Latest news with #CaliforniaEnvironmentalProtectionAgency
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- Climate
- San Francisco Chronicle
How severe will California's heat wave get near you? Here's a ranking for every neighborhood
This week, state officials launched a new tool that ranks heat wave severity and predicts impacts from sweltering temperatures at the neighborhood scale. The unveiling comes as intense heat is gripping Northern California, with parts of the Bay Area that could face triple-digit temperatures. Temperatures Friday, according to the new tool — dubbed the California Communities Extreme Heat Scoring System — are classified as 'severe' in places like San Jose, Walnut Creek and Concord. This is the highest heat severity category, on a scale of 0 ('low') to 4 ('severe'). At this level, communities face high risk of heat-related illnesses. Cooler temperatures are expected in San Francisco. But parts of the city, including the Bayview and South of Market neighborhoods, have a score of 3, corresponding with 'high' heat risk. Heat risk scores are calculated for individual ZIP codes through analysis of historical climate data, weather forecasts and potential health impacts. The model is based on emergency department visit data during the summer months. Temperature thresholds used for calculating scores differ between ZIP codes. The California Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment led the development of the tool. The National Weather Service provides a HeatRisk tool with similar heat-risk scores for the entire country. But that tool uses county-level data, while CalHeatScore relies on ZIP-code level emergency department data, said Walker Wieland, the program manager for CalHeatScore, during a media briefing Friday. 'We're able to use finer scale health data that really allows us to pinpoint more where those health vulnerabilities are,' Wieland said. The tool also provides socioeconomic and demographic data that highlights populations that may be vulnerable to extreme heat. 'This tool prioritizes those most at risk and helps ensure that no community is left behind,' said Yana Garcia, California's Secretary for Environmental Protection, during the Friday briefing. Garcia highlighted the correlation between heat and a range of negative health impacts, including increased emergency room visits and hospitalizations for medical issues. 'Not everyone experiences heat in the same way,' Garcia said. 'For example, many Californians don't have access to air conditioning. Some work long hours outdoors. Others are isolated or may face barriers to receiving critical health information.' A hotter future due to global warming brings additional challenges. 'As climate change drives rising temperatures, and as more frequent and intense heat waves hit communities across California, children in particular, older adults, outdoor workers and those with underlying health issues face the greatest risks,' Garcia said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
State launches new, interactive tool that ranks heat in every ZIP code
( — California has launched a new online tool that helps people understand the severity of heat waves in their area and provides them with resources to hopefully prevent heat-related illness. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced CalHeatScore on Thursday, saying it's the first heat-ranking tool in the nation and one of the only in the world. Defense Intelligence Agency IT Specialist arrested for allegedly sharing classified information It works by updating a daily heat score based on forecasting for every ZIP code in the state. The area gets a score of 0-4, zero being the lowest heat threat and four being the highest. Each ZIP code is also given information about its most vulnerable populations based on demographics, like the elderly and children. There are also resources for people, like tips for spotting the signs of heat-related illness and a list of the cooling centers closest to where you're at. CalHeatScore was developed by the California Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Newsom said the tool comes at a critical time, after the Trump Administration cut some funding for the National Weather Service at the beginning of the year. The tool also comes following a 2021 recommendation from the California Department of Insurance's Climate Insurance Workgroup that the state create a platform like this. In addition to CalHeatScore, Newsom also announced more than $32 million in funding for 47 communities across the state to help with extreme heat mitigation efforts. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
California Revising Plastic Packaging EPR Regulations
