9-18-08

 9-18-08Merced Sun-StarCentral Valley water bill has slim chance in CongressValley congressmen want to allow more pumping from delta plants...MICHAEL DOYLE, Sun-Star Washington Bureauhttp://www.mercedsunstar.com/167/story/459051.htmlWASHINGTON -- California Republican George Radanovich wants to suspend one of the nation's premier environmental laws in order to increase water pumping out of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.In a long-shot bill being introduced Thursday, Radanovich proposes to exempt two Delta-area pumping plants from the Environmental Species Act during designated droughts. Farmers would gain irrigation water -- essentially, at the expense of fish."This is all about preparation," Radanovich said Wednesday."It gives (us) a means to turn the pumps on and store up water." If enacted, Radanovich's bill would dramatically shift the flow of water during times of drought. It effectively would override a Fresno-based federal judge's decisions designed to protect species including the Delta smelt.Realistically, the new bill is unlikely to be enacted any time soon."I will support George's effort, but I don't think it has much chance of passage," said Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced. "The reality is, I don't think it will have much hope." Many impediments stand in the way. Time is one of them, as Congress is set to adjourn in less than two weeks. Substantively, the bill excites the opposition of environmentalists -- including close allies of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Congress has generally been loath to carve such specific exemptions into the 35-year-old Endangered Species Act.Even so, the bill might serve some other purposes. There are many diverse motives behind the 2,550-plus measures introduced in the House since January. Some are designed to change the law. Others send a signal, strike a pose or frame a debate."It's going to be a tough thing," Radanovich acknowledged, "but I want all the legislators on record." He added that "we're not just sending a message." The bill includes language authorizing a Delta smelt hatchery program designed to help the troubled species, and is also being co-sponsored by Cardoza and California Reps. Devin Nunes, a Republican, and Jim Costa, a Democrat.The Endangered Species Act currently protects more than 300 California plants and animals designated as threatened or endangered.Sometimes, these protections can come at a steep cost.Last December, U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger imposed new rules on state and federal pumping plants in order to protect the threatened Delta smelt. The restrictions on the federal C.W. "Bill" Jones Pumping Plant and the state Harvey O. Banks Pumping Plant near Tracy could cut water deliveries south of the Delta by up to 30 percent.Radanovich's five-page bill exempts the two pumping plants from the usual ban on wounding or killing a protected species once the governor and the Interior Department have declared a drought emergency.Cardoza recalled previous failed efforts to rewrite the Endangered Species Act, some led by the former chairman of the House Resources Committee, Richard Pombo, R-Tracy. Pombo tried to rewrite the law for 14 years, during 12 of which his fellow Republicans controlled the House.The pressure from Pombo and other private property advocates did help push the Interior Department to modify, somewhat, how the environmental law is put into practice. But even during the four years he chaired the House Resources Committee, Pombo could not move his bill over the finish line. Pombo's efforts, in turn, earned the enmity of environmental groups that spent millions of dollars to help oust him in 2006. Letter: Help local economy...DON BERGMAN, Merced http://www.mercedsunstar.com/177/story/459049.htmlEditor: Merced City Manager Jim Marshall has warned that revenues will be down this year and will continue into 2009.The cause of the decline is twofold: lack of jobs and a very slow economy. Until the county and city attract business that will create a large number of jobs, these problems will continue.Soon the Planning Commission and the City Council will be asked to approve one of the largest projects in many years. The project will create 600 full-time and 400 part-time jobs that will pay an average of more than $16 an hour. These jobs will also fit Merced County's labor force.But, there are City Council members who are opposed to this project. Why? Because when they were elected most of their money came from a "hired gun" to stop this project.City Council members are elected by the people and should serve all the will of the people. Having been a City Council member, I have personal knowledge of pressures from supporters, but as a council member you must do what is best for the whole city and not for a few.Wal-Mart's distribution center will create those jobs we so desperately need and provide health insurance and other benefits. Its trucks are environmentally friendly and will have less pollution than most cars on the road. They are not asking for any support from the city and they will pay for all improvements to the infrastructure.So what's the problem? Unions and a national organization that hate Wal-Mart. If the center is not approved, we will suffer the results.Modesto BeeInclusion in public lands bill good for river rehab...Editorialhttp://www.modbee.com/opinion/story/433596.htmlThe restoration of the San Joaquin River moved a step closer last week when a Senate committee approved a version of a public-lands bill that includes the ambitious plan. We hope this means we're at least a little closer to seeing a resolution of the decades-old fight over restoration of 60 miles of riverbed that has been dry since the completion of Friant Dam.The river bill is part of a larger Omnibus Federal Land Management Act that has some 90 separate components. Restoring flows north from near Fresno won't be cheap. The most conservative estimates put the price tag at around $500 million; most people feel it will take at least $1 billion. But the alternatives to spending so much money are even less attractive.The bill -- and the money that comes with it -- are needed to implement the settlement reached in a lawsuit that was filed in 1988 and resolved in 2006. Part of that agreement would take some Sierra snowmelt now diverted to farms south of Fresno and let it run north down the river channel.Environmentalists who filed the suit and farmers who want to keep using the water agreed to the settlement for different reasons. Environmentalists want to see historic salmon runs restored; farmers want to see their very livelihoods protected.There are many components to this -- a drought that has curtailed water supplies; another decision that has cut pumping from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta; the argument over state water bonds to store more water, including a new dam above Friant.The settlement doesn't have unanimous support. Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Visalia, and some farm groups remain opposed. The Friant Water Users Authority continues to support the settlement as the best deal they can get. Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced, Rep. George Radanovich, R-Mariposa, and Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, have all been crucial in getting the legislation to this point. But Cardoza has, at times, been as critical as he has been crucial. Now, he just wants to move forward."I remain of the view that it is the best settlement we can get and it is the only way to protect the San Joaquin River farmers. ... We've got to get the courts out of the river," said Cardoza.Throughout the negotiations, care has been taken to ensure that those who rely on the Merced, Tuolumne and Stanislaus rivers won't be required to provide even more water for the San Joaquin. Those who manage those rivers are contending with their own problems with severely diminished salmon populations.The Bee has supported the settlement since it was first crafted. Federal law supports the environmentalists' position on restoration, and valley farmers must accept that reality -- as unpleasant as that is to them. We have also steadfastly supported the building of additional storage on the San Joaquin to provide water for both fish and farming. But that will have to wait. This bill is moving now.The bill headed to the Senate floor contains $250 million for channel improvements and other work needed to restore the salmon run by 2013. It also has $23 million to help fund an underground storage project in Madera County and $1 million to pay for a water-management plan for the central San Joaquin Valley.All of those are important. We urge the prompt passage of the omnibus public lands bill. It won't solve all the water problems. But it will take important steps in that direction.Fresno BeeReport: Emission rules to boost Calif. economy...SAMANTHA YOUNGhttp://www.fresnobee.com/state_wire/business/v-printerfriendly/story/875927.htmlEfforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the next 12 years ultimately will benefit California's economy and save its residents money, according to a report released Wednesday by state air regulators. The analysis found the state's economy would grow at a faster rate than if it did nothing to cut the emissions that have been blamed for contributing to global warming. It offers the most authoritative projection yet of the economic consequences of the state's 2006 greenhouse gas law."Our historic effort here in California to deal with the crisis of global warming will also have a benefit of saving our businesses and residents money," state Air Resources Board Chairwoman Mary Nichols told reporters during a conference call.In June, the board proposed a series of ambitious measures to require cleaner-burning vehicles, increase renewable energy and impose an emissions cap on major polluters. It is working under a year-end deadline to put those strategies in a final form. California law requires the state to cut its emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, a reduction of roughly one-third. Regulators estimate their emission-cutting proposals will not only clean the air but also boost California's economic production in 2020 by $27 billion - an increase of less than 1 percent over what growth would be without the emission regulations. They also project 100,000 more jobs would be created and that an average California household would save $400 a year by driving more fuel-efficient vehicles and living in more energy-efficient homes. Investments made by businesses to comply with global warming regulations eventually will save them money as they become more efficient and use less electricity, according to the report...The air board's projections contradict claims by business groups and some Republican lawmakers, who say the regulations will cost the state billions of dollars and send thousands of jobs out of state. They say Californians would pay more to heat their homes, buy energy-efficient appliances and fuel their cars...While the report predicts that the economy as a whole would grow slightly faster, some sectors would suffer - at least in the short term. For example, revenues for utility companies won't grow as much because customers will be using less electricity, Nichols said. Scientists to use satellites to count kangaroo rats...TRACIE CONEhttp://www.fresnobee.com/640/v-printerfriendly/story/876296.htmlScientists plan to use satellite photos to count Giant Kangaroo Rats, the first-ever monitoring of an endangered species from outer space. Scientists will examine images taken from the same satellite used by Israeli defense forces to find the circular patches of earth denuded by the rats as they gather food around their burrows. From that they plan to get the first-ever accurate population count of the rodents, a bellwether for the health of a parched plains environment. By comparing the photos to 30 years of satellite images being released this month by the U.S. Geological Survey, researchers hope to better understand how the population has fluctuated in response to climate change and as the arrival of state and federal canal water turned the arid San Joaquin Valley into a patchwork of intensely cultivated farms and forced Giant Kangaroo Rats to concentrate on higher ground. The information will help scientists determine when cattle might be used to reduce nonnative grasses, allowing