News
California seeks to ban sales of diesel big rigs to cut pollution
The Detroit News – September 22
California regulators could soon ban the sale of diesel big rigs by 2040. The proposal by staff of the California Air Resources Board would further require that, by 2035, medium- and heavy-duty trucks entering ports and rail yards must be zero emission and that state and local government fleets be so by 2027. The proposal follows last month’s vote by the Board to end the sale of new gas-powered passenger cars and light trucks by 2035. The Board is expected to consider the truck proposal on October 27 following a 45-day public comment period.
Safeway agrees to $8M settlement over alleged environmental violations at gas stations
CBS News – September 16
Safeway has agreed to an $8 million settlement with California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office, along with several district attorneys, over alleged environmental violations at numerous Safeway and Vons gas stations located across the state. Bonta announced on September 15 that state investigators found evidence that Safeway violated state laws regulating the operation of underground storage tanks and the handling of hazardous waste. As part of the settlement, the grocery chain will be required to improve spill and alarm monitoring, employee training, hazardous waste management, and emergency response at its gas stations.
Jurupa Community Services District sues chemical manufacturers over water contamination
NBC News – September 21
The Jurupa Community Services District (JCSD) is joining federal multi-district litigation against DuPont, 3M Company, and other manufacturers whose chemical products have allegedly turned up in public water systems. The JCSD alleges that per- and polyfluoralkyl substances — known as PFAS — have been identified in potable water supplies within its jurisdiction, encompassing the cities of Jurupa Valley and Eastvale. According to published reports, nearly 6,500 government entities and other plaintiffs have filed civil actions against the chemical makers. The suits are consolidated before a federal judge in South Carolina.
A bumblebee is a fish in California? Maybe — until lawmakers fix the law
Courthouse News Service – September 21
The California Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to review an appellate ruling which found bumblebees fall under the same category as a fish under the state’s Endangered Species Act (Act) — but advised the Legislature it may wish to review the law for some unintended consequences. In May 2022, the Third Appellate District found that bumblebees, a nonaquatic invertebrate, can be listed as endangered under the California Endangered Species Act because it applies to fish, and “invertebrates” are included within the regulatory definition of “fish.” The ruling came as a win for the California Fish and Game Commission and the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife and means the commission may list any invertebrate as an endangered or threatened species if it meets the Act’s requirements for being threatened.
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