by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank O'Donnell
President
Clean Air Watch

Twelve governors (California, Arizona, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Washington) have to congressional leaders and the President, protesting the disgusting move this week by the federal Department of Transportation, which is seeking to preempt these and other states from enforcing greenhouse gas standards for motor vehicles.

As the letters note, the Bush administration once again is making a cynical attempt to re-write the Clean Air Act and to take away a fundamental states’ right.

This issue, of course, involves the ongoing conspiracy between the Bush White House and the car industry to kill the California car standards. But another interesting greenhouse gas drama is starting to play out in California – and it could have a ripple effect on Congress.

In that case, the issue is how to reduce electric power emissions in California. (There was an excellent piece the other day in the LA Times.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

The Mark Leno / Carole Migden / Joe Nation battle for State Senate is hitting a feverish pitch at the California State Democratic Convention today in San Jose. Leno supporters distributed a letter from Speaker Fabian Nunez, urging delegates to endorse Leno because he has "made California the envy of the rest of the nation when it comes to changes in the areas of civil rights and the environment." Meanwhile, Migden supporters passed out "an important message" from Senate leaders Don Perata and Darrell Steinberg urging delegates to "honor the decision of the Regional Caucus." The crowd in front of the main convention hall today was, it's fair to say, boisterous. Nation's supporters aren't nearly as visible, but his team did distribute a press release announcing that he has payed for carbon offsets for the emissions resulting from Bay Area delegates and attendees.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

The Central Valley Business Times reports that a California asphalt refinery has been fined $1 million by the EPAfor violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act.  The Santa MariaRefining Co., a subsidiary of the Greka Energy Corporation of New YorkCity, dumped contaminated wastewater into wells, threateninggroundwater supplies.  Greka has not commented yet.  Maybe they'retrying to find a good catchphrase?

The immigration bill might be back, says the Sacramento Bee.  After a week of negotiationswith President Bush, Senate leaders agreed to send it back to thefloor, now with a $4.4 billion shot in the arm to border security.  Itdoesn't look like that will be enough to placate the Republican Party'santi-immigration hardliners.  "This is like a horse with four brokenlegs that the president keeps trying to put back on the track," saidBob Dane, a spokesman for the Federation for American ImmigrationReform.