the rats to more easily find food.This study using satellite technology is taking place on the vast Carrizo Plain, a 390-square-mile desert grassland 150 miles southwest of here that is home to the most concentrated remaining populations of kangaroo rats...Giant Kangaroo Rats, nocturnal rodents so named because they hop on back legs, adapted to their desert environment by extracting moisture from seeds and in their nasal passages from the humid air they exhale. For food, they pile seeds from native grasses in circles outside their burrows, which provide shelter for the endangered San Joaquin antelope squirrel and blunt-nosed lizards. Their fat five-inch bodies are a favored source of food for the endangered kit fox. High rainfall encourages the growth of taller nonnative grasses, which overrun the shorter grasses that kangaroo rats depend on for food. Less food means fewer offspring. When kangaroo rats decline, so do the endangered native plant and animal species that depend on them for survival, the researchers say.Determining at what point rainfall affects foraging will help the U.S. Bureau of Land Management establish grazing policy to control nonnative grasses and encourage a healthy kangaroo rat population."Without them the entire ecosystem would go out of whack," said Tim Bean, a doctoral student with the department of environmental policy and management at the University of California, Berkeley. "It's fairly rare for something so small to be a keystone species. It's easier to track, say, bison." Farming has taken 90 percent of the kangaroo rat habitat since the middle of the last century. The Carrizo Plain National Monument is California's largest remaining undisturbed tract of grasslands similar in biology and geography to the San Joaquin Valley, and it supports many plant and animal species that once thrived on the valley floor."Carrizo is like a Yosemite for grasslands, and there are decisions people are learning to make to manage it in a way that preserves its natural state," Bean said. "Since the kangaroo rat is so important to its function, we've got to get a handle on it." Valley VoiceDrought & Pumping Impacts Could Hit Valley's Eastsidehttp://www.valleyvoicenewspaper.com/vv/stories/2008/drought.htmTulae County - The drought that has punished the west side of the Valley this summer could spread to the east side this coming season if the combination of predictions of another dry year and adverse court rulings translates into a much reduced supply of water being sent south of the Delta. And, it could mean more pumping of groundwater.That's the message from a number of eastside water agencies who are preparing for the worst while hoping for the best. They want to spread the word...About half of Tulare County's overall delivered water supply doesn't come from this county's back yard rivers and nearby runoff. It comes from Fresno and Merced's back yard – the upper San Joaquin River – diverted at Friant Dam into the 150-mile Friant-Kern Canal.It is that supply that greens up the Valley's eastside dominated by small farms and permanent plantings of citrus, grapes, nut trees and the world's largest dairy milk shed. Depending on weather, the feds bring in a million to 3 million acre feet a year into the Tulare Lake Basin. The state brings in around 1 million to 2 million acre feet depending on northern California weather.Meanwhile, rivers like the Kaweah bring an average of 300,000 to 400,000 acre feet of water down the hill each year and the Tule's flow is much less than that. Kings River brings in a much larger flow. But add up the federal and state surface water that comes into the greater basin, it is typically more than half the water delivered. These numbers show – without delivery of surface water – we are in a world of hurt...Altogether, Friant delivers water to about a million acres of farmland on the Valley's eastside. Without it, much of the orange belt would simply be a dust bowl.It was back in the late 1940s that irrigation pumps on the Valley's eastside went dry along the foothill citrus belt due to over pumping and falling water tables. That prompted the call for more imported water to help maintain and build a stronger farm based economy in the South Valley. The plan has clearly worked, creating the nation's richest ag region. But the plan was set up with a caveat...Now environmental problems and a decline in fisheries in the fragile Delta region exacerbated by two years of drought have set in motion a possible suspension to this agreement if supplies that were “exchanged” in the past aren't there.To be clear, Jacobsma says he does not expect this scenario to play out but admits for the first time “it's a possibility.”Lots of Pumping this SummerThe Valley's Westside has seen the face of drought this year and it isn't pretty. Thousands of acres of crops were left to rot in the fields this summer after the Bureau of Reclamation cut water deliveries to the Westlands Water District. Westlands farmer Mark Borba says farmers tried to save their trees this summer by aggressive water pumping and a neighbor of his says his water table dropped 200 feet...Now, predictions that the federal government can deliver from zero to just 10 percent of its water allocation next year are turning a bad situation in Westlands into a nightmare.The water issue is important not just for Tulare County but the entire state that depends on the intricate web of water reservoirs and canals to deliver water from the wetter north to the more arid but populated southern part of the state. Further, California's share of Colorado River that buffeted the state during previous droughts has now been permanently curtailed as that region too suffers from persistent drought.Without surface water delivered to Tulare County farms, the area's water table is likely to fall fast and furious...Water Bond/Recirculation IssueFriant and other water agencies point out the bond is needed to store and move water – not just for business, farms and drinking water for all Californians – they need these new facilities to store and move water for fish and wildlife. A larger San Joaquin River reservoir will mean that we can store big winter rains to replenish the groundwater later, rather than let