations install pumps that allow drivers to select different ethanol blends with the push of a button. Auto manufacturers warn that ethanol can corrode fuel lines and damage hoses, seals and the fuel pump in cars not made to carry ethanol. That can lead to bad gas mileage, poor performance and may even affect the vehicle computers that warn of problems. AP 6/25/08

 

Biodiesel users find oasis in San Leandro -- Biodiesel, an alternative fuel usually produced from animal fat or vegetable oil, has steadily been gaining interest among environment-conscious Bay Area drivers. The problem for many: Only about 20 service stations between Santa Cruz and Fairfield offer the fuel, including locations in Berkeley and San Jose, according to the National Biodiesel Board. But a growing number of Bay Area motorists are discovering a biodiesel oasis in a small gas station in San Leandro. At the moment most of the station's biodiesel customers are commercial truck drivers. But a number of local municipal governments get their fleet vehicles filled up there, and a modest number of noncommercial drivers have been steadily coming to fill up their personal vehicles. Inside Bay Area 7/6/08

 

Agriculture:

 

Farmers say salmonella scare has hurt tomato sales -- With a salmonella scare causing many customers to shun what's normally a summertime favorite, tomato farmers nationwide have had to plow under their fields and leave their crop to rot in packinghouses. As losses across the supply chain top $100 million, industry leaders are calling for a congressional investigation into the government's handling of the outbreak, the source of which hasn't been determined. AP 7/4/08

 

Farmers market is bustling despite salmonella worries -- Officials with the Food and Drug Administration said Saturday they are investigating cilantro and Serrano peppers as possible culprits. Tomatoes, however, are still the leading suspect. Shoppers at the busy farmers market in downtown Sacramento said Sunday they were aware of the salmonella outbreak but were not deterred. Tomatoes at the market run about $1 a pound. Several stands were selling tomatoes. All appeared busy. Sacramento Bee 7/7/08

 

Wal-Mart to sell locally grown produce in stores nationwide -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. plans to purchase and sell $400 million worth of produce grown by local farmers within its state stores this year, an effort the company says will only grow. Academic studies show buying locally cuts down on transportation mileage while also assuring customers of a product's provenance amid mass recalls. SF Chronicle 7/6/08

 

Transportation Daily News July 7

Air Travel:

 

Airlines find many tiny ways to squeeze fliers -- Fresh indignities roll in on a weekly basis: You pay to check your bag, eat a soggy sandwich, get more legroom, pick your seat, fly your pet, talk to a real person.  So, as you get ready to jet off somewhere for this long Fourth of July weekend, beware of these ways the airlines are reaching into your wallet. SF Chronicle 7/2/08

 

Business jets not hurt by fuel prices -- Despite the fuel cost surge, sales of business jets are booming. One study shows the number of business jets expected to be built in the next 10 years will double from the previous decade. SJ Mercury 7/6/08

 

U.S. travelers face deep flight cuts by summer's end -- With summer barely under way, it may seem too early for travelers to start thinking about Labor Day. But that is when significant cuts in the airlines' fleets and schedules will begin taking effect, making for a particularly jarring end to summer. Across the United States, airports from La Guardia in New York to Oakland in California will be affected by flight cuts, bringing the industry down to a size last seen in 2002, when travel fell sharply after the 9/11 attacks. International Herald Tribune 7/1/08

 

Transit and infrastructure:

 

Bullet train takes Senate's medicine -- The project to build high-speed rail connecting Northern and Southern California survived a showdown in a State Senate committee Tuesday, beating back a Republican effort to remove a $10 billion bond measure from the Nov. 4 ballot. The Senate Transportation and Housing Committee voted 8-4 to approve AB3034, which re-crafts the ballot measure in part to win more official and voter support for the $42 billion to $45 billion system. At the same time, the panel approved a controversial civil service work rule that some feared could tie the project up in court and erode the bond measure's support. Contra Costa Times 7/1/08

 

Rising gas prices hit taxi drivers -- To help with the hurt, drivers around Walnut Creek have joined to petition the city to raise the meter rates. Many cities across the county and state set taxi meter rates Other cities, such as Antioch, don't set cab fare rates. Some cities that do don't heavily enforce them. CC Times  7/4/08

 

Berkeley rapid bus plan faces uphill battle -- Opponents of AC Transit's plan for dedicated bus lanes on busy Telegraph Avenue south of the UC campus have gathered enough signatures to qualify the issue for the Nov. 4 ballot. The initiative, if approved by voters, would require voter approval to create any high-occupancy-vehicle lanes in the city, except on Interstate 80. Merchants and residents along the famed avenue say dedicated bus lanes would force traffic onto side streets and make parking even more scarce. SF Chronicle 7/7/08

