Latest news with #Cap-and-Invest
Yahoo
3 days 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.
San Francisco Chronicle
23-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
New California budget could slash $1.5 billion from transit
California leaders are poised to cut $1.5 billion in funding for public transit from a state greenhouse gas emissions program, a move that could cripple agencies already devastated by COVID. The funds at issue come from California's Cap-and-Invest plan, which collects fees from oil and fossil fuel companies and distributes them among projects and agencies that reduce pollution. Some of that money goes toward transit infrastructure, and over the past two years lawmakers have also dedicated a portion toward basic service. But Gov. Gavin Newsom removed that economic life raft in the 2025-2026 budget proposal he rolled out last week, at a moment of economic austerity. Many programs could be scaled back as the state faces a $12 billion shortfall. Newsom's draft budget did not fulfill a request from state Sen. Jesse Arreguin, D-Berkeley, to set aside $2 billion for transit operations. With roughly a month left in the budget process, agencies and advocates are vying for the governor's ear, and scrambling to convey their importance. Legislators must pass a budget for Newsom to sign before the next fiscal year starts on July 1. 'Throughout their history, California transit agencies have been partners with the state in combatting climate change and addressing air quality issues by inciting mode shift, incubating and deploying near-zero and zero-emission vehicle technologies, and facilitating sustainable growth patterns throughout California,' wrote Michael Pimentel, executive director of the California Transit Association, in a letter to Newsom, State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, and State Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire. The letter called for $1.6 billion in continuous appropriations for transit, along with $1.1 billion in one-time funding. State Sen. Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat and longtime steward of public transportation, fervently objected to what he sees as the gutting of an emergency bailout. Wiener had pushed Newsom and his legislator colleagues to commit money in 2023 so that bus and rail agencies could keep running a reasonable amount of service. He's worried those funds will evaporate in the next budget. On Thursday, Wiener voiced objections on social media to the governor's 'proposed sweep of $1.5 billion from cap and trade funds.' He predicted drastic ripple effects, including a $290 million cut from BART, $200 million slashed from Muni and $250 million from Los Angeles Metro. Projects in San Diego, Orange County, Sacramento, the Central Valley and the Inland Empire could all be imperiled, among them high-speed rail and the BART extension to downtown San Jose.
