Placer County Local Environment News Articles and Digest

Environment Water Agriculture, Food & Gardening Government

12/08/2023
The California Department of Water Resources released an environmental impact report for a tunnel that the state would like to build through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The report identifies potential impacts to farmland, tribal remains and endangered species of fish.

From New York Times...

Environment Animals

Plan to Eliminate Catalina’s Deer Infuriates Locals

12/07/2023
Conservationists intend to shoot all of the deer on Santa Catalina Island by helicopter. Some people are opposed, either for not wanting to eliminate the deer or for missing out on future chances to hunt them.

From Capital & Main...

Environment Government

CA Air Resources Board Staff Barred from Talking to Retired Staffer

12/06/2023
Staff at the state’s air regulatory agency have been restricted from communicating with Jim Duffy, a scientist who retired from the agency in 2022. Duffy had criticized gas lobbyists and an agency director.

From Sacramento Bee...

Environment Land Use & Development Housing

State Might Soon Require Replacing Broken A/C Units

12/06/2023
California energy regulators are considering requiring homeowners to replace broken air-conditioning systems with heat pumps or HVAC systems that are more energy efficient. The change would go into effect in 2026.

From Los Angeles Times...

Environment Transportation Sustainability

High-Speed Rail Project Connecting SoCal to Las Vegas Wins Grant

12/05/2023
Private company Brightline secured a $3 billion grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation toward a 218-mile high-speed rail line from Rancho Cucamonga to Las Vegas. The line would allow people to make the trip to Sin City in a little over two hours.

From SFGate...

Business, Economy & Jobs Environment Sustainability

Imperial County Might Have Enough Lithium for 375 Million Batteries

12/04/2023
A new study by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has found that approximately 3,400 kilotons of lithium are located below Imperial County in Southern California. This could produce more than $7 billion in lithium carbonate annually, helping power significant numbers of electric vehicles.

From KQED...

Business, Economy & Jobs Environment Transportation Sustainability Government

Oakland Might Have to Pay Developers Millions Over Coal Terminal

12/04/2023
An Alameda County judge ruled on Nov. 22 that the city of Oakland thwarted a proposed coal export terminal. The judge will rule if the developer who sued is entitled to $159 million in damages or moving forward with the project.

From Tahoe Daily Tribune...

Environment Animals United States

Fish and Wildlife Service Seeks Public Comment on Draft Strategy to Manage Invasive Barred Owls

12/02/2023
Image for display with article titled Fish and Wildlife Service Seeks Public Comment on Barred Owl Strategy

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking public input on a draft environmental impact statement and draft management strategy that addresses the threat of invasive barred owls to native spotted owls.

From YubaNet...

Environment Sustainability

Science Points to ‘Climate Collapse’ as UN Chief Calls for Action

11/30/2023
The world is heating up at an unprecedented pace, new climate data shows, and leaders gathered for the COP28 conference in Dubai must get us out of “deep trouble,” UN chief António Guterres said.

From SFGate...

Public Safety Environment Health

Sewage Spill Closes Southern California Beach

11/29/2023
Two miles of public beach were closed in Laguna Beach following a spill of 94,500 gallons of sewage. Orange County is testing water to determine when the beach will be safe to reopen.

From YubaNet...

Environment Sustainability

DOE Analysis Confirms Salton Sea Is a Rich Domestic Lithium Resource

11/28/2023
An analysis by the U.S. Department of Energy found that with expected technology advances, the Salton Sea region’s total lithium resources could produce more than 3,400 kilotons of lithium, enough to support over 375 million batteries for electric vehicles—more than the total number currently on U.S. roads.

From Tahoe Daily Tribune...

Environment Sustainability

The Significant Environmental Impact of Tahoe’s Scarce Wetlands

11/25/2023
Image for display with article titled The Significant Environmental Impact of Tahoe’s Scarce Wetlands

Research shows that one acre of healthy Sierra Nevada wetlands can capture as much carbon from the air as one acre of a tropical rainforest.

From Tahoe Daily Tribune...

Environment Resilience

Reforms Needed to Expand Prescribed Burns

11/16/2023
Image for display with article titled Reforms Needed to Expand Prescribed Burns

Prescribed fire can help improve forest health and reduce the likelihood of catastrophic wildfire. A paper from UC Davis suggests four key strategies that policymakers and land managers can take to get more “good fire” on the ground in North America’s fire-adapted ecosystems.

From The Guardian...

Environment Animals

Southern California Has Wolves Again, for the First Time in Nearly 150 Years

11/13/2023
A 2021 fire has helped bring wolves back to Southern California for the first time since the 19th century. A rancher is worried about how to keep wolves, which are federally protected, from harming cattle.

From Los Angeles Times...

Environment Land Use & Development

A Proposed Development Might Threaten California’s Oldest Tree

11/06/2023
A shrubby Palmer oak tree in Riverside County is around 13,000 years old, making it California’s oldest tree and one of the longest-lived organisms on earth. Some people are concerned that a proposed development could threaten the tree.

From New York Times...

Environment Sustainability

UCLA Scientist: California’s Redwoods Might Not Last Another Century

10/31/2023
A UCLA climate scientist says California’s redwoods might not last in their current groves for another 100 years. An effort is afoot to plant redwoods elsewhere in more potentially hospitable climates, such as the Pacific Northwest.

From Daily Democrat...

Environment Animals

Heat Waves Harm Bird Reproduction on Ag Lands

10/28/2023
A team of UC Davis researchers found that birds nesting near farmland were half as likely to have at least one fledgling successfully leave the nest when temperatures spiked. However, forests seemed to provide a protective buffer against high temperatures.

From YubaNet...

Environment Resilience

Scientists Find Two Ways That Hurricanes Intensify

10/26/2023
Forecasters have struggled to understand why tropical storms sometimes blow up into major hurricanes. Scientists have shed some light on this forecasting challenge.

From CalMatters...

Environment Water Government

Western States’ Water Cuts Should Hold Off Colorado River Crisis—For Now

10/25/2023
Wet weather and planned cuts by California, Arizona and Nevada averted declines that could have threatened water deliveries and power production—but long-term threats to the Colorado River remain.

From CalMatters...

Environment Health Elections & Politics Government

Despite Newsom Veto, State Takes Steps to Ban Artificial Turf Due to ‘Forever Chemicals’

10/17/2023
California cities can ban synthetic turf under a law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed. He rejected a bill to ban PFAS in fake lawns.

Placer County Local News: Environment