 

Water:

 

Boaters, beware: Hunt is on for mussel invaders -- Boaters heading for area lakes this Fourth of July should expect to give an accounting of where they've been and what they may have picked up along the way. Authorities are on the lookout for quagga and zebra mussels, invasive species known to hitchhike from one body of water to another by attaching themselves to boat trailers, hulls, engines and steering components. Sacremento Bee 7/3/08

 

Tourism:

 

To tourists, California looks as golden as ever despite fires, economy -- The AAA of Northern California is predicting only a minuscule drop-off of 0.8 percent from last year's Fourth of July weekend travel. AAA spokesman Michael Geeser says things around the state could look more bleak by the end of the year. He notes that while the decline in projected July 4 travel is small, it's also worrisome, because it's the first decline since 2000. SJ Mercury 7/3/08

 

Budget:

 

Dan Walters: This budget crisis isn't like earlier ones -- California Forward, in fact, has published a lengthy, largely accurate critique of the budget process that includes this central passage: "The current budget process is largely a relic of the mid-20th century, with the focus on how much to increase spending (or how much to cut), rather than the value that public services bring to Californians over time. These annual budget decisions often either push California's fiscal systems toward long-term solvency or away from it…” Sacramento Bee 7/6/08

 

No one tracks state's fuel bill -- As the price of gasoline moves toward $5 a gallon, few entities are being squeezed as hard at the pump as the deficit-ridden state of California and its 50,000-vehicle fleet. Just how much, no one knows. State vehicles are dispersed over 100 agencies, and there's no central database to track their fuel use. The lack of a reliable cost-tracking system runs counter to practices in other large states, such as Texas, and prevents California from devising a cost-containment plan. Sacramento Bee 6/5/08

 

Emissions:

 

Greenhouse gases called threat to Pacific life -- Ocean waters welling up from the depths along the Pacific Coast from Canada to Mexico are threatening a wide variety of marine organisms as carbon dioxide, the major greenhouse gas, saturates the water and increases its corrosive acidity, government scientists report. In separate recent reports in the journal Science and in congressional testimony, the scientists warn that the rate of "ocean acidification" is increasing, and say damage to some of the most important living organisms in the sea's food web is becoming more apparent. SF Chronicle 7/4/08

 

Transportation Daily News July 2

Shipping:

 

*Cosco Busan pilot John Cota to retire -- Capt. John Cota, who was piloting the container ship Cosco Busan when it ran into the Bay Bridge last autumn, has decided to retire rather than face a hearing before a state commission. Cota said in a letter dated June 23 to the State Pilot Commission that he faces "an impossible situation" and that the only option open to him was to retire, effective Oct. 1. Cota still faces state misconduct charges and federal misdemeanor and felony charges. If convicted of the federal charges, Cota, 60, could go to prison. SF Chronicle 7/2/08

 

*Cargo moves smoothly at West Coast ports -- Cargo is moving without interruption at 29 West Coast ports despite the expiration of a contract that covered more than 25,000 dockworkers and their employers. The contract expired at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Negotiators for the International Longshore Warehouse Workers Union and the Pacific Maritime Association continue with talks that, after nearly four months, have failed to produce an accord on wages, pensions, safety and productivity issues. A notice on the union's Web site said its members will continue to work without a contract.  SF Chronicle 7/2/08

 

Transit and infrastructure:

 

Customer numbers soar for Regional Transit -- Regional Transit experienced a record-breaking number of people taking public transit in May, with more than 3.2 million passengers, an RT news release states. The record month saw an 8.5 percent increase in the total number of people taking public transit compared to the same period last year. The number of people taking light rail also is increasing. More than 1.6 million people rode light rail in May, a 22.4 percent increase from May 2007, the release states. Sacramento Bee 7/2/08

 

*State's car shoppers to get information on emissions -- Under a first-in-the-nation law, all new cars for sale in California starting with the 2009 model year will be required to display a window sticker in the showroom that indicates how the vehicle's greenhouse gas emissions compare with other vehicles of the same model year. SJ Mercury 7/2/08

 

Drivers observing hands-free cell phone law -- The California Highway Patrol, responsible for patrolling the state's freeways and highways, promised to aggressively enforce the ban on drivers engaging in handheld cell phone conversations, and mounted a huge publicity campaign. While no official citation tallies will be available for several days, according to CHP spokesman Tom Marshall, efforts to publicize the law appeared to have worked. SF Chronicle 7/2/08

