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Transportation Daily News August 15

2008-08-15T15:56:00.001-07:00

Downtowns Across the U.S. See Streetcars in Their Future -- At least 40 cities are exploring streetcar plans to spur economic development, ease traffic congestion and draw young professionals and empty-nest baby boomers back from the suburbs, according to the Community Streetcar Coalition, which includes city officials, transit authorities and engineers who advocate streetcar construction. More than a dozen have existing lines, including New Orleans, which is restoring a system devastated by Hurricane Katrina. And Denver, Houston, Salt Lake City and Charlotte, N.C., have introduced or are planning to introduce streetcars. NY Times 8/14/08

*BART adopts rules for Segway use -- BART will restrict but not ban the use of electric Segway scooters on the train system.The BART board voted Thursday to approve a two-tier set of restrictions to replace a temporary ban, which was imposed after a June accident in which a runaway Segway toppled onto tracks and delayed train service at a San Francisco station. SJ Mercury 8/14/08

*Fewer dying in auto crashes -- National, state and local figures indicate vehicle fatalities are on the decline, including final 2007 figures for the U.S., released Thursday. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found fatalities across America dropped 3.9 percent from 2006 to 2007. PE 8/14/08

Agricultural Daily News August 15

2008-08-15T14:49:00.001-07:00

This is my last news update. Thank you for reading so diligently.

Food and nutrition:

Fast-Food Curb Meets With Ambivalence in South Los Angeles -- In July the City Council passed a one-year moratorium, now signed into law and effective as of last week, on any new fast-food restaurants in a 32-square-mile area south of Interstate 10, and the city is offering prospective owners of new grocery stores and non-fast-food restaurants large financial incentives to set up shop in the area. It may be that what many of the roughly 550,000 people in the area covered by the moratorium desire is not less of what they have, but more of what they do not. NY Times 8/8/08

*Burger ban is weighed in San Jose -- Three San Jose City Council members Thursday proposed a one-year citywide moratorium on new fast-food restaurants, arguing that the prolific eateries are fattening people - especially kids - with unhealthy fare. The proposal is similar to a moratorium the Los Angeles City Council approved last month for south Los Angeles. The San Jose proposal also calls for an indefinite ban on new fast-food restaurants within 1,000 feet of schools. SJ Mercury 8/15/08

Agriculture:

*State: Valley is Medfly-free -- The California Department of Food and Agriculture has announced that it has successfully eradicated an infestation of the Mediterranean fruit fly in Santa Clara County, lifting a 75-square-mile quarantine zone that was put in place in fall 2007. The department also lifted quarantine zones in Solano and Los Angeles counties - which means that California has been proclaimed medfly-free. The eradication program involved the release of millions of sterile male medflies; the flies breed with wild females to control the population. Mercury 8/15/08

Sunnier Forecast for Corn and Soybean Harvest -- The Department of Agriculture is forecasting the second-highest corn yield on record with production of 12.3 billion bushels, about 600 million bushels more than it had expected earlier in the summer. NY Times 8/12/08

MORE SPACE FOR ANIMALS SOUGHT, BUT EGG PRICE JUMP PREDICTED -- ame-sex marriage, parental notification of abortion – California's November ballot is studded with weighty issues, but none is ruffling feathers like Proposition 2, which would effectively ban farms from raising hens in cages.The United Egg Producers predicts the measure would triple the cost of eggs, drive the industry out of the state and deprive consumers of fresh, safe California eggs. Sacramento Bee 8/15/08

Water and fish:

Parasite causing an itch for swimmers -- It's a condition caused by a tiny water parasite with a barbed tail that will bore into your skin and cause welts and itching if it mistakes you for a duck or goose paddling in a lake or bay. Swimmer's itch, rarely reported a decade ago in Contra Costa and Alameda counties, has become a rite of summer in several lakes in the East Bay Regional Park District in the last few years. Complaints about the itch have prompted the park district this summer to post warning signs at Crown Beach in Alameda, Lake Anza at Tilden Park in Berkeley, and Quarry Lakes in Fremont. SJ Mercury 8/14/08

*Pelosi won't limit vote to offshore drilling -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday firmly rejected the idea of a House vote solely on the issue of offshore oil drilling, calling it "a hoax on the American people" backed by oil companies. Instead, she said, she wants Congress to tackle a compromise comprehensive energy plan that would include alternative energy sources and curtailing tax breaks for oil companies. SF Chronicle 8/15/08

Scientists alarmed by ocean dead-zone growth -- Dead zones where fish and most marine life can no longer survive are spreading across the continental shelves of the world's oceans at an alarming rate as oxygen vanishes from coastal waters, scientists reported Thursday. The scientists place the problem on runoff of chemical fertilizers in rivers and fallout from burning fossil fuels, and they estimate there are now more than 400 dead zones along 95,000 square miles of the seas - an area more than half the size of California. SF Chronicle 8/15/08

Los Angeles doubles fines for residents who waste water -- Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signed an ordinance Thursday that doubles fines for residents who repeatedly violate the city's "drought buster" rules, including a reworked ban on watering lawns between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. The measure bars restaurants from serving water to customers unless it is specifically requested. LA Times 8/15/08

Labor and immigration:

*California unemployment rate surges to 7.3 percent -- California’s unemployment rate was 7.3 percent in July, up from a revised 7.0 percent in June, the state Employment Development Department (EDD) says in a report Friday. A year ago, in July 2007, California’s unemployment rate was 5.4 percent. Central Valley Business Times 8/15/08

*Schwarzenegger says U.S.-Mexico border unites -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday urged fellow governors on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border to cooperate on issues from water management to building a green economy. The annual Border Governors Conference spotlights a region that stretches from the Pacific coast to the Gulf of Mexico that is rife with unyielding problems — pollution, gun-running and drug violence — and economic potential. SF Chronicle 8/15/08

Health:

Medi-Cal cuts would raise other health costs, study finds -- By denying Medi-Cal benefits to more than 1 million people, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed budget would cost Californians with health care insurance more than $290 per family per year in added premiums to cover the new uninsured, according to a new study.The report was prepared by consultant Peter Harbage, whose study on the "hidden tax" paid by the insured to make up for uncompensated care was widely cited last year by Schwarzenegger in his unsuccessful campaign for universal health care. Sacramento Bee 8/15/08

Transportation Daily News August 14

2008-08-14T13:36:00.001-07:00

Emissions:

California Department of Food and Agriculture Joins Fuel Cell Partnership -- The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has joined the California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP) as an associate member. The partnership is a collaboration of 31 member organizations including auto manufacturers, energy providers, government agencies and fuel cell technology companies. Together they work to promote the commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles as a means of moving towards a sustainable energy future, increasing energy efficiency and reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Imperial Valley News 8/14/08

*Greenhouse gas institute slips under the radar -- A publicly funded, world-class research institute that would develop answers to the threat posed by climate-changing greenhouse gases is being crafted in the Legislature, and is among the last-minute proposals expected to come before the Legislature in the closing days of this year's legislative session. The plan differs sharply from the original blueprint proposed by California's top utilities regulator, state Public Utilities Commission President Michael Peevey. Legislation encompassing the new, estimated $87 million-a-year plan is likely to be completed within a few days. Capitol Weekly 8/14/08

Transit and infrastructure:

*Lawmakers pass changes to high-speed rail measure -- The state Assembly has approved a bill increasing financial accountability in the high-speed rail measure that is on California's November ballot. Lawmakers will not send the bill immediately to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger because he has pledged to veto every bill until legislators pass a budget. If a Saturday deadline passes without the bill being signed into law, the new wording will not be included in the initial ballot pamphlet sent to voters. It would have to be included on a supplement pamphlet, instead. SJ Mercury 8/14/08

Budget standoff sidetracks update of rail bond -- The Assembly passed a bill late Wednesday afternoon that is designed to improve a high-speed rail bond's chances at the polls in November. But its author - not willing to risk a veto from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger - says she won't send it to his desk until a state budget deal is struck. SF Chronicle 8/14/08

Survey: High gas prices lead half to curb driving -- Nearly half the respondents in a survey by Irvine-based Kelley Blue Book said they have cut back on their driving as a result of high gasoline prices. Nearly one-third of those surveyed by the longtime auto-pricing company opted to purchase a more fuel-efficient vehicle. Sacramento Bee 8/14/08

June driving drop was biggest in 8-month trend -- As summer vacation season kicked in, Americans got out of their cars, driving 12.2 billion fewer miles in June than the same month a year earlier. The 4.7 percent decline, which came while gas prices were peaking, was the biggest monthly driving drop in a downward trend that began in November, the Federal Highway Administration said Wednesday. SF Chronicle 8/14/08

Emergency and crisis:

Choked By Truck Traffic -- Armed with traffic pollution data they collected themselves, Ortiz and several dozen youth rallied last week on the steps of San Francisco City Hall, calling on city officials to take steps to reduce traffic pollution in the southeastern communities of the Excelsior, Portola, Visitacion Valley and the Bayview. They monitored the air for particulate pollution, ultra-fine particles that can lodge deep in the lungs. Particle pollution includes soot, ash and diesel exhaust, spewed into the air from the burning of fossil fuels and wood. New American Media 8/14/08

Tourism:

