California

Chromium-6 In Some Wells More Than 1,000 Times Above State Goal

"Hexavalent chromium, a potentially cancer-causing heavy metal made famous by activist Erin Brockovich, is found in drinking water supplies throughout most of the Coachella Valley at 150 to more than 1,000 times above California’s public health goal, a Desert Sun review of local water agencies’ well-testing results found."

Source: Palm Springs Desert Sun, 02/20/2012
March 12, 2012

DEADLINE: Disaster Management and Resiliency Journalism Fellowships

This new 14-day professional dialogue, study and travel program (May 13-27), co-sponsored by the East-West Center and the Center for Global Partnership, will introduce participating journalists to a broad range of disaster management activities in the United States and Japan as well as post-disaster challenges to political, economic and energy resiliency. Apply by Mar 12th.

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March 13, 2012

Poisons in the Press: Deciding for Yourself What's 'Safe' (in San Francisco)

When the news media report on contamination in the air, drinking water or food supply, the public understandably demands to know straight away, “Is it safe?” A distinguished panel of toxicologists and environmental journalists will discuss why the question defies straightforward answers, what’s keeping the public in the dark, and how citizens can make informed decisions on toxic risks in the absence of certainty.

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"Monterey County Supervisors Urge Governor To Re-Examine Fumigant"

"With dozens of area farm workers looking on -- many wearing headphones to hear a Spanish translation of the proceedings -- the Monterey County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday urged Gov. Jerry Brown to take another look at a controversial, highly toxic agricultural fumigant."

Source: Salinas Californian, 02/16/2012

"As ‘Yuck Factor’ Subsides, Treated Wastewater Flows From Taps"

"SAN DIEGO — Almost hidden in the northern hills, the pilot water treatment plant here does not seem a harbinger of revolution. It cost $13 million, uses long-established technologies and produces a million gallons a day. But the plant’s very existence is a triumph over one of the most stubborn problems facing the nation’s water managers: if they make clean drinking water from wastewater, will the yuck factor keep people from accepting it?"

Source: NY Times, 02/10/2012

SacBee Wins Access to Forest-Fire Documents

A federal judge ruled that once the documents — depositions of US Forest Service employees about a 2007 forest fire in California that burned tens of thousands of acres — had been entered into court records as part of the evidence discovery process, they were presumptively public records and had to remain that way.

 

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