Sacramento and the environment

Acceptable pesticide levels to be determined in Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins

2010-10-23T06:20:08Z

The Central Valley Regional Water Board held its third public meeting in Sacramento on Monday to discuss control of discharges of Organochlorine pesticides in water bodies throughout the Central Valley.

Eight Delta waterways, portions of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, have been included in the discussion, in addition to other water bodies throughout the state. These water bodies have been listed as impaired on the 303(d) list, meaning that they exceed the minimum pollutant level permitted by the Federal Clean Water Act.

This meeting is one of several that have been held since June 2010 by the Board to discuss with waterway stakeholders the development of Organochlorine pesticide TMDLs and the Basin Plan Amendment. The amendment will set regulations of TMDLs, or total maximum daily loads, of Organochlorine pesticides such as DDT and DDE allowed in the Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins.

The meeting focused on analyzing the effects of Organochlorine pesticide concentrations, which have not been used since the 1970s and are referred to as legacy pesticides, on human health and aquatic life in water sediments.

Fred Kizito, a Board environmental scientist, said that sediment acts as storage and transport for pesticides deposited into water. Pesticide contamination in sediment is directly related to pesticide contamination in fish, he said, because sediment is consumed by plants or invertebrates, which are in turn consumed by fish and other marine animals that will then absorb the pesticides into their body tissue. Risk increases or decreases with pollutant concentrations in fish times consumption rates, he said.

He said that these findings indicate the sensitive effects of Organochlorine pesticides on human health and aquatic life, and what steps need to be taken to weaken its concentrations.

Joe Domagalski, a U.S. Geological Survey scientist at the California Water Science Center, said that legacy pesticides like DDT do not dissolve in water, instead settling on the upper soil of riverbeds. He said that because they do not dissolve, they are often transported in sediment after a rainstorm in clay-sized particles in mud.

“They do last forever,” he said.

Members of various environmental consulting firms attended the meeting, including Sutter County Resource Conservation District, Michael L. Johnson, LLC and Larry Walker Associates.

Michael Johnson, president and managing partner of MLJ-LLC, a consulting company based in Davis that specializes in environmental issues related to ecology and toxicology, represented the East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition and the San Joaquin County and Delta Water Quality Coalition at the meeting.

Johnson said that his objective was to make sure that the regulations included in the amendment are based on sound science and that he can assist his clients in following the regulations.

He said what isn’t clear in the studies used by the Board is where the pesticides come from, and that it is possible they are sourced from upstream or by scientists unintentionally stirring up leftover residues in the sediment while sampling the water for pesticides.

“We haven’t been able to find any pattern in the concentrations,” he said.

Because the pesticides studied are legacy pesticides from the 1970s, he said that his clients often ask him “Who should be paying to clean them up?”

“Should somebody who has a farm they bought ten years ago be responsible for something done before they were born?”

He said that he did not think the data being used by the Board reflects current conditions, because some of the projections show that the Organochloride concentrations are expected to decrease dramatically, some to levels where they will become undetectable by 2020.

The meetings began in June, and there are at least three to four left expected to continue through February 2011, Kizito said. He said that the Board has yet to determine what TMDL allocations it will propose. The Board will then submit a 200-page staff report summarizing the Basin plan to the California Water Quality Monitoring Council to determine its feasibility, and if approved by the Council, it will then be sent to the State Water Resources Control Board, the Office of Administrative Law, and finally the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, he said.

The limits recommended within the report will then become regulatory in the form of a Basin Plan Amendment, he said.

Amtrak locomotive gets an eco-makeover

2009-07-23T07:20:19Z

California's air may start to look a little cleaner, thanks to the California Department of Transportation and its project partners.

Caltrans's revolutionary "green locomotive" debuted Wednesday morning at the Amtrak Sacramento Valley station.

Members of Caltrans and its project partners assembled within the train station at a press release to make statements regarding the new locomotive, considered a major step toward reducing California's carbon footprint.

It is one of the 15 F59PHI model locomotives owned by Caltrans and operated by Amtrak that is now installed with a 710ECO Repower upgrade package. The package is said to consist of the latest microprocessor-controlled locomotive engine technology for lower emissions, increased fuel economy and predictable maintenance costs.

