Latest news with #CARB
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Statewide Mobile Monitoring Initiative launched to help guide air quality improvement
( — California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the launch of the Statewide Mobile Monitoring Initiative program, created to guide air quality improvement efforts in California. Video Above: Gov. Newsom announced CalHeatScore, a tool to help people understand the severity of heat waves 'While the federal government threatens to take us back to the days of smoggy skies and clogged lungs, California continues to lead the way,' Newsom said. 'We're deploying first-of-their-kind vehicles to monitor pollution levels at a block-by-block level, delivering critical air quality information to communities across the state.' The program delivers hyper-local air pollution data by deploying mobile air monitoring equipment to 64 communities that have been facing environmental disparities in the state. The deployment of the monitoring equipment will begin in June, with the use of sensor-equipped vehicles from Aclima and mobile laboratories operated by researchers from the University of California, Berkeley; the University of California, Riverside and Aerodyne. The organizations involved plan on collecting and analyzing data on local pollution levels. The initiative comes along with the statewide effort, California Climate Investments, that puts billions of Cap-and-Invest dollars into reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment. Priority populations, such as low-income communities and communities facing disproportionate pollution burdens, will be more than 60% of the areas monitored, the office of Newsom said. Elk Grove to welcome 2 new fast food chain locations 'By meeting communities where they are and listening to their concerns, we're building an air quality monitoring system that integrates the lived experiences of the people most impacted by air pollution,' said CARB Executive Director Dr. Steven Cliff. 'The Statewide Mobile Monitoring Initiative represents an unprecedented opportunity to gather the detailed information we need to better protect public health in neighborhoods that have historically borne the brunt of environmental injustice.' The project is expected to be completed by June of 2026, along with the public availability of the collected data. The data will then be used by CARB, local air districts, stakeholders and community stakeholders to properly address emerging pollution concerns. 'The data is also expected to inform future regulatory programs, academic research, and applications for grants such as the Community Air Grants Program,' said the office. The state's clean air efforts have also saved $250 billion in health costs through reduced illness and reduced diesel-related cancer risk by almost 80 percent, according to the office. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Health
- Newsweek
Gavin Newsom Defies Trump With Groundbreaking Pollution Program
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. California Governor Gavin Newsom has responded to President Donald Trump's rollback of climate protections by unveiling a "first-of-its-kind" pollution monitoring program. The state is launching its Statewide Mobile Monitoring Initiative (SMMI), which will use specially equipped vehicles to collect block-by-block air quality data in 64 communities that face heavy pollution. The results will help officials create solutions to improve air quality and public health. "While the federal government threatens to take us back to the days of smoggy skies and clogged lungs, California continues to lead the way. We're deploying first-of-their-kind vehicles to monitor pollution levels at a block-by-block level, delivering critical air quality information to communities across the state," Newsom said in a statement on Tuesday. Why It Matters The unveiling of the SMMI comes amid sweeping federal actions targeting state-level environmental rules, including efforts to block California's authority to set vehicle emission standards and the rollback of clean air waivers. What To Know The project, spearheaded by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), will deploy sensor-equipped vehicles supplied by Aclima, along with mobile labs managed by researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, the University of California, Riverside, and Aerodyne. The researchers will collect data from 64 communities statewide, with 60 percent of the monitoring focused on priority populations, including low-income communities and those facing disproportionate pollution. More than 40 community-based organizations across the state have partnered with CARB to identify local air quality concerns and ensure community voices shape the monitoring efforts. California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks at a rally in San Francisco on June 7, 2024. California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks at a rally in San Francisco on June 7, 2024. Jessica Christian/San Francisco Chronicle/AP Over the past five decades, California's clean air initiatives have reduced diesel-related cancer risks by nearly 80 percent and saved $250 billion in health care costs, according to a press release from the governor's office. Trump's second term has seen more than 150 actions weakening environmental standards, with particular focus on California's authority to regulate pollution, set clean vehicle standards, and operate its cap-and-trade system, according to the Los Angeles Times. During his first term, Trump took significant steps to limit California's authority to set its own vehicle emissions standards, a power granted under the Clean Air Act since 1970. On September 18, 2019, the Trump administration announced the revocation of California's waiver, which allowed the state to enforce stricter greenhouse gas emissions and zero-emission vehicle mandates than federal standards. This move marked the first time such a waiver had been rescinded. The administration justified the revocation by asserting the need for a unified national standard to reduce vehicle costs and improve safety. However, critics argued that the action undermined states' rights and environmental protections. California, joined by 23 other states and several cities, filed lawsuits challenging the decision, leading to a prolonged legal battle. In March 2022, under the administration of former President Joe Biden, the Environmental Protection Agency reinstated California's waiver, restoring the state's authority to set its own vehicle emissions standards. As of June 2025, the Trump administration is reportedly considering new actions to revoke California's authority to enforce its stringent emissions standards, including the state's plan to ban the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035. Such efforts are expected to face legal challenges. What People Are Saying Dr. Steven Cliff, executive director of the California Air Resources Board, in a statement on Tuesday: "By meeting communities where they are and listening to their concerns, we're building an air quality monitoring system that integrates the lived experiences of the people most impacted by air pollution. "The Statewide Mobile Monitoring Initiative represents an unprecedented opportunity to gather the detailed information we need to better protect public health in neighborhoods that have historically borne the brunt of environmental injustice." What Happens Next The SMMI will continue to collect air quality data through June 2026, after which the collected data will be made available to the public. CARB, local air districts, stakeholders, and the local community will then use the data to help guide efforts in addressing pollution concerns.
Politico
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Politico
The other climate rule Trump's attacks are boosting
Presented by the Stop the Oil Shakedown Coalition. With help from Camille von Kaenel, Marie J. French and Caitlin Oprysko THE OTHER CLEAN-CAR LAW: New York lawmakers reeling from Congress' vote to kill California's electric vehicle mandate are eyeballing another Golden State rule to pick up the slack: the low-carbon fuel standard. Fair warning to Democrats considering this route: Things could get bumpy. A yearslong push in Albany to establish New York's version of the controversial program that sets emissions limits for transportation fuels is regaining steam in the wake of Senate votes last month to revoke a trio of EPA waivers that let California — and a dozen states that follow its lead — enforce stricter vehicle emissions standards. We're still waiting for President Donald Trump to sign the resolutions and kick off a court battle that Attorney General Rob Bonta has promised to wage, but New York enviros are already using the moment to lobby for LCFS standards, as POLITICO's Marie J. French reports. 'New York has to lead,' said Julie Tighe, president of the New York League of Conservation Voters, at a press conference last week. 'We cannot let four years go by without taking real action to transition away from fossil fuels, and Washington, D.C., is not going to help.' New York lawmakers don't need to look particularly hard to find out what sort of headaches they could be in store for if a bill from state Sen. Kevin Parker that would establish the state's clean fuel standard crosses the finish line. (That proposal is awaiting a hearing in New York's Senate Finance Committee and still faces an uphill battle to reach Gov. Kathy Hochul's desk.) Case in point: the bare-knuckled sparring on Friday between moderate Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, a Bakersfield Democrat and potential 2026 challenger to Republican Rep. David Valadao, and the California Air Resources Board, which approved amendments last year (still pending approval by the state's Office of Administrative Law) to tighten the stringency of the program — and potentially raise gas prices. Bains called on CARB Chair Liane Randolph to resign after she said at a hearing last week on transportation fuels that the agency doesn't extrapolate on how much consumers pay at the pump because 'in many instances, that would be speculative.' 