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Sacramento County Environment Digest



Delta Tunnel Would Cost $20 Billion

05/17/2024

An analysis has been released indicating the cost of construction of the 45 mile long Delta Tunnel would be $20.1 billion, to be paid by a group of 29 water agencies.

Sacramento City Council Approves Electric Appliance Plan

05/15/2024

In its May 14 meeting, the Sacramento City Council unanimously approved a plan to encourage residents and businesses to replace gas appliances with electric.

Chuckwalla National Monument Would Protect Swath of California Desert and Preserve a Sacred Land

04/27/2024

Indigenous Californians want President Biden to establish a national monument in a stretch of desert that is both an ecological wonder and a window into their cultures.

Sacramento Got an F in Air Quality on American Lung Association Report Card. Here’s Why

04/27/2024

Sacramento is among the top 10 most polluted cities in the nation in terms of ozone and particle pollution, the nonprofit organization said in its 2024 State of the Air report.

Who Killed CA Utility Bill Legislation?

04/26/2024

A bill to rein in a proposed monthly fee on California electric bills would let California’s largest for-profit utility companies charge customers $24 per month — with fees as low as $6 for lower-income customers — as a kind of membership fee for the power grid.

As Salmon Are Released Into the Klamath River, Tribal Leaders See a 'Symbol of Hope'

04/20/2024

California has released 500,000 salmon into the Klamath River. As dams are removed, the fish will be some of the first to return to a free-flowing river.

A Plan to Change Your Utility Rates Is Dividing California Environmentalists. Here’s Why

04/18/2024

The California Public Utilities Commission will consider on May 9 a new proposal that would change how Californians pay for electricity.

California Sets Nation’s First Water Standard for Cancer-Causing Contaminant

04/17/2024

Water suppliers say the costs will be massive, with rates increasing for many consumers. Known as the “Erin Brockovich” chemical, hexavalent chromium is found statewide.

PG&E Hit With $225-Million Lawsuit for 2021 Dixie Fire Damages

04/14/2024

A coalition of timber businesses filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against the embattled Pacific Gas & Electric Co., alleging $225 million in damages caused by the 2021 Dixie Fire.

California Requires New Homes to Have Solar Panels. Should Wildfire Victims Get a Break?

04/11/2024

A California Republican’s bill would exempt low and middle income wildfire victims from solar panels requirements on rebuilt homes that didn’t have them when they burned down.

California's Largest Reservoir Is Close to Full

04/11/2024

California's reservoirs are brimming with water, and even Shasta Lake could fill up.

Gov. Newsom Promotes Delta Tunnel; Reservoir

04/05/2024

At a press event to celebrate the above-average snowpack survey in the Sierra Nevada on April 2, Newsom unveiled the state’s controversial updated California Water Plan.

California to Pay $2 Million to Sacramento, Alameda Counties to Settle Environmental Suit

04/05/2024

A California state agency is paying $2.26 million to Sacramento and Alameda counties to settle a lawsuit that alleges underground leaking storage tanks.

Part of Highway 1 Near Big Sur Crumbles as New Landslide Closes More of Historic Roadway

03/30/2024

Highway 1 is closed indefinitely from Palo Colorado Road to Rocky Creek Bridge, the California Department of Transportation said on social media after a new landslide eroded part of the roadway.

Salmon Populations Are Struggling, Bringing Economic Woes for California's Fishing Fleet

03/30/2024

Captains of fishing boats on the California coast are bracing for salmon fishing to be severely restricted — or possibly canceled for a second year.

Feds Propose Killing Nearly 500,000 'Invasive' Owls to Save Calif. Native Owls

03/27/2024

The goal is to eliminate habitat competition between "invasive" owls and native owls.

You Might Spot a Mountain Lion in California, but Attacks Like the One That Killed a Man Are Rare

03/26/2024

If hikers, bikers, campers, hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts haven't encountered a mountain lion while in the California wilderness, they might know somebody who has.

“Incredibly Strong” Steelhead Returns This Year

03/23/2024

Unlike the record low Chinook salmon returns on the Sacramento River this year, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife noted a new record for the number of steelhead returning to the Mokelumne River.

Alan G. Sieroty, Former State Senator Who Helped Create the Coastal Commission, Dies at 93

03/17/2024

Sieroty, of Beverly Hills, served as a state Assembly member and senator, championing disability rights and efforts to protect California's coast.

California Unlikely to Meet Landmark Goals for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

03/15/2024

California will miss its goals unless it can increase emission reductions threefold, according to a new study.

Sacramento Among the Best Places to Drive an Electric Vehicle

03/10/2024

New report ranked metro areas based on electric vehicle charging infrastructure and found improvement over the last year using data from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center.

Four Tribes in California Receive Federal Funds to Boost Access to Electricity

03/07/2024

For many living on the Yurok Tribe’s reservation, which lies in and around Humboldt County, access to electricity has been spotty for years — if that access has existed at all. 