hundreds of thousands of acre feet head out to sea because the reservoir is too small to handle itFriant's Jacobsma confirms the idea that it will likely ask its members and others who depend on the Delta to contribute to the cost of fixing it...Jacobsma says in the long run, the Valley and the state need an isolated peripheral canal to move water south around the Delta without harming the fish.Others believe farmers can save far more water than they do today and suggest putting money into a new Sierra dam doesn't make sense but restoring historic Tulare Lake for groundwater storage does. But moving water by gravity form the Sierra to the eastside orchards has some logic to it while it isn't clear how you move water from a big groundwater bank around Corcoran. Instead, eastside districts have invested in groundwater banks closer to where the water is put to use.Wal-Mart Superstore Back on Track...Steve Pastishttp://www.valleyvoicenewspaper.com/vv/stories/2008/walmart.htmVisalia - Plans for a Wal-Mart Superstore at 1819 E. Noble Ave. in Visalia are no longer on hold. After coming to an agreement with Caltrans over long-standing right-of-way improvements, Wal-Mart has resumed discussions with the City of Visalia about its proposed expansion from 126,783 to 202,104 square feet. “We submitted (plans) about a year ago, but some things with Caltrans came up,” said Tom Navarro, department leader for CEI Engineering Associates, Inc., the Bentonville, Arkansas-based company that develops many Wal-Mart locations. “Wal-Mart recognized we had not kept up from when the store was built. Basically, they thought they had taken care of all the responsibilities.”Navarro said that the amount of money “was nothing major” and that things were “cordial” between Wal-Mart and Caltrans. With that matter settled, Wal-Mart and the city are again discussing the proposed expansion.Wal-Mart's plans were on the agenda of yesterday's Visalia Site Plan Review Committee. The main topic of discussion was ingress and egress – the way shoppers enter and exit the property.Wal-Mart's plans for a Visalia Superstore include a 14-foot wall between the store and its residential neighbors to the south to help contain light and sound. To provide enough parking, Wal-Mart bought additional property directly to the west, with plans for a building on that site to be demolished.The company recently upgraded its docking area standards and has new guidelines about how long trucks can run while unloading products, Navarro said. New technology in Wal-Mart loading areas allows refrigerated diesel trucks to turn off their engines and still maintain their temperatures... “They plan to soften the hard lines of the commercial building,” said Brusuelas. “The colors will be earthtones and be more muted. The building will be more in line with a residential neighborhood than with commercial architecture.”Navarro estimates that Wal-Mart should receive a decision on its expansion plans within about 18 months. This part of the process will involve sending out drafts, dealing with city and community concerns, and making necessary revisions. An appeal period of about a month will follow, during which time, lawsuits are common regarding Wal-Mart projects. Wal-Mart's plans in Selma, Clovis and Delano each resulted in lawsuits.“There's a lot of attraction with the store size,” explained Navarro. “They're somewhat controversial.” When Wal-Mart estimates how long a new store or expansion will take, it allows time for legal actions. “We typically consider eight months or so,” Navarro said. “It depends on the courts.” He added, however, that once in court, “a decision is made pretty quickly, usually within weeks.”...If the Wal-Mart Superstore is approved, there will an increased need to make road improvements...Wal-Mart still needs to do a traffic study and environmental impact report, as well as address a number of other issues, said Navarro.Sacramento BeeValley's flood risks shown at state online map site...Matt Weiserhttp://www.sacbee.com/101/v-print/story/1245704.htmlNew maps to understand flood risk are available online from the state Department of Water Resources.The maps are intended to show "best available" flood-risk information for 32 counties in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley watershed.They do not replace any official risk maps prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to set flood insurance requirements.Rather, they use additional geographic and hydrologic data to provide more information.For instance, many residents will find the maps show their home in a 200-year flood zone, a lower-risk category than the typical 100-year zone employed by FEMA, but still considered potentially hazardous in a severe storm.The maps were required by Senate Bill 5, adopted in 2007.Urban areas are not required to curb development according to the new maps. But by 2014 they must have plans in place to provide 200-year protection for new development.To find the maps, visit www.water.ca.gov/ and enter "best available maps" in the search window.Global warming fight will boost California economy, study says...Chris Bowmanhttp://www.sacbee.com/378/v-print/story/1245605.htmlCostly as it may seem, California's mandate to cut climate-altering exhausts from vehicles and industry by nearly one-third in the next 12 years actually will boost the economy, a state analysis released Wednesday predicts.The improvements in fuel and energy efficiency and extra clean-technology jobs needed to achieve the required 30 percent emissions reduction would result in a net household savings of $400 to $500 a year and a net 0.2 percent or $4 billion gain in the total annual output of goods and services, according to the report."Our historic effort to deal with global warming will also have the benefit of saving businesses and families money because of savings from fuel efficiency and growth in jobs," said Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the state Air Resources Board, which prepared the study as part of its charge to implement the climate change law known as Assembly Bill 32.The study, generated from computer models, shows that the bulk of the economic benefits will come from investments in costlier but more efficient