'It is outrageous the director would pursue such policies without even trying to analyze the impact on prices,' Bains said. The incident is part of the continued fallout from last year's messy reauthorization of the nearly 15-year-old program. The heated debate largely centered on concerns about the rule's potential to raise gas prices, and CARB did itself no favors by initially estimating a 47-cent per gallon hike, before walking that figure back. The backlash against Bains was swift, as Gov. Gavin Newsom and environmental groups rushed to Randolph's defense. 'What's outrageous is the Assemblymember's stunt as she gears up to run for Congress,' Newsom spokesperson Daniel Villaseñor said in a statement. Equally important, though, is who was missing from the defense. Business groups that oppose LCFS over affordability concerns, and environmental justice advocates who argue the state should focus on electrification rather than alternative fuels, were nowhere to be found. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas — who established an oversight committee last month, headed by Assembly Transportation Chair Lori Wilson and Assemblymember David Alvarez, to study the LCFS' impact on prices — also stayed out of the squabble, and his spokespeople didn't respond to requests for comment. Those political dynamics are already shaping up in New York, where the state Senate passed an LCFS bill in 2022 that couldn't clear the Assembly. EJ groups came out against the bill last week, writing in a letter that New York can't 'invest in half-measures and failed solutions that burden environmental justice communities.' But New York businesses are backing Parker's bill. The Business Council of New York State, an Albany-based chamber of commerce with over 3,000 members, announced its support in April, arguing that an LCFS rule would allow the state to 'keep open all fuel and technology options' as it attempts to slash greenhouse gas emissions 85 percent from 1990 levels by 2050. — AN Did someone forward you this newsletter? Sign up here! SPEAKING OF GAS PRICES: Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton unveiled a plan Monday to lower energy and fuel prices based on dismantling California's climate programs. Hilton, a GOP television personality, released his energy platform the day before he's hosting a forum on fuel prices with former Democratic Majority Leader Gloria Romero, who registered as a Republican last year over issues like gas stove bans. Hilton's to-do list includes his party's top asks: ending the state's 2045 net-zero emissions goal, repealing LCFS and lowering the state gas tax. He's also advocating for nixing the cap-and-trade program Newsom and lawmakers are currently negotiating an extension of. — AN WATER TRUCE: San Diego and Los Angeles are ending 15 years of courtroom fights over the cost of water transfers, citing the need for greater flexibility and collaboration to handle unpredictable supplies caused by climate change. Under a settlement agreement announced Monday, the San Diego County Water Authority will pay the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California a fixed price for water transfers instead of a fluctuating one, which San Diego had repeatedly sued over. The settlement ends an acrimonious chapter in Southern California's water wars that had cost the two agencies tens of millions of dollars in legal fees and driven political battles across regional water boards. It also frees the San Diego County Water Authority — which is currently facing an existential threat because of lower-than-expected water sales — to cut deals with other water agencies to offload some of its unneeded water. San Diego has spent heavily in the past two decades on both importing and desalinating water. Other Southern California communities don't have that same luxury of abundant supplies, with both the Sierra Nevada snowpack and the Colorado River under strain. MWD Board chair Adán Ortega said at a press conference Monday that the settlement agreement would usher in 'a new era of regionalism' that the entire Southwest should recognize. — CvK EAST COAST FOIL: Florida's longtime cautionary tale on property insurance is changing — maybe. After years of massive losses, Florida insurers made a $207 million profit in 2024, Thomas Frank of POLITICO's E&E News reports. Private Florida-based insurers are returning, and the state-run insurer of last-resort, Citizens Property Insurance Corp., is shrinking. The AM Best credit ratings firm credits the turn-around to rate hikes that doubled the average premium between 2021 and 2023 and legal reforms that limited lawsuits by policyholders. California, meanwhile, still hasn't shrunk its own insurer of last-resort or brought back private insurers in any big way, despite setting the stage for increased rate hikes. A STEP TOO FAR: Senate Majority Leader John Thune sidestepped Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough to revoke California's vehicle emissions waivers, but he's not willing to do the same for Republicans' budget 'megabill.' 'We're not going there,' Thune said Monday when asked by reporters if overruling MacDonough is under consideration as the Senate crafts its own budget proposal. MacDonough will play the crucial role of deciding what polices can stay in the bill. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer predicted that House GOP proposals, like a plan to place limits on the ability of federal judges to enforce contempt citations, will be booted. The parliamentarian question is going to follow Thune, who gave the thumbs-up for the unprecedented move to ignore MacDonough's opinion that Congress can't overturn EPA's waivers empowering California to enforce nation-leading emissions standards. — AN ON HIS OWN: Former Interior Secretary David Bernhardt is launching his own firm, he told POLITICO's Caitlin Oprysko. Bernhardt was also a longtime Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck lobbyist, including for Westlands Water District. The new Bernhardt Group will primarily provide strategic advice, but may do some lobbying work on an as-needed basis. Bernhardt declined to name any of the new firm's clients. But he said its work won't be limited to natural resources policy and could encompass a number of issues the firm's staff have been involved in, from telecom and privacy to financial services and appropriations. Read more from the interview as well as the full list of people joining him in POLITICO Influence. — The Trump administration is reversing course and keeping eight of the nine USDA field offices it planned to close in California open instead. — Analytics firm First Street forecasts Sacramento will experience some of the country's largest out-migration because of climate risks. — California Democrats want the Trump administration to restaff National Weather Service offices in Sacramento and Hanford that lost the ability to operate 24 hours a day.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
CA drops ‘green' big-rig mandates, ending legal fight with Bill Barr-linked group
FIRST ON FOX: California has agreed to drop many of its Advanced Clean Fleet (ACF) mandates dictating stringent emissions standards for big rigs, following a year-long court battle with an anti-regulations group whose legal arm is led by former Attorney General William Barr. California Attorney General Rob Bonta and California Air Resources Board (CARB) executive Steven Cliff agreed in court documents filed Friday to withdraw their ACF mandates, leading the American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce (AmFree) to drop its legal challenge. In a document signed by Obama-appointed federal Judge Troy Nunley and obtained by Fox News Digital, Cliff and Bonta agreed to present a repeal proposal for the ACF requirements in a public hearing no later than Oct. 31. They also agreed not to retroactively enforce any such regulations. While a timeline in the court filing cited California had applied for an environmental waiver from the Biden administration in 2023, AmFree originally sued on ground that Sacramento's regulations violated the Clean Air Act because a waiver was never obtained. Dozens Of States Lobby Epa To Deny California Waiver Forcing Out-of-state Strucks To Comply With Green Mandate The regulations had been in effect since 2024, directing trucking firms to rapidly transition fleets from diesel to zero-emission vehicles. Read On The Fox News App At the time, Barr called the move a "threat to our American free enterprise" and suggested the restrictions would lead to "negligible" environmental benefits at best while causing negative economic repercussions. "This ruling is the final nail in the coffin of California's crazy attempt to eliminate the traditional trucking sector, and yet another example of Gavin Newsom's complete failure in California," said AmFree CEO Gentry Collins. "Even after the American public resoundingly voted to steer the country in a new direction last November, liberal states like California are hellbent on implementing a green agenda that consumers don't want and technology cannot support," said Collins, a former Iowa GOP official. Youngkin Declares Independence From California As Virginia Exits Emissions Pact "AmFree will remain vigilant, holding blue states to account for their misguided crusade that defies common sense and flies in the face of consumer choice and freedom, and ensuring that completely failed politicians like Gavin Newsom eager to run away from their liberal records are reminded of the disastrous policies that occurred on their watch." The group positions itself as a more free-market alternative to the pro-business stalwart U.S. Chamber of Commerce. An official for CARB noted that not all the elements of the ACF regulations are being dropped, and that the proposal will seek repeal of "certain elements" and move against enforcement of other requirements of the regulatory effort. "CARB remains committed to protecting public health using existing authorities as well as new and alternative approaches," the official told Fox News Digital. One major regional trucking outfit celebrated the news, telling Fox News Digital that firms across the country had a shared interest in seeing California's mandates be reversed. "Here in Alabama and also across America, we stand up every day for our members to defend free enterprise and stand against failed policies from states like California," said Alabama Trucking Association CEO Mark Colson. "We're proud to unite with AmFree and our allies on the ground in California to accomplish shared goals and get our economy roaring again." The nixing of the regs is only the latest in several sudden reversals of green mandates, as Congress has overturned at least three Biden-era EPA waivers that were officially granted to California to allow it to self-regulate its own emissions standards. But a Newsom spokesman said California's "nation-leading transition to cleaner cars and trucks doesn't end here." "We're years ahead of schedule in meeting our goals — with tens of thousands of zero-emission trucks on the road already," Daniel Villaseñor told Fox News Digital. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, praised the rollback of California's clean-cars mandate as a win to "protect American workers and consumers from radical and drastic policy." "The impact of California's waiver would have been felt across the country, harming multiple sectors of our economy and costing hundreds of thousands of jobs in the process," Moore Capito said. The big-rig regulations had required operators of several types of fleets to begin transitioning to zero-emissions tractor-trailers. Fox News Digital reached out to Bonta and CARB for article source: CA drops 'green' big-rig mandates, ending legal fight with Bill Barr-linked group
Fox News
4 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
CA drops ‘green' big-rig mandates, ending legal fight with Bill Barr-linked group
FIRST ON FOX: California has agreed to drop its Advanced Clean Fleet (ACF) mandates dictating stringent emissions standards for big rigs, following a year-long court battle with an anti-regulations group whose legal arm is led by former Attorney General William Barr. California Attorney General Rob Bonta and California Air Resources Board (CARB) executive Steven Cliff agreed in court documents filed Friday to withdraw their ACF mandates, leading the American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce (AmFree) to drop its legal challenge. In a document signed by Obama-appointed federal Judge Troy Nunley and obtained by Fox News Digital, Cliff and Bonta agreed to present a repeal proposal for the ACF requirements in a public hearing no later than Oct. 31. They also agreed not to retroactively enforce any such regulations. While a timeline in the court filing cited California had applied for an environmental waiver from the Biden administration in 2023, AmFree originally sued on ground that Sacramento's regulations violated the Clean Air Act because a waiver was never obtained. The regulations had been in effect since 2024, directing trucking firms to rapidly transition fleets from diesel to zero-emission vehicles. At the time, Barr called the move a "threat to our American free enterprise" and suggested the restrictions would lead to "negligible" environmental benefits at best while causing negative economic repercussions. "This ruling is the final nail in the coffin of California's crazy attempt to eliminate the traditional trucking sector, and yet another example of Gavin Newsom's complete failure in California," said AmFree CEO Gentry Collins. "Even after the American public resoundingly voted to steer the country in a new direction last November, liberal states like California are hellbent on implementing a green agenda that consumers don't want and technology cannot support," said Collins, a former Iowa attorney general. "AmFree will remain vigilant, holding blue states to account for their misguided crusade that defies common sense and flies in the face of consumer choice and freedom, and ensuring that completely failed politicians like Gavin Newsom eager to run away from their liberal records are reminded of the disastrous policies that occurred on their watch." The group positions itself as a more free-market alternative to the pro-business stalwart U.S. Chamber of Commerce. One major regional trucking outfit celebrated the news, telling Fox News Digital that firms across the country had a shared interest in seeing California's mandates be reversed. "Here in Alabama and also across America, we stand up every day for our members to defend free enterprise and stand against failed policies from states like California," said Alabama Trucking Association CEO Mark Colson. "We're proud to unite with AmFree and our allies on the ground in California to accomplish shared goals and get our economy roaring again." The nixing of the regs is only the latest in several sudden reversals of green mandates, as Congress has overturned at least three Biden-era EPA waivers that were officially granted to California to allow it to self-regulate its own emissions standards. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, praised the rollback of California's clean-cars mandate as a win to "protect American workers and consumers from radical and drastic policy." "The impact of California's waiver would have been felt across the country, harming multiple sectors of our economy and costing hundreds of thousands of jobs in the process," Moore Capito said. The big-rig regulations had required operators of several types of fleets to begin transitioning to zero-emissions tractor-trailers. Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom, Bonta and CARB for comment.