The F59PHI models were initially built by Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc. in October 2001 to meet Tier 0 Environmental Protection Agency emissions standards, the minimum EPA requirement for fuel emissions from passenger locomotives.

James Goldstene, executive officer of the California Air Resources Board, explained that in other words, the newly-installed technology in the F59PHI model makes the engine run cooler and uses fuel more efficiently, allowing the locomotive to advance from Tier 0 to Tier 2 EPA emission standards, resulting in a 50 percent reduction of operating emissions.

Sacramento County Supervisor Roger Dickinson said that the development is "an illustration of our willingness to work with anyone and everyone to clean up the air for Sacramentans." He added that climate change and global warming is an issue that must be addressed at the local level by communities, and that the newly-introduced technology makes riding the train a "smarter and better" decision than ever before.

Following the statements, the representatives of Caltrans, the EPA and other organizations descended into the tunnel beneath the Sacramento Valley rail tracks, resurfacing to stop and admire the "green locomotive."

The retrofitted model has already begun operating on the intercity passenger rail service Capitol Corridor between Sacramento and the Bay Area as of three weeks ago.

The Capitol Corridor serves the Sierra Foothills in addition to Sacramento and the Bay area, and it is operated by the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority in partnership with Caltrans and Amtrak.

Along with Amtrak California’s Pacific Surfliner and San Joaquin intercity rail line, Capitol Corridor is the third busiest rail line in the nation with a ridership of 1.7 million.

Capitol Corridor alone is responsible for eliminating 559 million miles worth of highway travel, said Eugene Skoropowski, Capitol Corridor managing director.

Caltrans is working to convert the remaining 14 Amtrak-operated locomotives to this upgraded model — which is the cleanest diesel electric passenger locomotive in the country — as quickly as possible, stated Caltrans Division of Rail chief Bill Bronte. So far there is available stimulus funding for seven of the 14, he said.

Money for the project came from the Carl Moyer Program, a partnership between the California Air Resources Board and local air boards in the state that provides grants for projects reducing pollutants from heavy-duty engines. Retrofitting the F59PHI involved both the Sacramento Metropolitan and Bay Area Air Quality Management districts.

Kevin Bahline of EMD said that the company is in the process of launching the eco-friendly technology globally.

See also: Eco train engine unveiled

Photo Credit: Images 1, 2, 4 & 5 by Ed Fogle; images 3 & 6 by Kati Garner.

Legislators Get Educated in Second Annual Oceans Day in Sacramento

2009-03-28T08:03:03Z

Missy Howard, development director of the Marine Science Institute, stood outside the state capitol early Wednesday morning with land program manager Doug Zoebst while managing a miniature interactive aquarium of starfish, baby sharks, and sea urchins. Occasionally, an intrigued passerby would stop and admire the sea creatures nestled inside the water tank.

Howard and Zoebst were recruited on behalf of Oceans Day, an annual event organized by environmental advocacy group Environment California, aimed toward educating lawmakers about threats to the ocean’s health in an effort to convince them to take action in upcoming legislation to restore and preserve the ocean.

Howard explained that the interactive aquarium, which allows passing individuals to stop and hold live sea creatures, serves as a way to bring legislators direct contact with ocean life and let them see first handedly what is in the ocean environment. Through this awareness, the institute hopes that lawmakers will come to understand what is being affected by their decisions in the legislature, according to Howard.

Wednesday marked the second year that Environment California has held Oceans Day in Sacramento. The day’s events included meetings between environmental organizations and legislators, an educational seminar on the ocean impacts of climate change, and an “ocean appreciation” reception open to the general public that included a film screening of the newly-released IMAX film Under the Sea 3D.

Special guests that appeared at the film screening included world-renowned ocean explorer and environmentalist Jean Michel Costeau—founder of the Ocean Futures Society, Assemblymembers Pedro Nava and Ira Ruskin, Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, Secretary of Natural Resources Mike Chrisman, and musician Lukas Nelson.

“I think it was very impressive to see how strongly people continue to feel about the ocean’s crisis,” stated Nava, reflecting on the day’s events.