Eco-tourism still damaging wildlife irreversibly -- Nature lovers and eco-tourists might be damaging wildlife irreversibly even if they restrict their activities to tiptoeing discreetly through the undergrowth, a study by experts has warned. In 2004, eco-tourism outpaced the tourist industry threefold. One in five tourists now go on eco-holidays, which has been found to impact a range of species, from dolphins and dingoes to penguins and polar bears, according to a New Scientist report. Economic Times 8/14/08

Agricultural Daily News August 14

2008-08-14T11:52:00.001-07:00

Parks and forests:

*Republicans want more aggressive forest thinning -- The state needs to be more aggressive in thinning out forests — and less concerned about conserving trees — if they are to contain wildfires, Republican lawmakers said Wednesday at a Capitol hearing of rural lawmakers. The group, which included members of Congress, sent a letter urging Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to resurrect last year's agreement with Nevada, which would require intensive logging in rural areas. CC Times 8/14/08

*State burning through fire budget at breakneck clip -- Faced with hundreds of sprawling, hard-to-control blazes, California is struggling with what could be its most expensive wildfire season ever, burning through nearly $300 million in just the past six weeks. Costs have soared since the 2003 Southern California firestorm and keep rising, creating a quandary for state officials already struggling with a severe budget shortfall. They're considering slapping homeowners with a natural disaster surcharge, with those at higher risk paying the most. SJ Mercury 8/14/08

Wildfire costs -- Amounts California has spent to fight major wildfires in each of the last 10 fiscal years (does not include annual budget for firefighter salaries and benefits). SJ Mercury 8/14/08

Water and fishing:

Some in Delta mobilize to oppose peripheral canal proposal -- Activist pastors have even held prayer vigils and community meetings, and new community groups have formed to protest the canal. Some property owners have vowed to keep state surveyors off their land. They also worry related proposals to transform farming islands into restored marshland could jeopardize businesses and the region's tax base. Sacramento Bee 8/14/08

Health:

Response to 911 medical calls has not improved -- San Francisco emergency officials have been unable to make significant improvements in responding to 911 medical calls despite their pledges to reduce the city's ambulance delays. Mayor Gavin Newsom promised in April to improve response times after a special report by The Chronicle found that the city's first responders were failing 27 percent of the time to meet the city's goal of getting help to the scene of urgent medical calls within 6 1/2 minutes. SF Chronicle 8/14/08

Agriculture:

Suit says USDA illegally funded egg board -- Sponsors of a November initiative banning the cramped caging of hens and other farm animals in California accused the U.S. Department of Agriculture in a lawsuit Wednesday of illegally approving $3 million in spending by a federally regulated egg board to defeat the measure. SF Chronicle 8/14/08

*Cal-OSHA penalizes 2nd labor contractor over farm heat rules -- State labor safety officials have ordered another farm labor contractor to pay large fines for violating California's heat illness prevention laws. Galt-based Solis Farm Labor Contractor was issued $77,900 in penalties on Monday for violations inspectors discovered during an investigation that began May 29. The probe began after the May 16 death of María Vásquez Jiménez, a worker for another San Joaquin Valley contractor, according to a press release from Cal-OSHA, the California Occupational Safety and Health agency. Sacramento Bee 8/14/08

Agricultural Daily News August 13

2008-08-13T11:15:00.001-07:00

Water and fishing:

*Navy agrees to sonar curbs to protect whales -- The Navy agreed Tuesday to restrict loud sonar blasts from anti-submarine vessels in large areas of the world's oceans to protect whales and other vulnerable creatures. A federal magistrate in San Francisco approved a settlement between the government and environmental groups that challenged the Navy's use of low-frequency sonar, loud sonic pulses that are deployed to detect enemy submarines at long distances. SF Chronicle 8/13/08

*Feinstein criticizes legislators for inaction on state water plan -- Warning that California faces catastrophic water shortages from a worsening drought, Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Tuesday upbraided state lawmakers for failing to rally behind a proposed $9.3 billion water bond for the November ballot. Feinstein has joined Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in calling for major improvements to state water storage and delivery systems. But their water bond plan has run aground in the Legislature. Sacramento Bee 8/13/08

Tahoe waters stay blue despite threat from 2007 blaze -- The wildfire that blackened the south shore of Lake Tahoe last summer sparked fears that ash and mud would cloud up the lake's famous clarity. But a new study released Tuesday finds that so far, the cobalt-blue waters have survived unsullied. In fact, Lake Tahoe's visibility - widely considered an indicator of the Lake Tahoe basin's environmental health - actually increased by two feet from the previous year, despite the blaze. SJ Mercury 8/13/08

More than one thousand valley farm workers are preparing for a water rally in Sacramento -- They gathered to discuss their mission, to get a bond on the November ballot that will deliver more water to drought stricken valley farms. 25 busses will be pulling out of the valley early Wednesday morning. 13 hundred farm workers and managers are hoping to get even more lawmakers to support the measure before a Saturday deadline. ABC 8/13/08

Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force to Meet -- The Governor's Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force will meet August 21-22, to seek public comment on the third staff draft of the Delta Vision Strategic Plan. The third staff draft will be released prior to the meeting on this website. Delta Vision Homepage 8/11/08

*Environmental groups unite against water bond -- A coalition of environmental, fishing and community organizations spoke out against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sen. Diane Feinstein's push for a $9.3-million water bond in November, arguing it would worsen California's water crisis while increasing its debt. The coalition argues that officials should create "new management solutions" rather than fund the "same kinds of projects that have pushed California's water system to the brink." It suggests enforcing land use regulations based on true water availability, creating a statewide conservation program, protecting watershed and aquatic ecosystems and creating water policy that focuses on sustainability and equity. LA Times 8/13/08

Health:

*Final S.F. budget cuts in health programs, pay -- The mayor's office revealed on Tuesday nearly $5 million in final cuts to the San Francisco budget, most of them targeting public health programs and pay for certain union employees. The biggest single budget hit is to the Department of Public Health, which loses $2 million. Most of those cuts will come from two sources: reducing operating room hours at San Francisco General Hospital and scaling back funding for nonprofit outpatient service programs for mental health and substance abuse. SF Chronicle 8/13/08

Thousands whose health policies were canceled to be offered new coverage -- About 3,400 Californians whose health insurance was canceled by Kaiser, Health Net and PacifiCare after they got sick will soon receive notification that they may be eligible for new coverage and for compensation for medical bills they paid while they were uninsured. LA Times 8/13/08

Food and nutrition:

The Bay Area's visionary chefs -- Great cooks are everywhere - at a neighborhood bar, in a modest storefront restaurant and at haute cuisine white-tablecloth venues. But the Bay Area's visionary chefs are more than great cooks; they are people who have made Northern California an epicurean epicenter. Today and in the next two Food sections, I'll profile 20 of these innovators who have helped change the way we eat. SF Chronicle 8/13/08

Calories would be posted in San Mateo County -- San Mateo County supervisors voted Tuesday to join San Francisco and Santa Clara County in requiring chain restaurants to post nutritional information about their food, including total calories, sodium amounts and fat content. SF Chronicle 8/13/08

Immigration and labor:

U.S. to plug border 'loophole': Open seas -- Immigration officials are beefing up patrols, buying more boats and preparing for a surge in illegal water crossings as immigrants and drug smugglers are likely to chart new routes into the USA through the Gulf of Mexico and Pacific Ocean. Heavier enforcement on the U.S.-Mexican land border, in the form of staffing, fencing, cameras and other detection technology, will force smugglers and migrants to look for easier entry spots, says Lloyd Easterling, assistant chief of the Border Patrol. USA Today 8/13/08

Agriculture:

This year's California table olive crop is the pits -- Table olive prices are expected to go up as California growers face their second-lightest harvest in more than a decade. State and federal agriculture officials are predicting that the table olive crop will be down by half this year because of harsh spring weather. The U.S. Department of Agriculture survey released today predicts 65,000 tons of olives are in the field. But growers say fewer than 45,000 tons will actually be harvested because of rising fuel and labor costs. SJ Mercury 8/13/08

Rice tour for Northern California to be held Aug. 21 -- A rice field tour covering weed resistance management and water quality will be held in Northern California, Aug. 21, 2008. The University of California (UC) is organizing a field tour of rice research sites in Butte and Glenn counties. Research at these sites focuses on the development of weed, and nutrient and pest management strategies for rice grown under different establishment systems (water and dry seeded). Western Farm Press 8/13/08

*Farm expenses hit record high: USDA -- The rising cost of fuel and other products drove U.S. farm production expenditures to a record $260 billion in 2007, according to USDA’s Farm Production Expenditures 2007 summary released by the department’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Total U.S. farm production expenditures rose 9.3 percent from 2006 and nearly 30 percent from five years ago. Western Farm Press 8/13/08

*Farm groups urge changes to federal food-safety programs -- In a statement submitted to the House agriculture subcommittee on horticulture and organic agriculture, the California Farm Bureau Federation urged lawmakers to develop a system that would clearly define the targets of recalls while narrowing unneeded recall actions and the resulting financial losses. The Farm Bureau said more funding and staffing are needed to research and diagnose food-borne illnesses. Better reporting and communication is also needed between food safety agencies and food handlers to trace illnesses, the statement said. California Farm Bureau Federation 8/13/08

California mangoes bounce back from freeze -- In the wake of California’s devastating January 2007 freeze, the state’s mango crop is expected to climb back to about 250,000 cartons this season. The Packer 8/13/08

Transportation Daily News August 13

2008-08-13T11:03:00.001-07:00

Transit and infrastructure:

*Highway 50 plan may not be green enough for state -- In what appears to be a California first, state highway officials are shelving a major Highway 50 widening plan in Sacramento until they can study whether the expansion will contribute to global warming. The state Department of Transportation announced Tuesday it will not fight a Sacramento court ruling that the agency conducted an incomplete environmental review for a project that would add lanes on the congested Rancho Cordova freeway. Sacramento Bee 8/13/08

Incidents prompt BART to consider Segway rules -- Fears of out-of-control Segways careening about BART trains and stations are prompting the transit agency to consider limiting use of the devices to people with disabilities. BART planners are recommending the restrictions after three incidents in May and June. SF Chronicle 8/13/08

Cab company asking drivers to prepay fees -- Cabbies asked the San Francisco Taxi Commission Tuesday to bar the city's largest taxi company, Yellow Cab, from making drivers prepay their gate fees each month. These fees now average $98.50 per shift. Drivers say the policy is a legal maneuver to cement their status as independent contractors instead of employees, depriving them of their rights to workers’ compensation and other benefits. SF Examiner 8/13/08

*62% of Californians Want High Speed Rail -- Last month, 62% of voters polled by JMM Research said they would support the bond measure, up from 52% in November. Voters cited having an "affordable" transportation alternative, "reducing dependence of foreign oil" and "reducing traffic congestion" as reasons for supporting measure. California High-speed Rail Blog 8/13/08

Emissions:

*UCS Says that California Must Reinvent, Not Weaken the State's Zero Emission Vehicle Program -- The staff of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has submitted a proposal that would significantly weaken the state's Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) program. If adopted by the board, this plan would make it more difficult for California to meet its goal of cutting global warming pollution 80 percent by 2050, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). CARB could make its decision as early as this Thursday. H2Daily 8/13/08

Coast Guard:

Transportation Daily News August 12

2008-08-12T13:45:00.001-07:00

Emissions:

Can cattails combat climate change? -- About 2-1/2 years ago, scientists noticed that their “big garden” of cattails in the Delta , was removing carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases blamed for global warming. That revelation persuaded state and federal officials to expand the project. They are now trying to determine whether the tules and cattails could be used to combat global warming through what they call “carbon-capture” farming. AP 8/11/08

CARB issues emissions fines -- The California Air Resources Board recently fined six companies, including several truck fleets, a total of $144,750 for violations of emissions regulations. Etrucker 8/12/08

Air travel:

Pilots complain airlines restrict fuel to cut cost -- Pilots, flight dispatchers and others have continued to sound off with their own warnings, yet the Federal Aviation Administration says there is no reason to order airlines to back off their effort to keep fuel loads to a minimum. AP 8/12/08

Transit and infrastructure:

BART lifts ban on contractor campaign contributions – Four BART Board members have filed to run for re-election, kicking off the first board race in 12 years in which incumbents can accept campaign contributions from contractors seeking business with BART jobs. Board President Gail Murray of Walnut Creek, Bob Franklin of Oakland, and Tom Radulovich and Lynette Sweet, both of San Francisco, all filed by Friday's deadline to retain their seats in their districts. CC Times 8/10/08

*Lawmakers apparently miss deadline to change rail bond measure -- With a veto threat looming, lawmakers on Monday missed a deadline to replace November's $9.9 billion high-speed rail bond ballot measure with an updated version. The legislation, Assembly Bill 3034, faces an uncertain future anyway because Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who supports it, has vowed to veto all legislation until lawmakers pass a state budget, now 43 days late. "We can still get it on the ballot," said Jo Linda Thompson, a lobbyist for the Association for California High Speed Trains. Sacramento Bee 8/12/08

*Golden Gate Bridge congestion toll plan dies -- Commuters no longer face the threat of a congestion-based toll on the Golden Gate Bridge, which could have pushed the cost of crossing the span to at least $7. But in its place, drivers parking at meters along the route to the bridge - including on Lombard Street and Van Ness Avenue - will face varying rates that rise during the busiest hours and are designed to increase turnover and push long-term parkers to lots and garages. SF Chronicle 8/12/08

Ports and shipping:

Shipping costs curb exodus from U.S. -- Rising oil prices are slowing the tide of U.S. companies moving to foreign lands because it's costing more to ship products home, a research group said. In a survey released July 31, RSM McGladrey found 52 percent of 357 businesses surveyed expected "dramatic increases" in shipping costs, compared with 20 percent three months earlier, USA Today reported Tuesday. UPI 8/12/08

Agricultural Daily News August 12

2008-08-12T13:29:00.001-07:00

Water and fishing:

Graywater systems recycle bath, laundry water -- Gray and her husband, Larry, know their water provider, the East Bay Municipal Utility District, called for water rationing in May because of drought, but the Grays' yard will be green all summer and for years to come. When the Grays built their new two-story home, they invested in a graywater system that catches water from sinks and showers and redirects it for landscaping and gardening. Every possible drop of water the couple use — except for water from the toilets and kitchen sink water — is reused on their landscape. CC Times 8/9/08

*Recycled water project officially on tap -- Officials from Delta Diablo Sanitation District, state water agencies and the federal government joined city leaders in dedicating a project that will use recycled water on Delta View Golf Course and some city landscaping. Officials gushed that the water reuse project allows the city to maintain grassy areas in case of drought, while saving money and usable water for residents. SJ Mercury 8/11/08

*California Water War Enters New Front with the 'Battle of the Reports -- The Public Policy Institute of California released a report advocating the construction of a peripheral canal on the California Delta, while two environmental groups, EDF and NRDC, released two separate reports recommending ways to provide enough water to both restore salmon and serve California's water needs. Indy Bay 8/11/08

Fire retardant discovered in wastewater plants that discharge into the Bay -- A new fire retardant product with unknown long-term impacts on human health and the environment has been discovered in two wastewater treatment plants that discharge into San Francisco Bay, according to a scientist with the San Francisco Estuary Institute who made the find. Inside Bay Area 8/12/08

EPA Agrees to Set Beach Water Criteria By 2012 -- The association representing most of the country's municipal sewerage agencies says it is satisfied with an settlement reached Friday that ensures its members will be represented as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency develops new criteria for beach water quality. The head of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies said today he is pleased with the agreement the association reached Friday with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Los Angeles County in litigation over new recreational water quality criteria. Environmental News Service 8/11/08

Health:

Health care costs seen rising 10 percent in 2009 -- Health care costs are expected to rise more than 10 percent into next year, according to a survey of insurers by Aon Consulting Worldwide. But that increase is the smallest Aon has seen in six years. Experts say it shows that efforts to tame costs, such as employee wellness or disease management programs, may be paying off. AP 8/11/08

Labor and immigration:

*Study looks at health of farmworkers – A MICASA study is being conducted by the University of California at Davis documenting health trends in California immigrant communities. MICASA is an acronym for "Mexican Immigration to California: Agricultural Safety and Acculturation." Such a project is vital because of the role farmworkers play in the Valley's farming economy, study coordinators and health experts say. Fresno Bee 8/11/08

Agriculture:

*Global California almond shipments soar -- Exports of California almonds soared for the marketing year just closed, according to the Almond Board of California, Modesto, Calif. Almonds soared to new all-time records, indicating continued strong global demand. Record shipments accompany the industry’s largest crop ever. 1.38 billion pounds of almonds, 24 percent more than the previous year, were harvested during 2007. Western Farm Press 8/12/08

New study cites continued regulatory cost explosion -- The California Institute for the Study of Specialty Crops has published a new study which details the continuing explosion of regulatory costs on California agriculture and specifically citrus. Since a 2006 study by the Institute an additional $12.4 million in regulatory impacts have been shouldered by citrus producers throughout California. Western Farm Press 8/12/08

Jump on agritourism wave and stay on a farm -- Call them haycations: It's a chance to spend a night or two on a working farm or ranch and enjoy the comforts of an inn or guest home while you learn about your hosts' approach to agriculture. Traditionally, they're known as farm stays. SJ Mercury 8/12/08

*Inland growers moving quickly to prepare for Asian citrus psyllid -- A tiny pest just south of the U.S. border with a taste for budding citrus trees has state agriculture officials and growers on high alert. Its arrival could mean doomsday for an industry that was worth $1.8 billion in California last year, they say. In recent weeks, the Asian citrus psyllid, an insect the size of a pea that can carry a rapidly spreading disease dubbed "greening," inched closer to California's southern border. Freshplaza 8/12/08

*Sacramento area plays big role in tomato products -- As harvests peak this summer and fall, we'll tell you about what's ripe in the Sacramento region, from farmers market favorites to food staples shipped across the globe. Nearly all are specially bred for the food industry, which churns them into everything from ketchup to pizza sauce. Around a third of the state's processing tomatoes grow within 75 miles of Sacramento, mainly in Yolo and San Joaquin counties. Our area produces 30 percent of the nation's supply. There's a bumper crop this year, around 10 percent above average. Sacramento Bee 8/12/08

Leafy greens agreement passes 500 inspections -- The California Leafy Green Products Handler Marketing Agreement has reached a milestone, completing 500 food safety inspections of its members’ growing operations in its first year. The Packer 8/12/08

Transportation Daily News August 11

2008-08-11T14:01:00.001-07:00

Transit and infrastructure:

Fuel costs changing the way school buses run in districts -- Fremont may double its bus fees, to $700 a kid. In Gilroy, elementary students must now live a mile away from school before they can board a school bus. And transportation directors everywhere are working the phones to find the best price on diesel fuel. SJ Mercury 8/11/08

