Poll: Water bond gaining, drought concerns grow [San Diego Union-Tribune]
Voters
are far more likely to approve a water bond on the November ballot if lawmakers
shrink its size, according to a new survey that also found nine out of every 10
Californians say they have taken steps to conserve as the drought drags on.…The
survey released Wednesday comes at a pivotal time for lawmakers as they
struggle to settle broad differences over the size of a proposed water bond and
whether it should be “pork free” — in the words of one of the key players,
Assemblyman Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood.…The PPIC results suggest they are on
the right track. Likely supporters overwhelmingly favor an unspecified leaner
bond, 59 percent to 23 percent. In contrast, the current $11 billion bond is
favored by 50 percent of likely voters with 34 percent opposed. However,
support for the larger bond has gained steadily, up from 44 percent in March
2013. Of likely voters, 71 percent said it was “very important” or “somewhat
important” to pass a water bond.
Tulare water rally
protests 'zero allocation' this summer [Fresno Bee]
About
1,000 people -- from farmworkers to farm leaders -- turned out Wednesday for a
water rally in support of east side agriculture at the International
Agri-Center in Tulare. The rally, organized by the California Latino Water
Coalition, protested the planned "zero allocation" of irrigation water
this summer to east-side farmers by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.…Eight buses
brought in people from Delano, Earlimart, McFarland and other farming
communities, organizers said. Jose Luis Iniguez, 51, of Delano is a foreman at
a grape farm. "If there's no water, there's no work," he said in
Spanish. "As much as you need water at home, you need it at
work."…Water officials told the crowd they hoped more rain would ease the
crisis. But managing water in a drought is a "complex situation,"
said DeeDee D'Adamo, a member of the state Water Resources Control Board.
"There's not a lot of water to transfer," she said.
Growers of thirsty
pot are under fire in drought-struck California [McClatchy News]
In
drought-hit California, marijuana growers are feeling the heat, accused of
using too much water for their thirsty plants and of polluting streams and
rivers with their pesticides and fertilizers. State officials say a pot plant
sucks up an average of 6 gallons of water per day, worsening a shortage caused
by one of the biggest droughts on record. They say the situation is particularly
acute along California’s North Coast, where the growing pressure to irrigate
pot threatens salmon and other fish….Public officials are taking aim at both
the legal and illegal growers in many ways. In pot-rich Mendocino County, the
sheriff’s department is cracking down on growers who steal water.
More drug makers
agree to limit antibiotics for farm animals [Los Angeles Times]
The
Food and Drug Administration said 25 of 26 drug companies that were asked to
phase out antibiotics to promote growth in farm animals have agreed to comply
with the agency’s voluntary plan. The development announced Wednesday clears a
major hurdle in the FDA’s push to combat growing human resistance to
antibiotics because of their overuse….The antibiotics in question are only
those with similar applications in human medicine. Known as medically important
antimicrobials, they include popular drugs such as penicillin and tetracycline.
Skeptics feared that manufacturers would resist the plan. The FDA said a
voluntary approach was necessary because banning the drugs would have resulted
in lengthy and costly litigation. The FDA said the 25 companies that agreed to
the plan make 99.6% of the targeted drugs. They include major manufacturers
such as Bayer Healthcare and Novartis Animal Health.
http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-fda-antibiotics-20140326,0,985413.story#axzz2xBduDeSs
Marin Sun Farms gets
final OK to reopen Petaluma slaughterhouse [Santa Rosa Press Democrat]
Marin
Sun Farms has obtained federal approval to take over the Rancho Feeding Corp.
slaughterhouse in Petaluma and plans to reopen the shuttered facility early
next month. The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed Wednesday that it has
certified Marin Sun to operate the Petaluma plant, which closed Feb. 9 amid an
international recall of all beef processed at Rancho in 2013….Marin Sun will
reopen the plant on April 7, the company announced on its Facebook page….Sonoma
County Farm Bureau Executive Director Tim Tesconi called the USDA approval
"terrific news" for both Marin Sun and local ranchers. "This is
what we need in this county," he said.
State Sen. Noreen
Evans' GMO food-labeling bill clears state Senate committee [Santa Rosa Press
Democrat]
Proposed
legislation by state Sen. Noreen Evans requiring all foods containing
genetically modified organisms to be labeled in California cleared its first
hurdle Wednesday in Sacramento. The Senate Committee on Health approved the
bill on a 5-2 vote after Evans, D-Santa Rosa, agreed to several amendments,
including that the legislation exclude alcohol products and not take effect
until Jan. 1. 2016….Wednesday's hearing was a preview of the obstacles SB 1381
will have to overcome if it has any chance of landing on the governor's desk.
Ag
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