Environmentalists divided over water projects [Associated Press]
A
proposal on the November ballot to borrow billions of dollars to build
reservoirs and restore watersheds has divided California's environmental
community over fears that it could open the way for salmon-killing dams or
giveaways to corporate fruit and nut growers. The rise of organized opposition
to what's known as Proposition 1 comes about a month before the election, with
independent polls showing voters favoring the blueprint that is one of Gov.
Jerry Brown's signature initiatives….Everyone agrees California needs to do
something about its creaky water storage and distribution systems and a muddle
of rules, some dating back more than a century, that determine who gets it and
how much. But environmentalists are deeply split over whether the ballot
proposal is the answer, or even a worthwhile step.
California
dairy farmers struggling to survive prolonged drought [Los Angeles Times]
…California
dairy farmers lead the nation in dairy production, churning out 21% of
America's milk supply and contributing $140 billion annually to the state's
economy, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The historic water
crisis has been rough on dairies, driving up the cost of feed and water….Most
of California's milk comes from parched counties desperate for drought disaster
assistance, according to a recent report from the USDA. The state's dairy
farmers have been forced to let about 500,000 acres lie parched and unplanted,
making feed for cows and other livestock scarce and expensive….In addition to
higher feed costs, Central Valley farmers are paying on average 10 times more
for water for their crops and animals than they were a year ago, said Gayle
Holman, a spokeswoman for Fresno's Westlands Water District….In Tulare, farmers
are paying $1,200 to $1,800 per acre-foot, said Tricia Blattler, executive
director of the Tulare County Farm Bureau. "Farmers are suffering from
well failure and having to truck in water," Blattler said
Judge
tosses lawsuit challenging California egg laws [Sacramento Bee]
A
Sacramento federal judge has dismissed a February lawsuit brought by leaders of
six Midwestern and Southern states with large egg industries that sought to
overturn California rules requiring more space for egg-laying hens. The
plaintiffs, led by Missouri’s attorney general, Chris Koster, had challenged
the constitutionality of Prop. 2, the 2008 ballot measure that set standards
for egg-laying hens, and AB 1437, a 2010 law that extended the initiative’s
provisions’ to out-of-state eggs sold in California….But in a ruling this week,
Judge Kimberly Mueller rejected the plaintiffs’ claims that they were acting to
protect their residents from the California rules, which take effect Jan. 1.
Her ruling also shuts the door on the plaintiffs revising their suit and trying
again.
Antibiotics
Use in Animals Destined for Human Consumption Surges [Wall Street Journal]
The
amount of antibiotics sold for use in cows, chickens and other animals raised
for food increased 16% between 2009 and 2012, the U.S. government said on
Thursday. The figure is heightening concerns over the widespread use of
antibiotics and the resulting ability of bacteria to resist the drugs….More
than 32 million pounds of drugs were distributed for domestic animal use in
2012, compared with 28 million pounds in 2009, the new FDA report said. About
60% of the drugs are medically important to humans, the data show….The FDA is
pursuing a voluntary plan to reduce the use of antibiotics in animals….The data
released on Thursday will serve as an important benchmark to determine whether
the voluntary approach is working and drug use is declining.
Law
gives some relief from fire fee [Redding Record Searchlight]
California
- Families who lose their house to a wildfire or other natural disaster will
get relief from the state’s controversial Rural Fire Prevention Fee. North
State Assemblyman Brian Dahle, R-Bieber, sponsored a measure that Gov. Jerry
Brown signed into law on Tuesday. The new law waives the fee and reduces the
penalty for late payment — from 20 percent per month to 10 percent — to put it
in line with other state fees. It also ends mandatory increases for inflation
and streamlines the appeal process. Dahle said in a news release that he would
rather California repeal the fee, considered by many to be a tax, but the
Republican believes his bill reforms some of the worst aspects of the fee….
For
Crop-Dusters, Towers Pose a Hidden and Growing Danger [New York Times]
…But
in recent years, pilots like Mr. Lucas have encountered a new, rapidly
proliferating threat camouflaged among the fields, one that has led to several
deaths and, safety officials fear, could cause more. They are thin metal
towers, almost 200 feet high, that wind energy companies use to help gather
data on the best places to put wind turbines….Towers like these — temporary
meteorological evaluation towers, or METs — can be erected in a matter of
hours, and at 198 feet high, most barely skirt the 200-foot limit set by the
Federal Aviation Administration requiring markings and lighting for safety. At
least five people, including three crop-duster pilots, have died after hitting
the towers since 2003. Among them was Stephen Allen, a 58-year-old pilot from
Walnut Grove, Calif., with 26,000 hours of flying time. In 2011, he was
surveying a field for seeding at 150 feet near the town of Oakley when his
plane struck a tower, shearing off part of the left wing of the plane and
sending it into a nose dive.
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