“I think what’s important about Oceans Day is it continues to inspire those of us in the legislature to fight for coastal protection and to help educate other members in the legislature of how important it is.”

Three awards were presented to California’s “ocean champions” in government and business. The recipients were: family-owned and operated company Klean Kanteen, a stainless steel canteen distributor based in northern California; Senator Fran Pavely (D-Agoura Hills), who is also a member of the California Ocean Protection Council; and Jonathan Bishop, Executive Officer of the California Regional Water Quality Control Board.

Although Senator Pavley was unable to appear at the reception, her environmental policy director Adrienne Alvord made a statement on the Senator’s behalf, stating that “A good environment is the basis of a strong economy.”

Senator Pavley later expressed her gratitude for the award.

"I am so honored to receive this award, because the organizations that gave it are among the most effective and respected environmental advocates in California. They not only have done vital work to protect our beaches and ocean resources, they have also won major victories combating environmental toxins, supporting climate initiatives, reducing garbage and debris, protecting and conserving watersheds, and a host of other initiatives.”

Costeau delivered a powerful presentation before the film screening that involved video footage of his findings on ocean endangerment. One clip discussed the growing problem of fire retardants that are manifesting in people as well as whales. Another clip showed Costeau on a trash-strewn beach, where he said he had found 52 countries represented amongst the debris.

“We’re using our ocean as a trashcan,” said Costeau.

He told audience members “Do everything in your power to tell people we need to take care of our oceans…It starts with education on the consequences of the mismanagement of our resources.”

Several proposed assembly bills aimed at protecting California’s coast—anticipated to be heard later this month—were also mentioned at the reception. AB 1358, introduced by Assemblymembers Jerry Hill and Pedro Nava, bans the use of Styrofoam food containers in food packaging, regarded as a problematic pollutant of California beaches. AB 68, introduced by Assemblymember Julia Brownley, will place a 25-cent consumer fee on single-use plastic bags distributed by various supermarkets, pharmacies, and convenience stores. AB 283, introduced by Assemblymember Wes Chesbro, will implement “extended producer responsibility” on producers of waste in order to encourage the production of more sustainable products.

Over 20 environmental organizations were recruited to participate in the event and address these bills, including The Natural Resources Defense Council, Heal the Bay, Ocean Conservancy, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Surfrider Foundation, Marine Science Institute, and Save the Bay.

NRDC Oceans Policy Analyst Leila Monroe said that the ocean impact of climate change was a significant issue the environmental groups were trying to raise awareness about on Wednesday.

“Climate change has a very significant impact on the ocean in terms of ocean acidification, which can potentially unravel the entire food chain, and have significant impacts on our coastal communities,” said Monroe. Monroe identified other key issues discussed throughout the day, including the Marine Life Protection Act, which she described as an effort to create underwater parks, and offshore energy development.

“We want to ensure that there’s no more oil and gas development off our coasts, and to ensure that ocean renewable energy, if it’s developed, is done in a very sound and intelligent way, avoiding protected areas and sensitive areas.”

Lauren Gillian, member of the Santa Cruz-based non-profit organization Save Our Shores, said that her organization lobbied for action on marine debris in approximately ten different meetings with legislators on Wednesday, trying to provide incentives to use reusable bags, and provide free reusable bags to low income areas. She said the group showed samples from the North Pacific Gyre, the large garbage patch said to exist in the ocean off the coast of California.

“It’s just a plastic soup out there. There’s six times more plastic than plankton. The ‘trash island’ as we like to call it, is twice the size of Texas.”

Event organizer Gina Goodhill, ocean advocate for Environment California, said she was satisfied with the event’s turnout. Goodhill said that there were 49 meetings held throughout the day with legislators, and estimated that there were 320 attendees of the reception, including approximately 50 chiefs of staff for various legislators.

“I feel like a lot of new information was put out there that [legislators] didn’t necessarily know about…I think that it gave insight into the fact that all these issues in the environment are created, and that really where one problem ends another one begins, etc. So it’s hard to separate something as a preservation problem, or as an ocean problem, or as a global warming problem, when a lot of times these issues are all connected.”