*Suit filed over state high-speed rail project -- A coalition of transportation and planning groups and two Peninsula cities filed suit Friday, seeking to invalidate the environmental study - and the choice of the Pacheco Pass alignment - for the state's high-speed rail project. The suit, filed in Sacramento County Superior Court, contends that the California High Speed Rail Authority intentionally slanted a legally required study on the impact of building the fast rail line to steer the authority's board into selecting a route through the Pacheco Pass in Santa Clara County over one through the Altamont Pass in Alameda County. SF Chronicle 8/9/08

*Santa Clara voters to consider BART extension -- Santa Clara County voters will be asked in November to raise the sales tax to help fund the long-envisioned plan to extend BART to the Silicon Valley. The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority governing board voted Thursday to place a measure on the Nov. 4 ballot to raise the sales tax in the county by one-eighth of a cent. The tax is now 8.25 percent. SF Chronicle 8/9/08

BART has commuters all a-Twitter -- Since Aug. 1, Bay Area Rapid Transit riders have been providing dispatches from the trenches to BART officials and other passengers through twitter.com. The free microblogging and social-networking site, developed by San Francisco start-up Obvious and launched two years ago, allows users to exchange real-time updates of what they’re doing with their friends — so long as the descriptions are under 140 characters. Examiner 8/11/08

Coast Guard:

*Mexico smugglers ply sea route to California -- Mexican smugglers are cramming illegal immigrants and drugs into boats and ferrying them to California by sea to try to beat the tightened security on the U.S. land border, authorities say. U.S. Coast Guard and police officers have nabbed 24 vessels packed with contraband in Pacific coastal waters off southern California since October 1 2007, more than twice the number stopped during the same period of the previous year. Reuters 8/11/08

Air travel:

*Sacramento Airport flight reductions could hurt local businesses -- The reduction in flights at Sacramento International Airport is more than an inconvenience to vacationers. It could be harming the area's business climate. While tourists lament the loss of nonstop flights to locales like Maui and Puerto Vallarta, business leaders are anxious about the cancellation of Sacramento's only nonstop service to bread-and-butter destinations such as Charlotte, N.C., one of America's banking centers. Sacramento's diminishing air service, they say, could make it harder to do business here and recruit corporations. Sacramento Bee 8/9/08

Agricultural Daily News August 11

2008-08-11T14:00:00.001-07:00

Water and fish:

*Bill would allow agencies to ban water softeners if salt threatens recycling efforts -- The Culligan Man could soon join the Maytag repairman in California, as regional water agencies seek more authority to remove home water softeners if they threaten local water supplies. Assembly Bill 2270, by Assemblymen John Laird and Mike Feuer, D-Los Angeles, would allow cities, counties and special districts – whichever entity oversees wastewater – to ban water softeners. Sacramento Bee 8/11/08

Proposal to harness wind power off Mendocino coast worries fishing industry -- The Electric Power Research Institute estimates enough wave power can be extracted from coastal waters to account for about 15 percent of California's electricity production. Offshore wind and wave technologies are promising, but they're untried. They also raise concerns about potential damage to the coast's prized vistas and fish industry. Sacrament Bee 8/11/08

Navy studies radiation at Weapons Station -- As the U.S. Navy gets ready to start studying radiation levels at the Concord Naval Weapons Station, old questions and theories inevitably come up — some would call them conspiracy theories — about the July 1944 explosion there and what it really was.. CC Times 8/11/08

*Kern County agency buys public water low, sells high -- Delta fish suffered a crippling decline while taxpayers paid nearly $100 million to a Kern County water wholesaler for an environmental protection program that was largely ineffective, a Contra Costa Times investigation has found. In the process, the wholesaler sold water to the state for as much as $200 an acre-foot and last year bought water from the state for as little as $28 an acre-foot. CC Times 8/9/08

Sewage spill closes beach in Sausalito -- Environmental officials will be testing the water quality today near Sausalito after a sewage spill dumped raw sewage into San Francisco Bay. The spill was first reported just after noon Sunday. It forced the closure of Swede's Beach, a popular waterfront stretch south of Richardson Bay. CC Times 8/11/08

State-of-the-art water recycling system fuels campus facilities -- The water crisis will continue to have little impact on UCLA because of the effective methods in recycling water along with campus conservation strategies for sanitation and water usage. UCLA has conserved and recycled water through the cogeneration plant, located in the Facilities Management Building near the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. This facility burns fuel and reuses the heat gained to make electricity, steam and chilled water. Daily Bruin 8/11/08

State Senate Decision Could Begin the Restoration of Delta Salmon and Other Fisheries -- Sometime in the next week to ten days, AB 1806, the Delta restoration and mitigation bill, will encounter its last hurdle when it is heard on the floor of the State Senate. The bill has already cleared the Assembly, and if passed by the Senate, will go to the Governor’s desk for his signature. Here is today's press release about the bill from the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance. Indy Bay 8/11/08

*Signs point to monster return for salmon -- The story of the decline in salmon populations on the Pacific Coast is well documented, but there's a surprise twist this summer. Scientists blamed the fall of salmon stocks primarily on a lack of marine food production, which has also affected the population of some marine birds. This was the result of a change in wind patterns across the ocean that caused poor upwelling and lack of plankton and krill. With plenty of food again in the ocean, yet far fewer adult salmon this summer, the fish that are out there are gorging and getting huge. SF Chronicle 8/11/08

Food and nutrition:

*Whole Foods ground beef in Northern California stores safe to eat -- Whole Foods Market is voluntarily recalling more than 1 million pounds of ground beef because of a possible E. coli outbreak. But Bay Area residents can rest easy: beef sold in the store's 24 Northern California locations is not involved, said spokeswoman Vanessa Cornish. SJ Mercury 8/10/08

Wood-Fired -- Rizzolo and her husband, the chef Philip Wojtowicz, quit their Los Angeles kitchen jobs in 2001 to come to Big Sur and make the Big Sur Baker. The bakery served as the meeting point for the community and firefighters, who insisted the place remain open in order to maintain a sense of normalcy. One day, Rizzolo started getting calls from evacuated patrons, who saw the bakery on the news. “One customer called, sobbing, saying: ‘We can’t lose the bakery! It’s a symbol of Big Sur.’ ” NY Times 8/10/08

Cal Citrus joins Sunkist, closes marketing office -- After more than four decades of marketing its own fruit, Cal Citrus Packing Co. Inc., Lindsay, Calif., is becoming a member of the grower-owned cooperative, Sunkist Growers Inc., Sherman Oaks, Calif. The Packer 8/11/08

Immigration and labor:

Mexico smugglers ply sea route to California -- Mexican smugglers are cramming illegal immigrants and drugs into boats and ferrying them to California by sea to try to beat the tightened security on the U.S. land border, authorities say. U.S. Coast Guard and police officers have nabbed 24 vessels packed with contraband in Pacific coastal waters off southern California since October 1 2007, more than twice the number stopped during the same period of the previous year. Reuters 8/11/08

*Study finds 11 percent drop in illegal immigration -- According to a report released last week by the Center for Immigration Studies, illegal immigration overall is decreasing nationwide, but some states such as California and Texas have increasing numbers of illegal immigrants. More relaxed policies in border states make them more attractive to undocumented workers living in states with stricter enforcement. Daily Texan 8/11/08

Agricultural Daily News August 7

2008-08-08T13:31:00.000-07:00

Parks and forests:

Tragic crash of firefighting chopper raises questions about Shasta-Trinity forest policy -- But unlike some national forests, the Shasta-Trinity National Forest has no plan in place to allow fires to burn unchecked in some conditions. This approach, dubbed "wildland fire use" by the Forest Service, has been embraced in many other forests and national parks. It can be a cheap and effective means to thin overgrown forests and restore more natural conditions. Such a policy risks exposing firefighters to more dangerous situations. Sacramento Bee 8/8/09

Immigration and labor:

Workers' compensation enforcers widen focus on employers -- For a decade, California employers and their advocates in Sacramento complained about the high cost of workers' compensation insurance and condemned abuses of the system by employees, who they said fake claims, exaggerate medical conditions and collect fat disability benefits. But some data suggest that employers -- not workers -- are the bigger workers' compensation cheaters. And the state is stepping up enforcement against businesses suspected of ignoring the law and endangering workers. LA Times 8/8/08

*The U Visa Arrives -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has issued the first handful of U visas for immigrant victims of crime and domestic violence, almost eight years after Congress enacted the legislation meant to help law enforcement. Women's and immigrant advocates around the country said the news of the first U visas signaled a hopeful, if belated, development in the national effort to implement the 2000 Crime Victims Act. SJ Mercury 8/8/08

Health:

250,000 Americans don't know they're HIV-positive, CDC says -- Some 250,000 Americans are HIV positive but unaware of it, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study released Thursday, and most of them are not in high-risk groups. Officials said that efforts to test people who are in high-risk groups for HIV had been successful. To reach the remaining 25 percent of Americans who are HIV positive but don't suspect it, however, efforts have to be broadened, and quickly. McClatchy 8/8/08

Water and fishing:

*Plan aims to rebuild delta islands -- Only a system of increasingly pressured levees keeps them from being flooded. A collapse of the levees would bring in salt water from San Francisco Bay, damaging delta ecosystems and jeopardizing the state and federal programs that pump fresh water out of the delta for farms and cities to the south. The Geological Survey project started 15 years ago as a small experiment on two, 30 foot-by- 30 foot plots to see if growing mostly tules and cattails would help rebuild the islands' soil. The Reporter 8/8/08

Agriculture:

*Sign-up begins for $54 million in California EQIP funds -- Conservation cost share applications for the federal Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) are being accepted for funding consideration in fiscal year 2009 from now through Nov. 2 at USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offices throughout California. The program, providing financial and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers for natural resource improvements, received a record $53,959,920 in funding in California for 2008. Western Farm Press 8/8/08

Agriculture production costs on the rise, according to new Rabobank report -- Much attention has focused lately on the run-up in the production of agricultural commodities and its effect on food prices. Additionally, key crop input prices are also rising and show no sign of slowing, according to a new Rabobank report, "U.S. Crop Inputs." Western Farm Press a8/8/08

Transportation Daily News August 8

2008-08-08T11:52:00.001-07:00

Transit and infrastructure:

*Bill fine-tuning rail bonds sent to Assembly -- Legislation designed to give the $10 billion high-speed rail bond measure a better chance of winning voter approval in November easily passed the state Senate Thursday, and is expected to be approved by the Assembly and land on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk next week. SF Chronicle 8/8/08

*Bullet train bill backed by governor could derail his veto vow -- High-speed rail legislation – which beefs up oversight and makes rail funding more flexible – must be signed by the end of the day Monday to make the Nov. 4 ballot, according to a deadline given by Secretary of State Debra Bowen. But to sign it, he will have to break his recent pledge to veto all bills until lawmakers agree on a state budget, now 39 days late. Sacramento Bee 8/8/08

AB 3034 Passes the Senate -- The Senate amended the bill yesterday to provide more oversight, including a "peer review" committee (see the bill text for details) and mandating that a revised business plan be produced by September 1 - not October 1 as previously suggested. CA High-speed Rail Blog 8/8/08

Air travel:

Virgin America Celebrates a Successful Virgin Year -- Virgin America, the California-based airline that is making flying good again, today is marking its first year of flying with birthday celebrations for guests and teammates at its home base of San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and across all of its destination city airports. Market Watch 8/8/08

Water and ports:

*California Led Nation in Boating Accidents in 2007 -- Accidents happen -- and California’s 964,881 recreational vessels competing for space on the state’s crowded waterways managed to rack up 804 accidents in 2007. That earned the state the dubious honor of ranking first among all the states in the total number of reported accidents for the year. The Log 8/8/08

New Underwater Anti-Terrorism Technology to Patrol San Francisco Bay -- Coda Octopus Group, Inc. (OTCBB: CDOC) said today the Company’s Underwater Inspection System™ (UIS), developed in cooperation with the US Coast Guard, has been purchased by the Sheriff’s Office of Contra Costa County, CA. Contra Costa County will be the first on the West Coast to permanently deploy the UIS, developed after the 9/11 attacks to address the need for a new generation of port security technology to respond to underwater threats. IStockAnalyst 8/8/08

Bush Signs Clean Boating Act -- In a significant victory for the nation’s 13 million registered recreational boat owners, President George W. Bush on July 29 signed into law the Clean Boating Act of 2008, which permanently restores the long-standing exemption for recreational boats from permitting requirements under the federal Clean Water Act. The Log 8/7/08

Agricultural Daily News August 7

2008-08-07T11:35:00.001-07:00

Water and fishing:

*California forestry officials reject rules to protect salmon -- California forestry officials Wednesday rejected an emergency petition to protect coho salmon in coastal streams, even though federal fisheries regulators said it would help the imperiled fish. The request came from California Trout, the Sierra Club and the Environmental Protection Information Center. It targeted coho salmon in coastal streams between Santa Cruz and Humboldt counties. The forestry board regulates logging on private land. Last year it required new stream protections if the state Department Fish and Game ruled that a logging plan will kill salmon. But Fish and Game has never made such a ruling. The petitioners want the stream protections required without such a finding. Sacramento Bee 8/7/08

Desalination plant plans OK'd -- A private company's proposal to build the nation's largest drinking water desalination plant at Agua Hedionda Lagoon in Carlsbad cleared its final hurdles yesterday before the California Coastal Commission. San Diego City Attorney Michael Aguirre testified in opposition to the project, arguing that it was the wrong approach to solving the region's water shortage. San Diego Union Tribune 8/7/08

US investigates impacts of drugs in drinking water -- American environmental regulators are looking into the effects of low level residues of drugs in drinking water and working with healthcare professionals to see how levels might be reduced. The Environmental Protection Agency has asked the National Academy of Science to advise on potential risks to human health and draw up a list prioritising the particular pharmaceuticals for which urgent action is needed. Edie 8/7/08

Health:

*Insured patients using ER for primary care -- Hospital emergency departments, typically the medical providers of last resort, are becoming the only option for insured as well as uninsured people who are unable to get care elsewhere, leading to a record rise in emergency room visits over the past decade, a federal government report found. Emergency room visits jumped more than 32 percent from 90.3 million in 1996 to 119 million in 2006, the most recent year statistics are available, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. California has the lowest percentage of emergency departments per capita - 6.12 per 1 million people. SF Chronicle 8/7/08

Biofuels:

Cal Poly project aims to make biofuels from algae -- For almost a year now, student researchers have been growing this aquatic plant at the San Luis Obispo County Wastewater Treatment Facility. As the algae is harvested, it is then dried and extracted for its oil. The algae will serving a dual purpose: one purpose is to turn it into fuel, but plans are also in the works to bring algae ponds to Cal Poly so it can treat the wastewater on campus. KSBY 8/7/08

Agriculture:

*UCD shares $12.3 million grant for large-scale 'carbon farm' in Delta -- UC Davis is joining federal and state agencies in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta for expanded research into "carbon-capture" farming - a process of trapping carbon dioxide and rebuilding the soil base. UC Davis' participation is made possible by a three-year, $12.3 million grant from the state Department of Water Resources. UC Davis and the U.S. Geological Survey are sharing the grant, which was announced July 23. Daily Democrat 8/7/08

California Company Recalls Beef After E. Coli Outbreak -- A California company is voluntarily recalling 153,630 pounds of frozen ground beef, some of which has been linked to an outbreak of E. coli bacteria that shut down a Boy Scout camp in Goshen, Va., this week, federal officials said. S&S Foods, of Azusa, Calif., is recalling 30-pound boxes of ground beef that went to distribution centers in Milwaukee, Wisc. and Allentown, Penn., on the recommendation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service. Washington Post 8/7/08

California strawberries clear Olympic hurdle -- With one food preference survey, China's Olympic athletes accomplished something the California Strawberry Commission and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had been trying to achieve for years: getting U.S.-grown supplies of the fruit into communist China. The first 450-pound supply of American strawberries ever exported legally to China arrived in Beijing on Wednesday after members of the Chinese Olympic team listed strawberries as the No. 3 fruit they would like to eat during the Summer Games starting Friday. AP 8/7/08

The Peninsula fights a big battle against a little moth -- So far, the moth — which immigrated to California from Australia, New Zealand or Hawaii in 2007 — has not caused any crop damage, according to CDFA spokesman Steve Lyle. Traps in San Mateo County have caught 359 moths, compared with nearly 8,500 in neighboring San Francisco and nearly 18,000 in Santa Cruz County. Examiner 8/7/08

*Secretary Kawamura and USDA Secretary Schafer celebrate the benefits of farmers markets -- Secretary A.G. Kawamura today joined U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer in proclaiming Aug. 3-9 “National Farmers Market Week.” This proclamation celebrates the thousands of farmers across the state who set up their tents, ready their scales, roll out their new products, and invite multitudes of people to sample farm fresh, locally grown products. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports over 4,500 farmers markets currently operate throughout the nation. Of those markets, approximately 520 are in California. Western Farm Press 8/6/08

California sweet potato harvest begins -- After surviving a couple of spring weather hurdles, the California sweet potato crop is back on schedule. Harvest began in late July, and grower-shippers said production will meet demand through the holidays and into the new year. A mid-April frost, followed by two days of extremely high winds in May, killed thousands of young plantings, also known as slips. As many as 3,000 acres had to be replanted. The state’s sweet potato acreage this year is more than 14,000 acres, Stoddard said, up from 13,000 acres in 2007. The Packer 8/7/08

*Doha Round trade talks collapse -- The Doha Round negotiations of the World Trade Organization collapsed in late July after the U.S. refused to accept a demand by China and India that any new agreement should allow them to raise tariffs and put in place special safeguards on agricultural goods. Now, nearly seven years after launch, trade observers said the Doha round of global trade talks is probably on hold for the rest of the year. The Packer 8/6/08

Food and nutrition:

Dining Update: Coi's sophisticated menu earns Patterson four stars -- Few chefs have such a meticulous focus on both product and technique. Unlike many chef-owners, it is rare to see Patterson chatting in the dining room; he prefers to stay in the background and let the food speak in his stead. And his subtle, intricate and cerebral food speaks volumes. SF Chronicle 8/6/08

Jamba Inc.: Juicing up its expansion strategy -- Jamba, which operates a chain of Jamba Juice smoothie cafes, has been working on a major expansion beyond its core California market since it became a public company last November. It was founded in 1990 by Kirk Perron, a cycling enthusiast in San Luis Obispo, Calif., who craved healthy smoothies after a hard day of cycling. Small Cap Investor 8/7/08

