Pollution & Health

Clean Ports Program Moves Ahead — A Little

A few days ago, District Judge Christina Snyder issued her 57-page ruling in American Trucking Ass’n v. City of Los Angeles, the trade association’s challenge to the city’s clean ports program.  The ruling gave the city a crucial victory, and it has more than local significance: if its reasoning is accepted, it could lead to …

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National Conversation on Chemical Exposure Drafts Available

I previously wrote about the National Conversation on Public Health and Chemical Exposures, the effort by the CDC and ATSDR to develop recommendations for action regarding chemical exposures.  The National Conversation  formed a series of work groups to focus on a set of specific areas, and develop draft recommendations.  Today through September 20th, the draft …

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EPA proposes fuel economy letter grade labels for cars

New labels proposed by the federal government would give new cars letter grades reflecting their fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions.  Electric cars and plug-in hybrids are expected to get the highest grades.  The rule isn’t final yet; the public can comment and make suggestions on the label design. Most of us are familiar with …

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Breaking News: Oil Rig Explosion

The Washington Post reports that a non-producing rig in 2500 feet of water has exploded off the Louisiana Coast. More details at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/02/AR2010090202590.html?wpisrc=nl_natlalert

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California Clearing House on Scientific Review Panel

The California Report correspondent Amy Standen recently recounted the dismissal (or failure to reappoint, depending on your perspective) of a group of scientists from CalEPA’s Scientific Review Panel.  Little explanation for the action were given, although Standen notes that John Froines, a professor in the UCLA School of Public Health, also chaired a committee that …

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Clean Ports Act — Dead on Arrival (in the Senate)

An impressive coalition of environmental groups, labor organizations, local governments, and economic development agencies have teamed up to sponsor the Clean Ports Act of 2010, introduced on July 29th by Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York (who looks something like a cube but is an effective and conscientious legislator), and co-sponsored by 67 members of …

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Obama Administration Winning PR War on Oil Spill?

There’s no question that the gulf oil spill that began more than three months ago threatened to become Obama’s Katrina.   Public opinion in June, for example, showed increasing discontent with the President’s handling of the disaster; the media criticized him for vacationing in Maine rather than on the Gulf Coast; and  the constant stream of video showing …

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20 Worst Environmental Destroyers of All Time

My friend and colleague Steve Bainbridge picks up on a list going around Red Blogistan, concerning the supposed “20 Worst Americans of All Time.”  Steve’s a conservative Republican, and has no love for progressive politics, but even he says, “I find the collated list pretty much of a joke. It reflects the partisan passions of the …

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Californians still support action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to new report

California, for better or worse, is still a bellwether state on many public policy issues.  Public opinion here matters, not just as a predictor of our state’s future political direction, but also nationally.  And California’s residents’ opinions about environmental issues are particularly important, given our state’s leadership on environmental issues.  Right now, there is a …

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EPA stands by endangerment finding

EPA today issued its response to the 10 petitions that have been filed asking it to reconsider its December 2009 determination that greenhouse gas emissions cause or contribute to air pollution that may reasonably be expected to endanger public health or welfare. To no one’s surprise, the agency is standing by its earlier finding. As …

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