vehicles, appliances and industrial equipment that more than pay for themselves by 2020, the deadline for meeting the targeted reductions.What happens between now and then, however, has many business owners worried, said Shelley Sullivan, executive director of the AB32 Implementation Group, a coalition of businesses...The system, set to begin in 2012, would allow companies to buy and sell the right to produce greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.The state would control the volume of emissions permits and ratchet down the supply over time.Nichols said the point of the analysis was to see if the state's effort to combat global warming would end up helping or hurting the economy.Most sectors of the economy, including transportation and warehousing, agriculture, forestry, manufacturing and construction, would by 2020 see moderate increases in employment and production as a result of investing in the more expensive but efficient building designs, lighting, vehicles and equipment, the study said.The major exception would be the electric power companies that would experience about 16 percent less production and about 14 percent fewer jobs.The board is required to adopt an outline of its emissions-cutting strategy by the year's end.Stockton RecordStockton Wastewater Plant May Be Polluting Delta...cbs5.com...kpix tv...Environment & The Green Beat...9-17-08http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080918/A_NEWS/809180347/-1/A_NEWSSTOCKTON (CBS 5) ― The Delta is one of the Bay Area's most precious waterways. According to a lawsuit filed recently, it is being recklessly polluted by a nearby water treatment plant.The California Sportfishing Alliance, along with other environmental groups is suing the City of Stockton. They claim the city's wastewater plant and sewer drains are dangerously polluting the San Joaquin River.Our video report has more.County: Flood maps flawedOfficials say state underestimated areas in S.J. in 200-year zones...Alex Breitlerhttp://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080918/A_NEWS/809180341/-1/A_NEWSSTOCKTON - County officials say yet another series of flood maps, this time released by the state, are inaccurate and will only add to public confusion over flood protection.The new maps, for information only, are supposed to show areas that fall into the 100- or 200-year flood zone. They have nothing to do with the Federal Emergency Management Agency's highly publicized maps, which may force thousands of Stockton residents to buy flood insurance.The latest maps are supposed to be a preliminary "heads-up" to the community on the flood danger here, a state official said.San Joaquin County officials, however, said the maps by the state Department of Water Resources "dramatically underestimate" the area that will likely fall into the 200-year flood zone in the future. That is, areas that would be flooded in a storm likely to occur just once every two centuries.For one thing, the maps show several levees where none exists, Steve Winkler, the county's deputy director of Public Works, said in comments to the state.And the maps inaccurately depict several embankments, such as railroad tracks, as levees, he said Friday in a letter."Unfortunately, we believe that in their haste to meet deadlines, ... the maps fell short," Winkler said Wednesday...To view the state's new flood maps, visit www.water.ca.gov/floodmgmt/lrafmo/fmb/fes/best_available_maps/. Bush approves funding plan for state highways...Staff and wire reportshttp://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080918/A_NEWS/809180330/-1/A_NEWSWASHINGTON - Two months after the White House threatened to veto a highway trust fund rescue plan, President Bush signed the legislation Monday.The trust fund derives its revenues from the federal gas tax. Because Americans have curtailed driving because of high gas prices, the fund was going broke much faster than anticipated. Washington would have had to begin delaying payments to states for construction work as early as this month, meaning the loss of thousands of high-paying construction jobs. This produced the White House's turnaround.California stood to lose nearly $1 billion in funding without the policy reversal from the president..."Without the additional funding, ... the reimbursement to states for highway and road projects could have dropped to 64 percent and nearly 400,000 jobs could have been lost," said Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, in a written statement. McNerney is a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.The bill transfers $8 billion from the Treasury's general fund to shore up the financially teetering highway trust fund, which supports road and bridge projects around the country. In July, the White House threatened a veto, saying taking money from the general fund was "both a gimmick and a dangerous precedent that shifts costs from users to taxpayers at large."Supporters of the transfer argued that the Treasury was merely returning $8 billion it took from the then-prospering trust fund in 1998 for deficit reduction.Bush signed the bill with no ceremony or comment.San Francisco ChronicleColossal coastal clean up planned for Saturday...Jane Kayhttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/18/MN7K12V9PJ.DTLNinety percent of the trash swirling in the world's oceans is plastic, and in some parts of the Pacific Ocean, plastic pellets used by manufacturers outnumber plankton.The trash we leave behind inevitably finds its way to our beaches and oceans... Sixty to 80 percent of ocean litter comes from land sources. Most of it runs off city streets. Cups, six-pack holders and dirty diapers are left on beaches. Some waste is dumped at sea. Sport and commercial fishermen lose lines, hooks and nets, which bring suffering and death to entangled and wounded animals.Trash is such a problem that the environmental group Save the Bay released a map Wednesday showing two dozen of the bay's dirtiest waterways. They are under review by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board for exceeding federal Clean Water Act water-quality standards.Among the top 10 are Strawberry Creek as it flows from Berkeley to the bay, San Jose's littered Coyote Creek and Guadalupe River, Colma Creek from San Bruno Mountain through South San Francisco and Oakland's urban runoff, spoiling Sausal Creek and Damon Slough...Mercury NewsDirty Water: Environmental group lists trashiest streams that flow into the San Francisco Bay.ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP LISTS BAY'S 10 NASTIEST STREAMS...Paul Rogershttp://www.mercurynews.com/localnewsheadlines/ci_10490472Vast amounts of trash — from Styrofoam cups to old tires — pollute nearly all of the streams that flow into San Francisco Bay, according to an environmental advocacy group that is pushing for new regulations to protect the region's water.In a new report released Wednesday, Save the Bay highlighted nearly two dozen clogged streams where the environmental group says debris endangers wildlife and human health.Among the Top 10 "Bay Trash Hot Spots" most choked with litter: Guadalupe River and Coyote Creek in San Jose, Saratoga Creek in Saratoga, Cerrito Creek in El Cerrito, and Damon Slough, which rings the McAfee Coliseum in Oakland...The group, which ranked the streams based on photos from its volunteers and surveys by state water quality officials, is pushing for three reforms.First, it is urging Bay Area residents to volunteer for the annual California Coastal Cleanup, which takes place from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. Last year, more than 61,000 people statewide collected more than 903,000 pounds of trash and recyclables along coastal beaches, but also along inland streams and bayfront marshes.Oakland-based Save the Bay also is pushing for state water regulators to name 23 streams and creeks around San Francisco Bay as "impaired'' for trash pollution under the Clean Water Act. Such designations, which have historically been for pollutants like mercury or pesticides, require the state to draw up a plan to bring the water bodies affected back to environmental health.In the case of trash, that could mean requiring Bay Area cities to put trash-catching devices over storm drain pipes, to crack down more on businesses that pollute — like supermarkets whose dumpsters cause litter to blow into the streets — and to provide more garbage cans at public parks.The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board is scheduled to make a decision on the designations by the end of next month. In 2001, state water officials in Los Angeles declared the Los Angeles River impaired by trash. Three years later, Los Angeles voters approved a $500 million bond to fund trash cleanups, flood control and water pollution reduction.Finally, Save the Bay also is pushing the San Francisco regional water board to impose tough new trash rules for storm drain permits for Bay Area cities, since nearly all garbage on the street washes into storm drains and is flushed into the bay, where it harms wildlife and can drift into the ocean."Trash is harming water quality,'' Castelli said. "It's killing animals in the bay.''Los Angeles TimesState warms to greenhouse gas emissions planThe Air Resources Board touts economic benefits in its analysis, but business groups say companies would be forced to flee...Margot Roosevelthttp://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-climate18-2008sep18,0,1830593,print.storyFew dispute that reducing planet-heating greenhouse gas emissions is a good idea. But fewer still know how much it will cost.Wednesday, California officials served up their official economic analysis of the state's ambitious global warming plan: By 2020, it would boost the state's expected $2.6-trillion gross product by $4 billion, create 100,000 additional jobs and increase per capita income by $200, the state Air Resources Board concluded after months of complex modeling."These are good-news numbers," board Chairwoman Mary Nichols said. "We are not claiming this is the way to economic salvation. But making our state more energy-efficient and less reliant on imported oil . . . will have a net positive effect."California is poised to adopt the nation's most comprehensive plan to slash emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, which come mostly from burning fossil fuels.A draft blueprint, to be finalized by the end of the year, would force utilities to produce a third of their electricity from solar, wind and other renewable sources, require automakers to sell cars that are more fuel-efficient, and wedge energy-saving measures into home-building, manufacturing and other sectors of the economy.Business groups attacked the analysis, saying the state's plan would cause companies to flee to states or countries with less restrictive laws."The plan assumes all these investments by businesses, utilities and consumers," said Dorothy Rothrock, vice president of the California Manufacturers and Technology Assn. "Where will all the upfront capital come from?"Utilities already have said they will fall short of complying with a current law requiring 20% of their electricity to come from renewables by 2010. The state has yet to figure out how to implement plans to lower the carbon content of gasoline and other fuels.Nichols acknowledged that hiking the renewable-energy portion of a utility portfolio to 33% may increase electricity rates, but that would be offset, she said, by efficiency measures that would decrease overall power use. The analysis projects that the average electricity bill would drop 5% in 2020.As for capital, she said, "Investment money is available for clean and green technology in California. It is in the billions. Investors are out there looking for a place to spend it."