California's government is retooling its extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulatory bill surrounding the recycling of plastic packaging. SB 54, also known as the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, is now being revamped by California's Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery. An arm of the California Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), CalRecycle, as it's informally known, released a revised draft of the regulations last week. Now, stakeholders have until June 3 to submit feedback on the proposal. More from Sourcing Journal California Law Enforcement and DAs Take On Retail, Cargo Thieves Will Trump Tariffs Help or Hurt U.S. Garment Workers? Teamsters Ask CA Legislators to Back Bill Requiring Human Operators for Autonomous Delivery Vehicles The EPR bill, which establishes a program to manage packaging and single-use plastic food containers across numerous sectors of California's economy, bestows primary responsibility for the packaging products' end-of-life on their producers. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law in 2022, mandating that by 2032, all single-use plastics in the state must be recyclable or compostable, and the overall use of these materials be reduced by 25 percent. By the end of that period, 65 percent of single-use plastic packaging should be recycled, the law states. But the law's facilitators—CalRecycle—failed to meet a March 8 deadline for delivering the regulations tied to the law. Newsom requested that the regulations process for SB 54 be restarted, which is where the process stands today. California officials have said that that the timeline for implementing the law will not be impacted by the delay. SB 54 is not California's first EPR bill—the state has implemented such programs for batteries and mattresses—and its provisions informed much of the text of SB 707, the Responsible Textile Recovery Act, which mandates that producers of apparel, accessories and home textiles deal with the end-of-life impacts of the products they produce through recycling, reuse and repair. SB 707 was signed into law by the governor last year, and faces a similar regulatory process in the months and years ahead. But many in the business community are skeptical about what the EPR bills will mean for California's businesses, many of which are not accustomed to the burden of these responsibilities or equipped to comply with the new laws. The halting progress in the regulation and rollout of SB 54 could be a harbinger of what's to come for the textile-focused EPR, as both programs focus on sectors with broad impacts and seek to regulate a wide range of products made from different materials. California Retailers Association (CRA) president Rachel Michelin said the trade group is still reviewing the updated draft regulations, but reiterated its 'support and appreciation for Governor Gavin Newsom's consideration of the impact on affordability that these regulations will have on everyday consumers, especially given the ongoing uncertainty with the Trump Administration's tariffs.' She also thanked CalRecycle for its collaboration with retail stakeholders, which will continue through upcoming public hearings. An informal rulemaking workshop will take place on May 27 at California EPA headquarters in Sacramento, followed by a May 30 advisory board meeting and a June 23 workshop on covered materials and reporting guidance. Michelin said the CRA is 'committed to ensure California's landmark Packaging EPR program regulations are successfully implemented, achieving California's ambitious recycling objectives while avoiding undue financial burdens on consumers.' 'CRA members are committed to the environmental goals of SB 54 and appreciate the time taken to craft a collaborative and effective regulatory framework,' she added. 'This demonstrates California's leadership in addressing plastic pollution and advancing sustainable recycling practices.' While several states are seeking to tackle plastic and textile waste, especially in the wake of California's landmark legislative progress, tariffs and economic uncertainty are on the minds of many decision-makers. Some sustainability commitments are falling by the wayside as fiscal pressures mount; last week, PepsiCo last week abandoned its commitment to shareholders for 20 percent of all beverage servings to be delivered in reusable or refillable packaging. It also pulled back on commitments to reduce its use of virgin plastic.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Researchers call on Newsom to pay for post-fire soil testing in Los Angeles County
A group of environmental researchers is calling on the Newsom administration to step in and pay for soil testing at thousands of homes destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades wildfires. Nearly a dozen university professors wrote a letter Wednesday to Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Environmental Protection Agency Secretary Yana Garcia, imploring state officials not to abandon California's wildfire-recovery protocols, namely the long-standing policy to conduct soil sampling at destroyed homes after cleanup crews finish removing toxic ash and a layer of topsoil. Because federal disaster agencies have repeatedly refused to conduct soil sampling to ensure burned-down homes do not contain unhealthy levels of toxic substances, the researchers argue it is imperative for the state to intervene in the ongoing recovery efforts for the Palisades and Eaton wildfires. "At present, no parcel-specific soil testing is required or recommended by the State for residential properties impacted by the Eaton Fire and Palisades Fire," the letter reads. "In our view, this poses a serious risk to public health and the economic recovery of the communities." The letter was signed by faculty members from nine universities, including USC and UCLA, many of