 

*Muni on-time performance up - but just barely -- San Francisco Municipal Railway's on-time performance increased by a little more than 1 percent during the first three months of 2008, compared with the prior quarter, and still fell well short of the 85 percent rate mandated by voters.  The transit agency reported a 70.5 percent on-time rate in January, February and March, compared with 69.2 percent during the last three months of 2007. SF Chronicle 7/2/08

 

S.F. settles Muni suit for $2 million -- The city of San Francisco will pay $2 million to a woman who lost part of her leg after she was struck by an N-Judah train in January, under the terms of a settlement approved Tuesday by the Municipal Transportation Agency board. Gryn also accused the city of San Francisco of creating a "dangerous, hazardous and defective condition" at the intersection of Ninth and Irving. The suit says the intersection does not have proper signs and does not give pedestrians enough time to cross the street. SF Chronicle 7/2/08

 

Agriculture Daily News July 2

Parks and forests:

 

National Guard to help fight No. California fires; blaze in Santa Barbara threatens homes -- With more than 425,000 acres burned, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered the California National Guard to deploy ground forces for the first time in three decades to help weary firefighters battling blazes from Kern County to the Oregon border. LA Times 7/2/08

 

Voters to get final say on $500 million parks bond -- The East Bay Regional Park Board agreed Tuesday to seek voter approval in November in Contra Costa and Alameda counties for a $500 million bond measure to create, expand and develop regional parks, and fund projects to improve city and local parks. The largest share of the money — $281 million — would be spent on buying and preserving land for parks and trails in shoreline areas such as Oakland and Richmond, and inland valley territory in Dublin, Martinez, Antioch and Pleasanton. SJ Mercury 7/2/08

 

Water:

 

Sacramento couple who let lawn die to save water face $746 fine -- So when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a statewide drought June 4, Hartridge decided it was only right to let her front lawn die to save water. But that ethic didn't agree with her neighbors, or with the city. Before Hartridge could plan new landscaping, a neighbor complained to the city about her brown lawn, and the Code Enforcement Department slapped the family with a citation. Their small brick home was declared a "public nuisance" in violation of city code section 17.68.010, which states that front yards "shall be irrigated, landscaped and maintained." A $746 fine will be next unless they correct the violation. Sacramento Bee 7/2/08

 

State to monitor Bay halibut due to large catch -- The state Department of Fish and Game on Tuesday announced more monitoring and other efforts in the San Francisco Bay to make sure the halibut population is not overfished. The changes are due to the high number of the fish being caught this season, which some say is the best halibut season in more than a decade. Paul Reilly, a senior marine biologist for the department, said the department usually does such work but that the time frame was moved up because of the large amount of halibut being caught. SJ Mercury 7/2/08

 

Health:

 

California sues Prime Healthcare over balance-billing practice -- California regulators have moved to stop one of the state's biggest hospital operators from billing privately insured patients for unpaid medical services received at its facilities.  The Department of Managed Health Care, in a lawsuit filed Friday in Orange County Superior Court, is seeking to bar Prime Healthcare Services Inc. of Victorville from billing insured patients for unpaid medical bills that the hospital chain contends it is owed from insurers and is seeking from patients as a last resort. LA Times 7/2/08

 

Healthy San Francisco still working out kinks -- When the Healthy San Francisco program began at two Chinatown clinics July 2, 2007, public health officials said they would swing open the doors to all of the city's 73,000 uninsured residents on Jan. 1, 2008. They anticipated that people would enroll gradually at a pace of about 600 a week, and full coverage would be attained by the end of this year. But Healthy San Francisco remains open only to individuals earning up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level, or roughly $31,000 a year, while the city awaits the outcome of a case regarding the legality of making employers contribute to the plan. SF Chronicle 7/2/08

 

Labor and immigration:

 

ILLEGALS CALLED COURT'S PROBLEM -- With a national furor brewing over San Francisco's refusal to hand over juvenile illegal immigrant lawbreakers for deportation, Mayor Gavin Newsom insisted Tuesday that he was powerless to order the city to cooperate with federal authorities. Instead, Newsom said, the question of what to do with illegal immigrant minors who deal drugs and commit other crimes is one for juvenile court judges, the district attorney and public defender to sort out. SF Chronicle 7/2/08

 

Agriculture:

Wholesale egg prices take surprising jump -- After falling more than a third from March's record highs, wholesale egg prices have shot up 27 percent since mid-May. That's an unusual jump for this time of year, when egg prices tend to slump. Economists tie the increase to ever-higher corn prices, which have made egg farmers hesitant to expand their flocks.  Sacramento Bee 7/2/08

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agriculture Daily News June 30

Water:

 

*Feds' plan to improve Delta water system isn't accurate, agency warns -- A court-ordered fix for the threatened Delta smelt population is running into trouble before it has even seen daylight. Federal water officials have been warned that their work on a draft plan for operating the Delta's water works "contains deficiencies, incomplete analysis, inaccuracies and omissions." The warning came from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which faces the same court deadline of Sept. 15 to submit the plan, called a "biological opinion." The goal is to create a new set of operating rules for the massive state and federal pumping systems that export water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to the Bay Area and Southern California. Sacramento Bee 7/1/08

 

*Crews dig in on project to prevent San Jose flooding -- Kicking off one of San Jose's largest public works projects in recent decades, the Santa Clara Valley Water District broke ground Monday on a $256 million effort to reduce flooding on the upper Guadalupe River through the heart of the city's central neighborhoods. The project will progress in sections, finishing in 2016. SJ Mercury 7/1/08

 

Approval of urgent Delta projects long overdue -- IN NOVEMBER 2006, California voters had the foresight to approve Propositions 84 and 1E, which authorized $9.5 billion in bond money for water projects. Prop. 84 was a $5.4 billion measure for water infrastructure projects, while Prop. 1E approved $4.1 for new and upgraded levees, and other flood protection projects. The Contra Costa Water District identified several short-, medium- and long-term projects to protect the Delta from earthquake damage and flooding. Despite voter approval of the money, broad support by virtually all interested parties and the urgency of the projects, no Prop. 84 funds were allocated. Contra Costa Times 7/1/08

 

Parks and forests:

 

Crews can't battle all of state's wildfires -- With hundreds of wildfires raging across remote, rugged parts of California for a second week, fire officials have been forced to strategically choose which to fight and which to let burn for weeks or even months.  The number of fires burning in Central and Northern California – more than 1,000, according to state fire officials – means authorities can't send firefighters to every blaze, said Jason Kirchner, a U.S. Forest Service spokesman. San Diego Union Tribune 7/1/08

 

Agriculture:

 

*Port of Sacramento rebuilds bulk rice shipping business -- Profitability is likely several years away for the Port of Sacramento, but it appears poised to rebuild a business in bulk rice shipping. Monday, workers finished pouring 25,000 tons of loose rice into the belly of a ship bound for Puerto Rico, the first such shipment from the port since December 2005. Bulk rice was once one of the port's financial mainstays, with more than 235,000 tons shipped in 1998. The trade declined as the rice industry shifted more of its shipping to the Port of Oakland and a key buyer, Turkey, blocked U.S. shipments.  Sacramento Bee 7/1/08

 

CDFA Press Release: California's Farmers and Ranchers Are Invited to Provide Public Input on an Agricultural Vision – Developing Future Priorities for the Industry View this Press Release

 

*Ranchers forced to sell herds because of drought -- Drought-ravaged pastureland is forcing Central California ranchers to sell cattle and sheep herds. A U.S. Department of Agriculture report says conditions on California rangelands are the worst in the nation. About 97 percent of the state's pastures are in poor or very poor condition. It's forcing ranches to buy expensive feed for their herds, move them elsewhere or, in some cases, sell entire herds. Similar conditions last year forced stockmen to sell off their herds. San Luis Obispo 7/1/08

 

Quarantine extended as moths are found in Alpine Road vicinity -- The quarantine zone in San Mateo County for the light brown apple moth has been greatly expanded due to recent new moth findings, the county health department announced Monday. Four moths were found in the 2600 block of Alpine Road, in the unincorporated area between Menlo Park and Portola Valley, according to county Agricultural Commissioner Gail Raabe. The Almanac 7/1/08

 

Batten down the hatches, road ahead's looking rocky -- Corn, wheat, rice, and soybean prices are at levels farmers couldn't have imagined in their wildest dreams three years ago, but at the same time growers are confronted with sharply rising costs for every input needed to produce, harvest, and transport those crops. Western Farm Press 7/1/08

 

Immigration and labor:

 

Growing scrutiny on labor contractors -- Worker advocates have called for more regulation and enhanced enforcement of the laws that govern farm labor contracting, while others argue that the industry already is well administered. Farm labor contractors, to some extent, have been a part of California agriculture for as long as immigrant labor has. While early contractors worked mainly as translators between growers and workers, according to a report from the University of California, Berkeley's Agricultural Personnel Management program, their roles have evolved along with immigration and labor policy. Stockton Record 7/1/08