...In another report released Wednesday, the board found that reducing greenhouse gas emissions would result in an estimated 300 fewer premature deaths in 2020 and slash the number of cases of asthma and other respiratory illnesses by 9,000.The loss of 53,000 work days would be avoided, the analysis found.CNN MoneyThe Fed tries to stop the bleedingThe decision to pump $180 billion in fresh cash to the financial markets by world banks is a good move. But will it restore lasting confidence in the markets?...Paul R. La Monicahttp://money.cnn.com/2008/09/18/markets/thebuzz/index.htm?postversion=2008091814 NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The latest move by the Fed appeared to work - for a few hours at least. The announcement early Thursday morning that the Federal Reserve and several other foreign central banks were injecting $180 billion of cash into the market - on top of the $67 billion provided earlier this year - is the Fed's latest attempt to restore faith in the financial system.The move follows the Fed's fevered, but ultimately failed, talks over the weekend to try and save Lehman Brothers (LEH, Fortune 500), the decision on Tuesday to hold interest rates steady and Tuesday night's stunning $85 billion loan to insurer AIG (AIG, Fortune 500).Unlike those actions, the cash infusion seemed to soothe investor fears, albeit temporarily. U.S. stock markets all shot up Thursday morning, following a rise in European stock markets.But how long this sense of relief lasts is anybody's guess. In fact, stocks turned south by early afternoon before heading higher again.Talkback: Is the Fed doing a good job dealing with the credit crisis?Clearly, the move to put more money into what are, to put it mildly, fragile markets is a good thing.Still, some wonder if the confidence boost will be fleeting as investors continue to speculate about who the next financial bailout or bankruptcy might be. "I think this helps. Liquidity is an issue," said Phil Dow, director of equity strategy with RBC Wealth Management in Minneapolis. "But trust has to be earned and that doesn't happen overnight."Even though this morning's rally faded away around noon before resuming again later in the day, it's important to point out that, regardless of what happens with stocks, the new round of cash could lead banks to finally begin lending to one another again. "This is a focused, well coordinated and well targeted action aimed at dealing with the unfortunate fact that private sector financial institutions worldwide are unwilling to lend to each other," said Daniel Alpert, managing director of Westwood Capital, a New York-based investment bank.Alpert explained that the Fed and other central banks "did exactly what they needed to" since the deepening credit crisis has caused banks across the globe to seize up as fears spread that nobody is immune. "This week left banks scrambling for the life-sustaining plasma of overnight funds, because now every institution is concerned - with a lot more justification than in prior months - that every other institution is about to go down - including themselves," he said.Without doubt, the collapse of Lehman and AIG, combined with Merrill Lynch's (MER, Fortune 500) decision to sell out to Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500), has caused all major financial institutions to rapidly rethink what the banking landscape will look like in the next few months.So the deal making in the sector is probably not even close to being over...as evidenced by the published reports indicating that Washington Mutual (WM, Fortune 500) is shopping itself and that Wachovia (WB, Fortune 500) is talking to Morgan Stanley (MS, Fortune 500)."People are scared to lend anyone money. Nobody's sure who is safe and who isn't," said David Wyss, chief economist with Standard & Poor's. "So we are going to have to see more consolidation take place and people have to feel more confident about lending to each other." Don't get me wrong. The addition of $180 billion may help unfreeze the credit markets. And that is sorely needed. But a new era on Wall Street is beginning...and even with the help of the Fed, it's too late to undo the damage that's already been done. Some big brand-name banks have died and more will do so.The best the Fed can hope for now is to stop the bleeding and let the strongest firms on Wall Street figure out how to make the pieces in the merger puzzle fit...Banks bounce back in explosive rallyWaMu, Wachovia and other battered banks surge while Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs recover from their lows...Aaron Smith and David Ellishttp://money.cnn.com/2008/09/18/news/companies/bank_stocks/index.htmNEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- In yet another wild day on Wall Street, shares of several big bank stocks staged a significant late-afternoon rally Thursday. Shares in Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley were pummeled earlier Thursday, as ongoing nervousness about the financials continued to weigh on stocks across the sector. But with less than an hour to go in the trading session, each stock was down only about 3%.That was a dramatic turnaround from earlier in the day.Morgan Stanley (MS, Fortune 500) shares plunged to their lowest level since November of 1996 and were at one point down as much as 46%Morgan Stanley is reportedly considering a merger with Wachovia (WB, Fortune 500) among other options. That bank's stock surged 55% during Thursday's session.And Goldman Sachs (GS, Fortune 500) fell below $90 a share at one point - a level not seen in over four years -- before recovering. Goldman shares were down as much as 25% at one point Thursday.One economist blamed the earlier sell-off on fears about the future of Goldman and Morgan Stanley."The markets have become emboldened into thinking that independent investment banks won't be able to survive," said Robert Brusca, chief economist at Fact and Opinion Economics, who does not own shares of either firm."These are two very fine firms and I don't see any reason why they can't survive these attacks, which are essentially baseless," he said. Other banks often in the headlines lately also posted solid gains toward the end of the day. Washington Mutual (WM, Fortune 500) shares climbed 26% amid speculation that the Seattle-based firm has put itself up for sale, hiring Goldman Sachs to advise it. The nation's largest savings and loan pared some of those gains in afternoon trading.JPMorgan Chase (JPM, Fortune 500), HSBC (HBC), Citigroup (C, Fortune 500) and Wells Fargo (WFC, Fortune 500) are said to be potential suitors, according to published reports, although a person close to the situation has told CNNMoney.com that JPMorgan is not interested in buying WaMu.Shares of both Merrill Lynch (MER, Fortune 500) and Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500), which announced a tie-up Monday worth roughly $50 