Transportation Daily News August 7

2008-08-07T11:14:00.000-07:00

Budget:

Governor won't sign bills until he gets budget -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, in his latest attempt to pressure lawmakers into breaking the state's budget impasse, on Wednesday said he will not sign any bills until the Legislature agrees on a budget, which is more than a month overdue. SF Chronicle 8/7/08

Transit and infrastructure:

*S.F.'s road map for reinventing Muni revised -- San Francisco transportation planners said Wednesday they want to replace low-ridership bus lines with cheaper-to-operate van service as part of an ambitious plan to overhaul Municipal Railway's decades-old route structure aimed at improving service along the busiest corridors. Muni officials outlined their latest ideas to remake the system in a revised version of the Transit Effectiveness Project plan, a data-driven document that took a line-by-line look at ridership on each bus and rail route to see which should be eliminated, rerouted or kept the same based on demand. The plan also recommends schedule changes. SF Chronicle 8/7/08

Muni fine-tunes transformation -- San Franciscans lamenting the elimination of neighborhood bus lines marked for destruction may see those routes resurrected with vans. The initial recommendations, released in February, include beefing up Muni’s main transit lines in The City’s main corridors and eliminating some of its lesser-used routes. Examiner 8/7/08

*Support builds for sweeping growth bill -- Builders and environmentalists, often adversaries, are aligning behind sweeping legislation that could fundamentally change how California grows and where. The measure would use a mix of rewards – such as priority for transportation funds and better-defined environmental reviews – to reduce sprawl, provide affordable housing, shorten commutes and curb greenhouse gas emissions linked to global warming. San Diego Union Tribune 8/7/08

*Deal reached on bill that would give state a voice over local land-use plans -- As a legislative committee reviewed the Air Resources Board’s plan to reduce greenhouse gasses, a deal was announced on a new bill that will implement a key piece of the plan, and give the state a voice in limiting urban sprawl. A broad coalition, including environmentalists, builders and local governments, crowded into a Capitol hearing room Wednesday to announce an agreement on a bill, SB 375 by Sen. Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento. It would give new regional councils, and the state Air Resources Board, new authority over local land-use and transportation planning decisions. Capitol Weekly 8/7/08

San Francisco is a pedestrian's paradise -- Matching the eye-popping scenery is a dense cityscape that allows residents and visitors easy access to amenities such as shops, markets and parks — a primary reason San Francisco recently was anointed the “most walkable” city in the nation by walkscore.com, on online organization based in Seattle that collects data on pedestrian activities in every major U.S. city. SF Examiner 8/7/08

Water:

Coast Guard issues safety reminders for Delta boaters -- Coast Guard personnel warned Wednesday that BUI – boating under the influence – and not wearing a life jacket are ingredients for a watery disaster. Last year, 55 boating fatalities occurred in the state. Of those, 7 percent happened in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region. Seventy-one percent of the state's boating fatality victims drowned – and of that group an overwhelming majority, 87 percent, were not wearing life jackets. Sacramento Bee 8/7/08

Emissions:

Settlement on school bus fixes to cut fumes -- The state's largest school bus operator has agreed to renovate more than 2,000 buses in California to run cleaner, settling a lawsuit that accused it of exposing children to diesel exhaust in leaky passenger cabins. The settlement was announced Wednesday by Laidlaw Transit and three environmental groups that sued the company in 2006. Without admitting any wrongdoing, Laidlaw agreed to spend $4.7 million over five years to retrofit buses that are more than five years old, and $23.6 million more to continue renovating those buses or buy new ones. SF Chronicle 8/7/08

Transportation Daily News August 6

2008-08-06T11:50:00.001-07:00

Budget:

*SFO-related tax measures on fall ballot -- Hoping tourists will allow county officials to climb out of a budget hole, San Mateo County supervisors Tuesday placed two San Francisco International Airport-related tax measures on the November ballot. The board approved an 8 percent tax on parking and a separate 2½ percent tax on rental-car agencies during its meeting Tuesday. Both measures will be placed on the Nov. 4 ballot and will affect only unincorporated parts of the county, most notably SFO. Examiner 8/6/08

State budget stalemate continues -- The prospects for quick resolution to the state's impasse grew dimmer Tuesday, a day after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed a solution to the mess, when Democratic legislators were warned to cancel plans to attend the party convention at the end of the month. SF Chronicle 8/6/08

Ports and shipping:

*Oakland port to eliminate 100 jobs -- The Port of Oakland is cutting 100 jobs, representing about 15 percent of all positions, in its biggest reduction in force in recent memory. The cuts, to take effect Aug. 29, affect 62 filled positions and 38 that were vacant because of a partial hiring freeze. Port revenue is growing more slowly than anticipated; at the same time, debt payments are increasing for bonds that paid for past capital improvements. SF Chronicle 8/6/08

Emissions:

*S.F. on course for emissions reduction goal -- San Francisco has cut greenhouse gas emissions by 5 percent from 1990 levels and is on track to meet its goal of a 20 percent reduction in four years, Mayor Gavin Newsom said Tuesday. Total emissions in the city dropped by 5 percent between 1990 and 2005 and by 8 percent since 2000, which was the worst year on record, according to a study by the city's Department of the Environment. SF Chronicle 8/6/08

*Bill would charge fees at ports for cleaner air -- Cargo shipping companies that send goods through ports in Oakland, Long Beach and Los Angeles would be charged new fees to fund efforts to reduce pollution under a bill approved Tuesday by the state Senate and sent to the governor. Health advocates lauded the legislation as a tool to combat what they described as dangerous levels of pollution near the ports, while opponents said it would hurt business. The bill passed by a 22-9 vote. SF Chronicle 8/6/08

Transit and infrastructure:

Program to keep trucking -- A controversial experiment that is testing the safety of allowing Mexican trucks to travel throughout the United States has so far survived the repeated efforts of opponents to shut it down in Congress and the courts. But as the pilot program drew toward a scheduled close next month, it faced the prospect of being judged a failure as a result of not attracting enough participants to produce reliable data. Yesterday, Bush administration officials announced they will take advantage of a statute that allows the program to be extended up to three years. San Diego Union Tribune 8/5/08

Many California bridges still need earthquake upgrades -- The state owns more than 12,000 bridges. The California Department of Transportation says that in the last 20 years it has retrofit 2,189 of the 2,194 bridges that needed updates, many of which are on freeways and other major corridors. The remaining five bridges are the eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, the Ten Mile River Bridge on California 1 in Mendocino County, the High Street bridge on Interstate 880 in Oakland, the 5th Avenue bridge on I-880 in Oakland and the Schuyler Heim Bridge that connects Long Beach to Terminal Island. LA Times 8/5/08

*Transit law gets green light -- The City will legally require San Francisco businesses with 20 or more employees to offer workers one of three transit benefits by the end of the year. The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the business mandate Tuesday, but unlike previous measures — including forcing businesses to provide workers such benefits as health care and sick leave that drew the ire of the business community — this one came with the backing of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. Examiner 8/6/08

*San Francisco may charge drivers -- San Francisco is considering a plan to charge commuters a fee to drive into the city's most congested downtown areas during rush hours. To fight gridlock, smog and global-warming gases, San Francisco is considering becoming the first city in the nation to impose congestion-management fees during rush hour to drive into and possibly out of the busiest downtown areas. SJ Mercury 8/4/08

Emergency response:

Homeland-security grant would bolster county emergency needs -- San Mateo County may soon be a little more prepared for a major emergency. The Sheriff’s Office has applied for a $2.5 million grant in the past from the Department of Homeland Security and received it each time. The county already has a bevy of projects lined up to use the money, county Emergency Services Supervisor Bill O’Callahan said. Last week, the Department of Homeland Security set aside $37.2 million for the Bay Area under its 2008 Urban Areas Security Initiative, part of $1.8 billion in new grants offered nationwide this year. SF Examiner 8/6/08

Agricultural Daily News August 6

2008-08-06T11:45:00.001-07:00

Health:

Pfizer moving new biotech research unit to S.F. -- San Francisco's drive to become a major hub of the biotechnology industry got a big boost Tuesday when Pfizer Inc., the world's largest drugmaker, said it will move the headquarters of its new biotech research unit to Mission Bay, next door to UCSF's new campus. The department's move from South San Francisco is a "significant win," said Mayor Gavin Newsom, who has campaigned for years to attract biomedical companies to the city, where the biotech industry's scientific foundation was built more than 30 years ago with early gene-splicing experiments at UCSF. SF Chronicle 8/6/08

*Battle against West Nile -- The local battle against the West Nile virus and the mosquitoes that carry and transmit it involves a plane equipped with a high-resolution digital camera and a GPS system. It's a high-tech biowar to be sure, but on ground mosquito hunting is dirty, gnarly grunt work with unglamorous tools: a green plastic bucket squirming with tiny fish, a cup-size fish net, a small spray bottle of mineral oil. SJ Mercury 8/5/08

As West Nile counts rise, fogging, spraying increase -- The number of mosquito samples testing positive for West Nile virus is growing, as is the frequency of ground fogging and truck-mounted spraying. Many positive mosquito samples have been found recently in Citrus Heights, Antelope, North Highlands and Orangevale, said Luz Maria Rodriguez, spokeswoman for the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District. Sacramento Bee 8/6/08

Food and nutrition:

Kids meals bust calorie, fat, sodium targets -- After analyzing kids' items offered by 13 of the nation's 25 largest restaurant chains, the Center for Science in the Public Interest concluded that 93 percent of the meals provide too many calories. Nutrition guidelines suggest that a moderately active child age 4 to 8 should get no more than 1,290 calories a day (430 calories per meal). Every single kid's option exceeded that at five chains. "These meals are really calorie time bombs," said Dr. Harold Goldstein, head of the California Center for Public Health Advocacy. Sacramento Bee 8/5/08

*California Central Valley fights obesity epidemic -- Nearly two-thirds of the people living in Merced, Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Kern counties are obese or overweight, according to the Central California program. More than a third of the region's fifth-, seventh- and ninth-graders have unhealthy weights, a major increase from a decade ago. Armed with statistics, public health directors in the six counties joined with community groups to try to turn the situation around with the Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program. LA Times 8/6/08

*County sued over food-labeling law -- Santa Clara County's effort to curb obesity by taking on the restaurant industry has landed local officials in a quickly expanding legal battle. The California Restaurant Association recently sued the county, trying to block June legislation that would require chain restaurants in unincorporated areas to include calorie counts on their menus. The county legislation, which does not apply to cities within the county, is slated to go into effect Sept. 1. SJ Mercury 8/6/08

Water:

Scientists look into death of harbor porpoises -- Bay Area researchers are looking into whether harbor porpoises that have washed up on local beaches in recent months might have been killed by long-term exposure to toxic algae. Twenty-three porpoises were discovered between May 19 and July 25 on Bay Area beaches, said Marine Mammal Center spokesman Jim Oswald, and the cause of seven or eight of those deaths could be domoic acid poisoning, related to a type of toxic algae. SF Chronicle 8/5/08

*Water board pushes for lower usage -- The Santa Clara Valley Water District expects to launch a year-round water conservation campaign this month to heighten residents' awareness of the region's water supply. Along with an advertising push set to begin next week, district board members say they want to connect better with neighborhood associations and homeowners' groups to advocate for less water use around the house and in landscaping. SJ Mercury 8/6/08

Golf courses try to play through drought -- Amid the current drought, golf courses in the East Bay are some of the hardest-hit water customers. While the local water district has ordered single-family home dwellers to cut water use by 19 percent, so-called irrigators such as golf courses must achieve a 30 percent savings. The state's 900 golf courses cover about 130,000 acres, employ about 160,000 workers and pump nearly $7 billion into the economy. They are trying to make better use of surface water - and drilling for underground supplies. SF Chronicle 8/6/08

Transportation Daily News August 4

2008-08-04T13:29:00.000-07:00

Transit and infrastructure:

*Environmental groups undecided on high-speed rail plan -- The Sierra Club and the Planning and Conservation League have not yet taken a position on Proposition 1, which would authorize $9.95 billion in state borrowing to jump-start the 800-mile rail. But environmentalists are still seething over the selection of relatively undeveloped Pacheco Pass as the route to connect the Central Valley to the Bay Area. They favor the more urban Altamont Pass to the north because they say it would induce less sprawl. Sacramento Bee 8/4/08

Proposed high-speed rail route divisive -- California bullet-train enthusiasts risk losing support from key environmental groups because of a dispute over the train's route. Unless it is resolved soon, the conflict could pose problems for a high-speed rail bond measure on the November ballot. Fresno Bee 8/2/08

*Mayor accused of going back on transit deal -- San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom broke a promise to withdraw a measure from the November ballot that would change the makeup of the panel that oversees the city's transit system, a steaming-mad city supervisor charged on Friday. Supervisor Jake McGoldrick in May proposed a ballot measure to strip the mayor of some of his control over the Municipal Transportation Agency, which operates the city's programs for transit, parking enforcement and traffic control. SF Chronicle 8/2/08

Guardino to lead BART tax push for VTA -- The Valley Transportation Authority will vote Thursday to put a new sales tax on the November ballot, and the campaign will be headed by a familiar face - Carl Guardino. The president and chief executive of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group said Friday that he has agreed to lead the effort to approve a one-eighth-cent increase in the sales tax to cover the cost of operating BART, if and when it is extended from Fremont to San Jose. SJ Mercury 8/4/08

Shipping and water:

*States, Enviros Warn EPA Over Ship, Aircraft Emissions -- Formal letters warning of impending lawsuits over the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's failure to address greenhouse gas emissions from ocean-going ships and aircraft have been filed by four state attorneys general, three state agencies, New York City and a coalition of conservation groups. The conservation groups' notice of intent to sue was filed Thursday by the public interest law firm Earthjustice on behalf of Oceana, Friends of the Earth and the Center for Biological Diversity. Environmental News Service 8/3/08

*Shipping Costs Start to Crimp Globalization -- The world economy has become so integrated that shoppers find relatively few T-shirts and sneakers in Wal-Mart and Target carrying a “Made in the U.S.A.” label. But globalization may be losing some of the inexorable economic power it had for much of the past quarter-century, even as it faces fresh challenges as a political ideology. Cheap oil, the lubricant of quick, inexpensive transportation links across the world, may not return anytime soon, upsetting the logic of diffuse global supply chains that treat geography as a footnote in the pursuit of lower wages. NY Times 8/3/08

Cosco Busan pilot’s trial to start in fall -- he trial of Petaluma pilot John Cota and shipping company Fleet Management on charges stemming from the Cosco Busan oil spill might begin 10 days after the one-year anniversary of the environmental disaster. SF Examiner 8/4/08

Air travel and tourism:

Lifting of travel ban a relief to HIV-positive immigrants and travelers -- On Wednesday, President Bush signed a $48 billion global AIDS relief bill that also repealed a ban on HIV-positive immigrants and tourists entering the country. Bush's repeal does not immediately end the restrictions for those with HIV and AIDS. Attached to his bill battling the global AIDS epidemic, the language takes away the congressional ban and returns authority to federal public health officials. Inside Bay Area 8/1/08

Agricultural Daily News August 4

2008-08-04T11:36:00.001-07:00

Agriculture:

*Farming's parched future -- Unlike urban areas where drought-related losses have been minimal, some agricultural regions and farming towns are reeling from water cutbacks. State officials have blamed the drought for $245 million in economic losses – and rising. Agriculture is a powerful economic force in some parts of California, but food and animal production directly accounted for less than 2 percent of the state's economic output in 2006, according to the state Department of Finance. Last year, food and animal production generated 357,825 jobs, or 2.3 percent of overall employment. Growers in the Imperial Valley have sown virtually every acre of irrigable land. The biggest increase is in wheat, which has more than doubled in acreage there this year. San Diego Union Tribune 8/4/08

Water:

Desalination plan going back to coastal panel -- The long-running tug of war between a developer and the California Coastal Commission staff over the state's first large-scale ocean-water desalination plant continues this week as the two sides wrangle over environmental issues. Poseidon returns to the commission Wednesday with a plan to satisfy those conditions. If it goes well, the company hopes to get final approval to build the plant on the south shore of Agua Hedionda Lagoon. The most significant conditions address how to compensate for fish and small marine organisms that will be killed in the desalination process, and how to neutralize carbon emissions that will result from plant operations. San Diego Union Tribune 8/4/08

*Sacramento's approach to water meter system faulty, some experts say -- Sacramento lacks a comprehensive plan and expert advice for its massive water-meter installation project, raising the risk, industry observers say, that expensive components won't be able to communicate with each other. A draft plan for the state-mandated $400 million project contains dozens of blank sections, including the one on equipment specifications, a Bee review found, and it takes an approach not recommended by experts in the field. Sacramento Bee 8/2/08

Health:

*Health insurance ambition narrows -- Seeking to salvage two years of efforts to completely remake California's health insurance system, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic legislators are nearing deals intended to rein in costly, meager medical insurance policies sold directly to individuals. In the final weeks of the legislative session, they are negotiating measures that would limit insurer profits on individual plans, require plans to provide a minimum set of benefits and restrict insurers' ability to cancel policies retroactively. LA Times 8/4/08

S.F. pushes legislation to promote good health -- San Francisco famously became the first city in the nation to attempt to provide universal health care to its residents and requires employers to provide paid sick leave, both of which are mostly popular ideas in this progressive city. But when it comes to legislating good habits, some San Franciscans have had enough. They say they can manage their health just fine without Newsom and the supervisors wagging their fingers at them. SF Chronicle 8/4/08

Budget, hundreds of bills await Calif. Lawmakers -- California lawmakers return from their summer break Monday to deal with hundreds of bills in four hectic, final weeks of their 2008 session. Lawmakers are required to wrap up their 2008 regular session by Aug. 31, but Schwarzenegger could call them into special session if they haven't approved a budget by then. Among bills awaiting final action is legislation dealing with sick leave, calorie count, and high-speed rail. SF Chronicle 8/3/08

*U.S. probe into salmonella outbreak criticized -- Two days of congressional hearings this week into the nation's largest salmonella outbreak in a decade revealed a Keystone Kops government investigation that spanned more than two months and stretched from a false alarm about U.S. tomatoes to suspicions about peppers from Mexico. State health officials and growers slammed federal officials for refusing to ask for help or use common sense. Growers in California and Florida, reeling from losses for a contamination they had nothing to do with, want an investigation of the investigation. SF Chronicle 8/2/08

Labor and immigration:

*S.F. fund aids teen felons who are illegals -- As San Francisco's juvenile justice system shielded young illegal immigrant felons from possible deportation, Mayor Gavin Newsom's office gave grants totaling more than $650,000 to nonprofit agencies to provide the underage offenders with free services - everything from immigration attorneys to housing assistance to "arts and cultural affirmation activities," city records show. SF Chronicle 8/3/08

SF to lose millions for border billings -- San Francisco authorities have been able to justify the handling of just 127 border-prosecution cases out of the more than 2,300 that the city billed to the federal government under an anti-crime grant program. SF Chronicle 8/2/08

Bio-fuels:

Experts clash over viability of biofuels, alternative energy -- Pre-eminent UC Berkeley scholars clashed Saturday over whether biofuels will help solve the energy crisis - or whether biofuel supporters are duping themselves and everybody else with empty promises. The university's College of Natural Resources hosted a panel discussion called "The Future of Biofuels?" and it became clear early on why the question mark was tacked onto the title. SF Chronicle 8/3/08

Food:

Getting healthy foods to poor people a struggle -- Farmer's markets are growing more popular, with their numbers rising 18 percent to more than 4,300 between 2004 and 2006, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Organizers, however, say many low-income people stay away for reasons including perception, price, location and problems such as the inability of some markets to accept electronic food stamp cards. In east Oakland, Calif. - a low-income, often violent area of the Bay Area city - David Roach started a farmer's market run by some of the state's black farmers. It has grown from six farmers to more than 30, but the operation is struggling. Seattle Post Intelligencer 7/23/08

How now, Brown Cow? Just fine, thank you -- Brown Cow Farm in Antioch produces about 95,000 cases of yogurt per week and is the nation's top-selling all-natural yogurt brand, according to SPINS — a national market research and consulting firm for natural products. CC Times 8/2/08

*Region shows prodigious appetite for takeout -- The Sacramento fast food industry is growing almost as fast as local waistlines. From 2001 to 2006, the number of takeout establishments in the Sacramento metro area jumped 28 percent – more than twice the increase in the region's population, according to newly released U.S. census data. Sacramento Bee 8/3/08

Transportation Daily News August 1

2008-08-01T14:13:00.000-07:00

Air travel:

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

Infrastructure and transit:

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

Water and shipping:

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

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

Emissions:

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

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

Agricultural Daily News August 1

2008-08-01T11:58:00.001-07:00

Health:

*State budget stalemate halts funding -- The state this week began cutting off Medi-Cal payments to nearly 4,700 community clinics, nursing homes, senior day programs, hospitals and other organizations because a $2 billion contingency fund has run out of money. Payments to such institutions will not resume until the state budget impasse is resolved. Inside Bay Area 8/1/08

Kaiser patients can now carry medical histories with them -- Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center is piloting a program that offers USB flash drives — small data memory storage devices, loaded with a patient's medical history. If the program is successful, the service will be offered at all Kaiser medical centers in the Northern California region this fall. Inside Bay Area 8/1/08

Labor and immigration:

*Schwarzenegger orders pay cuts, layoffs for state workers -- The pay cuts would not take effect until September at the earliest, and a pitched political and legal battle may ensue to block them. As for the layoffs, the administration has not yet specified which employees will be exempt, so it's unclear exactly how state services will be affected. Generally, the order calls for exceptions for those in public safety and emergency medical care jobs. SJ Mercury 8/1/08

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

Hillary Clinton rouses union workers in S.F. -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered a rousing call to thousands of union workers in San Francisco on Thursday to put Sen. Barack Obama in the White House come fall - but it was a bittersweet moment for some of her most loyal supporters, particularly women, who said they are still deeply pained she's not the Democratic candidate. SF Chronicle 8/1/08

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

Dan Walters: Maybe offshore drilling isn't so bad after all -- It's been nearly 40 years since an offshore oil well malfunctioned, polluting beaches in and around Santa Barbara. But, facing historically high gasoline prices, they are warming up to importing less oil from the Middle East and capturing more from domestic sources, including deposits that can be reached only by wells off California's 1,100-mile-long coastline. it's a little hypocritical for California to continue consuming more than a billion gallons of gasoline a month while placing potentially large pools of oil off-limits to exploration, thereby exporting those negative impacts to some other locale. Sacramento Bee 8/1/08

*EBMUD Leaking Millions Of Gallons Of Water -- Annual leakage within the East Bay Municipal Utility District system itself would provide all the water needed to supply the water system’s biggest government customer – UC Berkeley – for 133 years, a KTVU Channel 2 Investigation has found. KTVU 8/1/08

*Delta pump owners request more time for fish-protection plan -- The state and federal owners of massive water export pumps in the Delta have asked a judge to grant them additional time to prepare a new operating plan to protect threatened fish. The state Department of Water Resources and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation face a Sept. 15 court deadline to deliver a new biological opinion on their operations to protect the Delta smelt. The document, produced in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, sets operating limits for the pumps to minimize harm to fish. The agencies lost a federal lawsuit over their operations last year, and federal district Judge Oliver Wanger in December ordered them to prepare a new biological opinion. Sacramento Bee 8/1/08

Water law comes under fire -- Napa County farmers poured cold water on proposed state plans to regulate the use of streams, speaking out at an Upvalley meeting Wednesday. The rules would limit farmers’ ability to pump water from local streams in an effort to protect coho salmon, chinook salmon and steelhead trout in Napa, Sonoma, Marin, Mendocino and Humboldt counties. Sacramento Bee 8/1/08

Food and wine:

Demand grows at Sacramento food banks -- Operators of area food banks say the weakening economy and higher food costs are changing the patterns of demand for free groceries. Not only are there noticeably more first-time clients, the timing of demand also has changed. Through June, nationwide food costs were up 5.3 percent over a year ago, according to a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics survey. Sacramento Bee 8/1/08

S.F. mayor proposes fines for unsorted trash -- Garbage collectors would inspect San Francisco residents' trash to make sure pizza crusts aren't mixed in with chip bags or wine bottles under a proposal by Mayor Gavin Newsom. And if residents or businesses don't separate the coffee grounds from the newspapers, they would face fines of up to $1,000 and eventually could have their garbage service stopped. The plan to require proper sorting of refuse would be the nation's first mandatory recycling and composting law. SF Chronicle 8/1/08

'Bottle Shock': Uncorking reality on a new wine film -- Opening Wednesday is the movie "Bottle Shock." Shot in Napa and Sonoma counties, the indie production loosely follows the story of wine merchant Steven Spurrier's famous Paris wine tasting, which also was written about in George Taber's book "The Judgment of Paris." SF Chronicle 8/1/08

Agriculture:

*California moves ahead with plan to sue EPA -- Fed up with the federal government's refusal to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from ships, aircraft and farm equipment, California announced Thursday it was preparing to lead five states and New York City in a landmark lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency. Press Telegram 8/1/08

California To Sue EPA For Failing To Regulate Agriculture Industry Emissions -- California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced California’s plan to sue the U.S. EPA for continuing to “wantonly ignore its duty” to regulate greenhouse gas pollution from agricultural equipment. “Ships, aircraft and industrial equipment burn huge quantities of fossil fuel and cause massive greenhouse gas pollution yet President Bush stalls with one bureaucratic dodge after another,” Attorney General Brown said. “Because Bush’s Environmental Protection Agency continues to wantonly ignore its duty to regulate pollution, California is forced to seek judicial action.” Imperial Valley News 7/31/08

*Produce industry already enhancing traceability on its own -- The produce industry is already well on its way to enhancing its ability to trace back product more effectively and efficiently, Produce Marketing Association (PMA) President Bryan Silbermann told members of Congress on July 30. Silbermann testified before the House Agriculture Committee’s Horticulture and Organic Agriculture Subcommittee, as part of a hearing that was called to study produce traceability because of claims that problems have slowed the still-lingering Salmonella saintpaul foodborne illness investigation linked to fresh produce. Western Farm Press 8/1/08

*2008 wine grape prices highest in seven years -- On the eve of this year’s California grape crush, the state’s largest wine grape grower cooperative still has grapes to sell. This is not unusual for the Fresno, Calif.-based 600-member Allied Grape Growers that expects to sell 300,000 tons of grapes this season valued at more than $70 million. It has for a decade or longer had grapes without homes at harvest time because there were no buyers. Western Farm Press 8/1/08

Olive crop numbers droop -- Olive growers and processors met in July to estimate the size of the 2008 California table olive crop. Members of the California Olive Committee concluded that processors could expect 65,000 tons this season. Adin Hester, president of the California Olive Committee, said that estimate may be right on for fruit on the tree, but what is actually picked will likely be less. He blames terrible weather conditions during bloom. Capital Press sa8/1/08

Transportation Daily News July 31

2008-07-31T11:58:00.001-07:00

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

2008-07-31T11:37:00.001-07:00

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:

Transportation Daily News July 30

2008-07-30T14:36:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-30T11:53:00.001-07:00

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

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

2008-07-29T15:09:00.001-07:00

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

2008-07-29T15:04:00.001-07:00

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

2008-07-28T14:54:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-28T14:04:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-25T11:47:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-24T11:22:00.001-07:00

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

2008-07-24T11:21:00.001-07:00

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

2008-07-23T14:53:00.001-07:00

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

2008-07-23T11:59:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-23T11:35:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-22T11:09:00.001-07:00

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

2008-07-22T10:51:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-21T14:05:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-21T11:51:00.001-07:00

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