 

 

Transportation Daily News June 30

Transit and infrastructure:

 

Senator Perata Applauds Funding for MacArthur Transit Village and Other Oakland Housing Projects -- Legislation pushed by Senate President pro Tempore Don Perata (D-Oakland) will provide $71.5 million in Proposition 1C funding for Oakland affordable housing projects this year and will help stimulate the beleaguered local economy by generating decent-paying construction jobs. Senator Perata joined housing and transportation advocates and local officials at the Bay Area Rapid Transit´s MacArthur Station today to discuss the importance of the projects for Oakland residents.

 

*Local transportation projects get funding -- Several Solano and Napa area transportation projects are among dozens getting funding from Proposition 1B this fiscal year, the governor's office announced Monday.  Allocations of Prop 1B funds surged to near $4 billion this week,  Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office announced. Prop 1B is the 2006 voter-approved bond to improve California's transportation infrastructure. Vallejo Times Herald 7/1/08

 

Californians use less gas in March -- Californians used less gasoline in March, continuing a downward trend in consumption that state officials linked to high gasoline prices. Figures released Monday by the state Board of Equalization said state motorists used 3.2 percent less gasoline in March than they did in the same month a year ago. The BOE said statewide consumption in March was 1.234 billion gallons, 43.5 million fewer gallons than for March 2007. Sacramento Bee 7/1/08

 

*June 2008 CHSRA Meeting Report -- Dennis Lytton attended the CHSRA board meeting in Los Angeles on June 11, and wrote up this report of the meeting. The next meeting is July 8 in San Francisco. California High-Speed Rail Blog 6/29/08

 

Governor entices Tesla to build cars in Bay Area -- In a surprise move, Tesla Motors will build its electric-car factory in the Bay Area, not New Mexico as previously announced, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Monday. Schwarzenegger, along with State Treasurer Bill Lockyer, said California was able to provide San Carlos-based Tesla with incentives, including the waiving of state sales tax on $100 million worth of manu facturing equipment, to entice the company to build its assembly plant here. Matt Nauman in the San Jose Mercury -- 7/1/08

 

Air travel:

 

Turbulence to worsen – fewer flights, more fees -- As the price of jet fuel continues to climb, Continental, ExpressJet, United and the other domestic airlines are announcing they'll cut the number of flights and retire planes through the end of 2009. Overall, analysts estimate that domestic carriers will reduce flights 10 percent by the end of the year. Sacramento Bee 7/1/08

 

Penal system:

 

*Panel condemns state's death penalty system -- California's death penalty system is on the verge of collapse, with the nation's longest delays, uncontrolled costs, an overly broad law and an illusory promise of justice to victims' families, a state commission said Monday. The 22-member commission, appointed by state lawmakers, included prosecutors and police as well as defense lawyers and death penalty opponents. But its recommendations for fixing a system that costs taxpayers $137 million a year face an uphill climb, especially because not all the law enforcement representatives endorsed them. SF Chronicle 7/1/08

 

Ports and shipping:

 

Port berth operation request attracts interest -- A request put out by the Port of Oakland for companies interested in operating and improving five of its berths elicited responses from nine interested parties, according to port officials.  They came from a group of ocean carriers, financial institutions and terminal operators. The concession agreement encompasses the operation and improvement of berths 20 through 24 -- which include 4,500 feet of berths and 150 acres of storage area -- that would commence Jan. 1, 2010. BizJournals 7/1/08

 

*Port of Sacramento rebuilds bulk rice shipping business -- Profitability is likely several years away for the Port of Sacramento, but it appears poised to rebuild a business in bulk rice shipping. Monday, workers finished pouring 25,000 tons of loose rice into the belly of a ship bound for Puerto Rico, the first such shipment from the port since December 2005. Bulk rice was once one of the port's financial mainstays, with more than 235,000 tons shipped in 1998. The trade declined as the rice industry shifted more of its shipping to the Port of Oakland and a key buyer, Turkey, blocked U.S. shipments.  Sacramento Bee 7/1/08

 

Dockworker negotiations continuing -- A contract is not likely to be signed today between West Coast shippers and the union representing some 26,000 dockworkers, but negotiations are expected to continue running smoothly. Both sides acknowledged that talks will likely continue past today's deadline as they try to hammer out a three-year labor pact covering longshore workers, marine clerks and foremen working at 29 ports in California, Oregon and Washington. Daily Breeze 7/1/08