EPA Announces New Superfund Cleanup Projects in California

02/27/2024

Part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the projects include California’s Lava Cap Mine in Nevada City, Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine in Clearlake Oaks, and Southern Avenue Industrial Area in South Gate.

Wildfires Are Killing California’s Ancient Giants. Can Seedlings Save the Species?

02/26/2024

Ecologists estimate that up to 14,000 sequoias have been killed in recent wildfires. The National Park Service for the first time has begun replanting some severely burned areas.

California’s Polluted Communities Could Miss Out on Billions Under Flawed System

02/22/2024

The state’s environmental tool skews which communities are designated as disadvantaged, researchers say. Some immigrant neighborhoods could be left out, while other groups are overrepresented.

After Heavy Storms, Death Valley Is Now Open to Kayakers

02/20/2024

A temporary lake in Death Valley National Park doubled after recent rains and is now deep enough to launch a kayak. Prior to August, ghostly Lake Manly hadn’t appeared in 19 years.

How Are Atmospheric Rivers Affected by Climate Change?

02/06/2024

Atmospheric rivers are well-known weather phenomena along the West Coast. But the intensity of recent atmospheric rivers is almost certainly affected by human-caused climate change.

Some Experts Are Proposing a Category 6 Storm Rating

02/05/2024

A handful of super powerful tropical storms in the last decade and the prospect of more to come has a couple of experts proposing a new category of whopper hurricanes: Category 6.

The Terrifying Forces That Created a California Monster Storm

02/05/2024

The storm fed off of unusually warm waters as it grew. It also reached “bomb cyclone” status as it neared California.

Los Angeles Smog Woes Worsen as U.S. EPA Threatens to Reject Local Pollution Plan

02/03/2024

The U.S. EPA is planning to reject Southern California’s plan to reduce smog, which called for the federal government to take more action.

Imperiled Monarch Butterflies Cling to Survival in California

01/30/2024

Monarch butterflies have a long way to go before reaching stable population numbers.

Featured

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Lighthouse Field in Santa Cruz, which might be a huge resort if not for the Coastal Commission.
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As climate change causes more extreme and unusual weather, we need a new set of terms to describe the various phenomena
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The heated controversy over what to do with abandoned railroad tracks
Moss Landing in Monterey Bay is the world’s largest battery storage facility for solar and other renewable energy.
Solar Power and California’s Clean Energy Goals
How the sun is helping push the state toward 100 percent renewable energy.
Just because record rains have been falling, the state’s water crisis remains.
What Is Drought? Probably Not What You Think
Recent torrential rains have helped, but California's drought is a long way from over.
From nitrates to arsenic to “forever chemicals,” California’s water supply faces a serious pollution threat.
Dirty Water: California Faces a Water Contamination Crisis
In a state that declares water a “human right,” more than 2 percent of its residents have no drinkable water.
They help feed the whole country, but life for California’s farm workers remains a struggle.
How California Feeds the Country
California, a state known for high-tech and show business glitz, is also America’s farming powerhouse.
How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland
From its earliest days as a state, California has been trying to turn marshes into productive land.
Kerry Wood, CEO of the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, says the organization researches areas of need to help donors direct their contributions.
What Is a Community Foundation?
By channeling funds to a number of nonprofits working on various issues in a given region, community foundations help solve big problems throughout California.
Since the Gold Rush era, land reclamation has cost California 90 percent of its wetlands.
How Land Reclamation Hurts California’s Environment
The hidden price tag of “reclaiming” swamps and marshes as usable land.
The Pajaro River levee broke during the 2023 atmospheric river storms, flooding the town of Pajaro.
Is California Ready for More Extreme Weather Driven by Climate Change?
Increasingly extreme weather events are already testing California’s preparedness.
Since 1972, the California Coastal Commission has ruled over the state’s shoreline.
California Coastal Commission: Where It Comes From, What It Does
How a nuclear plant, a real estate development and an oil spill led to a landmark law.
Long-duration energy storage, such as this thermal energy storage facility, allows renewable energy sources to operate at full capacity without overloading the power grid.
How California Leads the Race For Long Duration Energy Storage
For renewable energy sources such as solar and wind to be viable, ways to store the power they create are essential.
The Baldwin Hills area in South Los Angeles is one region where a state conservancy would keep open land accessible to the public.
California’s 10 State Conservancies: How They Protect Parks and Open Land
Starting in 1976, the legislature began creating agencies to buy up open land, and keep it open.
California has a goal of 6 million heat pumps cooling and heating buildings by 2030.
6 Million New Heat Pumps: Essential to California's Climate Future
Installing 6 million heat pumps by 2030 is essential if California is to reach its goal of net zero carbon emissions.
Does California’s signature environmental law protect the state’s scenic beauty, or cause more problems than it solves?
CEQA: The Surprising Story of CA’s Key Environmental Law
54-year-old environmental law is often blamed for causing the state’s housing crisis. Is it getting a bad rap?
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