Environment

The trucking industry is preparing for the first of a series of crippling regulations dealt them courtesy of the California Air Resources Board (ARB), whose goal has been to combat the side effects potentially caused by diesel emissions.  Over the past several months, the science behind these regulations has come under increased scrutiny, specifically due to the credential fraud committed by one of ARB’s lead researchers.more...

This week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the addition of petroleum refineries to its list of industries to be targeted for future increased regulations. The EPA is looking to install more stringent “financial assurance requirements” on oil companies, chemical manufacturers and electric power generators when it comes to environmental cleansing.more...

A three-hour flaring at Valero’s Benicia Refinery last week that released 821 pounds of gas into the atmosphere is being analyzed by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, said Kristine Roselius, the district’s supervising public information officer, on Tuesday.

Roselius said the board should complete its analysis of last Thursday’s release — which included  sulfur dioxide — in about 30 days. She said the incident didn’t harm air quality in the surrounding area.more...

In the early morning hours on Wednesday, legislators in Sacramento voted on a complicated and extensive package of bills concerning California’s water resources. The bills now go to Gov. Schwarzenegger for his signature.

The package calls for creating a seven-member Delta Oversight Council that would adopt a long-range management plan for the delta by 2012, and would be authorized to approve the construction of a peripheral canal to carry water to Central and Southern California, although legislators did not include concrete plans for the canal. more...

April is a busy time in Martinez, and one of the month’s highlights is the John Muir Birthday—Earth Day Celebration from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the 18th.

Last year, this free, one-day regional event, held at the John Muir National Historic Site at 4202 Alhambra Avenue attracted 1,800 visitors, and organizers expect up to 2,000 this year. more...

Laboratory tests confirmed last week that the unusual smell and taste of water coming out of faucets in Solano and Napa counties was caused by blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria — or simply “pond scum.”

Solano County Water Agency General Manager David Okita said test results received by the agency showed that geosmin — a product of algal metabolism — caused the water to smell, and taste, bad.more...

FRIDAY — Friends of Alhambra Creek teamed up with the Environmental Studies Academy mentors and John Swett Elementary school students to help plant 65 new plants in Strentzel Meadow for a new butterfly garden. The garden will attract butterflies, bees and birds this summer when the flowers start to bloom, which will help promote pollination. ESA students guided third through fifth graders through three different stations teaching them the importance of the newly planted butterfly habitat. more...