whom are currently involved in conducting free soil testing for homeowners in and around the burn zones of the January wildfires. Among them, Andrew Whelton, a Purdue University professor who has investigated contamination following wildfires, said comprehensive soil testing was paramount to the health and safety of the fire-affected communities. "The decision not to conduct soil testing the way it has been in the past — without any advanced warning — has really thrown personal safety and the ability of the community to rapidly recover up in the air," Whelton said. State officials said federal authorities are in charge of the wildfire recovery effort, including the decision on soil testing and remediation. State officials had asked FEMA to reconsider paying for soil testing, but the request was rejected within hours. "The State continues to push for our federal partners to conduct comprehensive soil sampling as part of the debris removal process," said Nefretiri Cooley, a spokesperson for CalEPA. The university researchers highlighted recent soil testing efforts by the Los Angeles Times and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health that found elevated lead and arsenic levels at destroyed homes cleared by federal debris removal crews in Altadena. Read more: When FEMA failed to test soil for toxic substances after the L.A. fires, The Times had it done. The results were alarming The Army Corps of Engineers, the agency supervising debris removal crews, declined to comment on the county results. A FEMA spokesperson said the agency still maintains that its cleanup approach — removing wildfire debris and up to 6 inches of topsoil — is sufficient to remove immediate public health risks. The L.A. County Health Department has allocated up to $3 million to pay for soil testing, mostly for homeowners who showered in toxic smoke and ash downwind of the Eaton fire. But Whelton said these efforts on their own are not sufficient to analyze the risk. "One soil sample will be analyzed that a homeowner submits to a commercial laboratory, and then the homeowner will have to interpret the data on their own and decide what to do," Whelton said. "So that is not going to get people [back] to safe properties again." Local officials continued to emphasize the need for a speedy recovery, in part because they are worried about the precipitous drop in tax revenue. Federal, state, and local governments could experience tax revenue losses from roughly $730 million to $1.4 billion due to the wildfires, according to the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, a nonprofit focused on economic growth. At a meeting earlier this week, L.A. County officials announced that a new program is expected to allow licensed architects and engineers to "self-certify" that residential rebuilds meet building code requirements, with the assistance of artificial intelligence software that reviews building plans. The initiative aims to significantly speed up the timeline for issuing building permits. Read more: AI is coming soon to speed up sluggish permitting for fire rebuilds, officials say More than 10,000 properties were signed up to be cleaned by federal debris removal crews. So far, they've cleared around 4,700 properties, which are now eligible for rebuilding permits without soil testing. In the past, disaster agencies soil testing at cleaned-up properties to ensure toxic substances did not exceed California's standards for residential properties. At properties where toxic substances were found above state standards, disaster agencies ordered cleanup crews to return to remove more soil and perform additional testing. If state officials walk away from their soil-testing policy, some environmental experts say hundreds of homes in Altadena and the Pacific Palisades will still be contaminated, potentially exposing returning residents to toxic metals, like lead. But perhaps more worrying, it could also set a precedent for California communities devastated by wildfires in the future. In California, where 30% of the state's population lives in high-risk fire zones where buildings intermingle with wilderness, destructive wildfires are inevitable. But after the Eaton and Palisades fires, many homeowners are confused about federal and state agencies' responsibilities during disaster cleanup. "It is certainly appropriate to have discussion about who's responsible for soil testing and soil remediation after these wildfires," Whelton said. "But because there was an abrupt decision by multiple government agencies to just not do it, that's left a whole bunch of property owners with anxiety and an unclear path to how they're going to make their property safe again — or if they want to return." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Researchers call on Newsom to pay for post-fire soil testing in Los Angeles County