billion, were each about 15% higher.After Wednesday's steep losses, the Dow surged along with bank stocks at the end of the day Thursday after changing course several times during the session. The tech-fueled Nasdaq and broader S&P 500 index followed, each gaining more than 3%.To help prop up the struggling financial sector, the Federal Reserve, along with five other global central banks, announced earlier Thursday that they would inject $180 billion into money markets.Earlier in the week, Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy, and its stock has since plunged to penny stock status.Financial TimesMorgan Stanley in talks with CIC...Francesco Guerrera and Henny Sender in New York http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f563019c-8595-11dd-a1ac-0000779fd18c.htmlMorgan Stanley is in talks to sell a stake of up to 49 per cent to China Investment Corp, the state-owned investment fund, as part of the Wall Street firm’s efforts to ensure its survival and reverse a slump in investor confidence.People close to the discussions said the investment bank was exploring the stake sale to CIC as an alternative to a merger with Wachovia, the troubled US lender that approached Morgan Stanley on Wednesday.7Morgan Stanley’s frantic effort to find a partner comes as its shares have been hammered by heavy selling amid concerns over its ability to survive as one of the last two large investment banks. They were trading down 20 per cent at $17.39 in midday trading in New York on Thursday.Morgan Stanley executives believe that a tie-up with the cash-rich CIC, which bought a 9.9 per cent stake in the investment bank in December, could help it to restore investors’ faith in its business. They argue that the backing of CIC, which can draw from the deep pockets of the Chinese government, would reassure the market that Morgan Stanley has adequate resources to survive the current turmoil.However, the sale of a large stake in a blue-chip Wall Street firm to a Chinese state owned entity could cause a political backlash in Washington, especially if the alternative of an all-American merger with Wachovia was on the table. Morgan Stanley declined to comment and CIC could not be reached.Wachovia tumbles 22% on capital fears...Saskia Scholtes in New York...9-17-08http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7e386458-84fb-11dd-b148-0000779fd18c,dwp_uuid=11f94e6e-7e94-11dd-b1af-000077b07658.htmlWachovia’s shares plunged 22 per cent on Wednesday after the fourth largest US bank said it would prop up its money market funds to prevent losses on their $494m of debt issued by Lehman Brothers.The blow to Wachovia’s capital reserves helped reignite speculation the bank may have to seek a buyer to weather the turbulence in financial markets, potentially with an investment bank seeking the stability of a retail deposit base.The bank joins Washington Mutual on the list of depository institutions needing a deal. WaMu and private equity firm TPG on Wednesday agreed to waive a clause that would have forced the savings and loan institution to pay TPG for any dilution it suffered from a future capital infusion or buy-out. TPG led a group of investors in a $7bn (€5bn, £3.9bn) capital-raising for the bank in April. Eliminating the clause makes a potential acquisition or capital infusion cheaper and clears the way for a deal.Wachovia is cutting $1.5bn in expenses and reducing risk to cope with mounting losses from the bank’s $122bn of option adjustable-rate mortgages. However, Wachovia’s dominant franchise on the US east coast has long been seen as a promising takeover target. The rout in the bank’s shares – which have lost more than 75 per cent of their value this year – makes that prospect increasingly attractive, say analysts. Talk of a potential merger for Wachovia has simmered since Stan O’Neal, Merrill Lynch’s former chief executive, made an unauthorised approach to the bank in October last year.The appointment of Robert Steel as chief executive in July rekindled the possibility of a deal with other financial groups such as Goldman Sachs or Wells Fargo. Mr Steel is a former Goldman executive, and Goldman has been hired to analyse the bank’s loans.Following Lehman’s bankruptcy and Merrill Lynch’s sale to Bank of America in a hastily engineered deal on Monday, the list of potential suitors for Wachovia could include Morgan Stanley, one of the last remaining independent investment banks, or JPMorgan, which has been interested in growing its retail banking franchise.However, analysts say any deal will be complicated by the same factors that have dogged other potential deals amid the credit turmoil. Not least of these are purchase accounting rules that require buyers to mark their target’s portfolios to market, which can result in the need to raise costly capital in unstable markets. Potential buyers are also now reluctant to assume such losses without government help. 9-18-08Meetings9-24-08 Merced County Planning Commission agenda...9:00 a.m.http://www.co.merced.ca.us/planning/pdf/commissionarchive/2008/agendas/Agenda%20092408.pdf9-25-08 LAFCo agenda...10:00 a.m.http://www.lafcomerced.org/pdfs/2008/9_25_2008/Agenda/092508.pdf --------------------------------------------------------CENTRAL VALLEY SAFE ENVIRONMENT NETWORKMISSION STATEMENTCentral Valley Safe Environment Network is a coalition of organizations and individuals throughout the San Joaquin Valley that is committed to the concept of "Eco-Justice" -- the ecological defense of the natural resources and the people. To that end it is committed to the stewardship, and protection of the resources of the greater San Joaquin Valley, including air and water quality, the preservation of agricultural land, and the protection of wildlife and its habitat. In serving as a community resource and being action-oriented, CVSEN desires to continue to assure there will be a safe food chain, efficient use of natural resources and a healthy environment. CVSEN is also committed to public education regarding these various issues and it is committed to ensuring governmental compliance with federal and state law. CVSEN is composed of farmers, ranchers, city dwellers, environmentalists, ethnic, political,and religious groups, and other stakeholders.