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Legislative Analyst Predicts Short Term Job Loss from AB 32
Implementation of AB 32, California’s landmark greenhouse gas reduction law, will cause job losses in the near term, according to the state Legislative Analyst.
In a 10-page letter dated March 4 requested by Sen. Dave Cogdill, a Modesto Republican, the analyst questions the modeling used by the state Air Resources Board in its assessment of the law’s long-term impact and predicts that, at least in the short term, energy prices will rise as a result of the law.    Read more »
Your Tax Dollars At Work — Small, Man-Made Lake in Granite Bay Violates California’s Constitution, Water Board Staff Says
A hearing of the State Water Resources Control Board is scheduled for Monday, February 1, on the claims of two homeowners in Placer County’s upscale Granite Bay that the leaking of one of the man-made lakes in their subdivision is a misuse of water and violates the state constitution.
The hearing caps an investigation by the state dating back to April 2005 when Tony and Donna Wood and their neighbors, Ted and Cheri Allegra, filed a water right complaint against the Hidden Lake Estates Homeowners Association, documents at the water board’s website show.    Read more »
Breaking News from the California Department of Food & Ag
Release #08-088
Media Contact: Steve Lyle, CDFA Public Affairs, (916) 654-0462
HEALTH REQUIREMENTS FOR SANTA’S REINDEER WAIVED BY STATE VETERINARIAN
Reindeer cleared to land in California
SACRAMENTO – California State Veterinarian Dr. Richard Breitmeyer has granted a 24-hour permit waiving all brand inspection and health requirements for nine reindeer slated to visit California on the evening of December 24 and in the early morning hours of December 25.    Read more »
AB 32’s Economic Cost Is Far Lower Than “Allowance Value”
(The following is a response from Larry Goulder, a Stanford University economics professor, regarding the AB 32 allowance value discussed in a previous posting here and the actual economic cost of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.)
As chair of the Economic and Allocation Advisory Committee to the California Air Resources Board, I am writing to clarify an issue relating to your recent blog concerning the value of emissions allowances under California’s AB 32.    Read more »
Caltrans Swift At Putting Federal Stimulus Dollars to Work
Caltrans, the state’s Department of Transportation, has been swift in using nearly $1 billion in federal economic stimulus money, already putting out to bid projects using 92 percent of the funds, a recent report by the Legislative Analyst shows.
Transportation agencies for the state’s cities and counties have been slower in spending their $1.6 billion, with less than one-third of their funds out to bid.    Read more »
Draft Report Assesses Financial and Economic Costs of AB 32
California entities that emit greenhouse gases could pay between $48 billion and $143 billion between 2012 and 2020 as part of the implementation of AB 32, according to a draft report by the California Economic and Allocation Advisory Committee.
The report, Allocating Emissions Allowances under California’s Cap-and-Trade Program, takes a somewhat dimmer view of the impact of the landmark legislation, which seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, than its champions like Gov.    Read more »
Some Surprises on California’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting List
Six hundred five businesses, cities,military bases and other California emitters of greenhouse gases report the level of those emissions to the state Air Resources Board.
The air board’s spreadsheet of those reporting and a November 18 press release by the board discuss the process. The reporting has been required since 2007.    Read more »
Major Recycler Sues Over Beverage Container Fund Insolvency
California’s largest single recycling services provider sued the state November 9 claiming $416 million in so-called loans made to the cash-starved general fund from the Beverage Container Recycling Fund are illegal and must be repaid.
In a lawsuit filed in Alameda Superior Court, Tomra Pacific Inc., which operates nearly one-third of the state’s 1,200 supermarket parking lot recycling centers, claims the loans have driven the recycling fund into insolvency, causing the state Department of Conservation to eliminate payments to recyclers and irreparably harming the state’s 23-year-old effort to reduce can and bottle waste.    Read more »
State Water Board Gains Some New Powers and Hard Tasks
Charlie Hoppin almost became one of the most powerful persons in state government.
He has plenty of power as chairman of the State Water Resources Control Board but the Yuba City rice farmer was going to be presiding over a body with significantly greater powers to halt water scofflaws – at least when the recently concluded special session on water began in late October.    Read more »
Guest Post: Regulatory Costs to Small Business
Posted by Gino DiCaro, Vice President, Communications, California Manufacturers and Technology Association
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger released a study Sept. 22 on the cost of state regulations on California small businesses. The research, conducted by Sanjay Varshney, concluded that on average, each small business spent $134 thousand on regulations in 2007.
The report also concluded that the total cost of regulation to the state is $493 billion and 3.8 million jobs.??    Read more »
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