A group of environmental researchers is calling on the Newsom administration to step in and pay for soil testing at thousands of homes destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades wildfires. Nearly a dozen university professors wrote a letter Wednesday to Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Environmental Protection Agency Secretary Yana Garcia, imploring state officials not to abandon California's wildfire-recovery protocols, namely the long-standing policy to conduct soil sampling at destroyed homes after cleanup crews finish removing toxic ash and a layer of topsoil. Because federal disaster agencies have repeatedly refused to conduct soil sampling to ensure burned-down homes do not contain unhealthy levels of toxic substances, the researchers argue it is imperative for the state to intervene in the ongoing recovery efforts for the Palisades and Eaton wildfires. 'At present, no parcel-specific soil testing is required or recommended by the State for residential properties impacted by the Eaton Fire and Palisades Fire,' the letter reads. 'In our view, this poses a serious risk to public health and the economic recovery of the communities.' The letter was signed by faculty members from nine universities, including USC and UCLA, many of whom are currently involved in conducting free soil testing for homeowners in and around the burn zones of the January wildfires. Among them, Andrew Whelton, a Purdue University professor who has investigated contamination following wildfires, said comprehensive soil testing was paramount to the health and safety of the fire-affected communities. 'The decision not to conduct soil testing the way it has been in the past — without any advanced warning — has really thrown personal safety and the ability of the community to rapidly recover up in the air,' Whelton said. State officials said federal authorities are in charge of the wildfire recovery effort, including the decision on soil testing and remediation. State officials had asked FEMA to reconsider paying for soil testing, but the request was rejected within hours. 'The State continues to push for our federal partners to conduct comprehensive soil sampling as part of the debris removal process,' said Nefretiri Cooley, a spokesperson for CalEPA. The university researchers highlighted recent soil testing efforts by the Los Angeles Times and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health that found elevated lead and arsenic levels at destroyed homes cleared by federal debris removal crews in Altadena. The Army Corps of Engineers, the agency supervising debris removal crews, declined to comment on the county results. A FEMA spokesperson said the agency still maintains that its cleanup approach — removing wildfire debris and up to 6 inches of topsoil — is sufficient to remove immediate public health risks. The L.A. County Health Department has allocated up to $3 million to pay for soil testing, mostly for homeowners who showered in toxic smoke and ash downwind of the Eaton fire. But Whelton said these efforts on their own are not sufficient to analyze the risk. 'One soil sample will be analyzed that a homeowner submits to a commercial laboratory, and then the homeowner will have to interpret the data on their own and decide what to do,' Whelton said. 'So that is not going to get people [back] to safe properties again.' Local officials continued to emphasize the need for a speedy recovery, in part because they are worried about the precipitous drop in tax revenue. Federal, state, and local governments could experience tax revenue losses from roughly $730 million to $1.4 billion due to the wildfires, according to the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, a nonprofit focused on economic growth. At a meeting earlier this week, L.A. County officials announced that a new program is expected to allow licensed architects and engineers to 'self-certify' that residential rebuilds meet building code requirements, with the assistance of artificial intelligence software that reviews building plans. The initiative aims to significantly speed up the timeline for issuing building permits. More than 10,000 properties were signed up to be cleaned by federal debris removal crews. So far, they've cleared around 4,700 properties, which are now eligible for rebuilding permits without soil testing. In the past, disaster agencies soil testing at cleaned-up properties to ensure toxic substances did not exceed California's standards for residential properties. At properties where toxic substances were found above state standards, disaster agencies ordered cleanup crews to return to remove more soil and perform additional testing. If state officials walk away from their soil-testing policy, some environmental experts say hundreds of homes in Altadena and the Pacific Palisades will still be contaminated, potentially exposing returning residents to toxic metals, like lead. But perhaps more worrying, it could also set a precedent for California communities devastated by wildfires in the future. In California, where 30% of the state's population lives in high-risk fire zones where buildings intermingle with wilderness, destructive wildfires are inevitable. But after the Eaton and Palisades fires, many homeowners are confused about federal and state agencies' responsibilities during disaster cleanup. 'It is certainly appropriate to have discussion about who's responsible for soil testing and soil remediation after these wildfires,' Whelton said. 'But because there was an abrupt decision by multiple government agencies to just not do it, that's left a whole bunch of property owners with anxiety and an unclear path to how they're going to make their property safe again — or if they want to return.'
