Transporation Daily News 12/21

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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