United States

Environmentalists sound alarm over proposed water initiative – California

A proposed ballot measure that would dedicate $100 billion to bolster California’s water supply is drawing a sharp rebuke, not only for the amount of spending but also for the dramatic sidesteps it would allow in the environmental review process.

For example, the proposal would make the controversial plan for a Huntington Beach desalination plant eligible for a huge taxpayer subsidy — even though the private, for-profit Poseidon Water company currently intends to pay for the $1.4 billion in construction costs.

If the Coastal Commission rejects the […]

Environmentalists sound alarm over proposed water initiative – CaliforniaDME GmbH2021-12-21T14:21:11+01:00

Proposed desalination plant could take step forward at city council meeting – Texas

A proposed desalination plant could take another step towards becoming a reality Tuesday despite cost and environmental concerns from some Corpus Christi citizens.

The city council will consider authorizing City Manager Peter Zanoni to negotiate contracts to buy plots of land on which a plant or multiple plants would be built.

The actual purchase wouldn’t be final until a separate city council vote at a future meeting, but a city leader close to the efforts says Tuesday’s vote will be significant.

Proposed desalination plant could take step forward at city council meeting – TexasDME GmbH2021-12-14T14:48:32+01:00

Water initiative is a budget grab by Big Ag – California

Whoever coined the phrase “Whisky is for drinking, water is for fighting” didn’t have things quite right.

In California, water is for scamming. The newest example is a majestically cynical ploy being foisted on taxpayers by some of the state’s premier water hogs, in the guise of a proposed ballot measure titled the “Water Infrastructure Funding Act of 2022″ — or, as its promoters call it, the More Water Now initiative.

The measure’s backers need to gather nearly 1 million signatures to place the measure on the November […]

Water initiative is a budget grab by Big Ag – CaliforniaDME GmbH2021-12-07T15:05:15+01:00

Marin water pipeline plan draws environmental lawsuit – California

A Marin environmental group is suing to block a proposed water pipeline on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, citing the potential harm to endangered fish.

The plaintiffs also allege the Marin Municipal Water District project could open the door to tens of thousands of new homes being developed in the county.

The Fairfax-based North Coast Rivers Alliance filed the lawsuit on Thursday in Marin County Superior Court.

Marin water pipeline plan draws environmental lawsuit – CaliforniaDME GmbH2021-12-05T15:03:08+01:00

Keep Diablo Canyon open to help meet emission reduction goals – California

California has established itself as a global leader in the fight against climate change. It has set ambitious, economy-wide emission reduction targets and mandated that all of the state’s electricity come from carbon-free sources by 2045.

These are aggressive goals, befitting the clout and resolve of the world’s 5th largest economy. Yet, we continue to see rising temperatures, record drought and intense wildfires.

What if everything California and the nation is doing to slow climate change just isn’t enough?

(LINK).

Keep Diablo Canyon open to help meet emission reduction goals – CaliforniaDME GmbH2021-11-18T11:37:49+01:00

Proposed ballot measure would fast-track construction of dams, desalination plants and other water projects – California

California has not built enough new reservoirs, desalination plants and other water projects because there are too many delays, too many lawsuits and too much red tape.

That’s the message from a growing coalition of Central Valley farmers and Southern California desalination supporters who have begun collecting signatures for a statewide ballot measure that would fast-track big water projects and provide billions of dollars to fund them — potentially setting up a major political showdown with environmentalists next year shaped by the state’s ongoing drought.

The measure, […]

Proposed ballot measure would fast-track construction of dams, desalination plants and other water projects – CaliforniaDME GmbH2021-11-17T09:50:33+01:00

New Mexico city moves ahead with desalination project – New Mexico

The Eunice City Council recently voted to have a Hobbs-based engineering firm continue studying the benefits of building a desalination plant for the community.

As depletion of fresh water from the Ogallala Aquifer continues, the council wants to know the feasibility of a proposed alternative — desalination of saline or brackish water.

The Hobbs News-Sun reported that it could cost about $5.5 million to build a plant and the completion of the engineering study likely will provide a more accurate estimate.

New Mexico city moves ahead with desalination project – New MexicoDME GmbH2021-11-13T20:02:55+01:00

Should California’s last nuclear power plant stay open? – California

Keeping the last remaining nuclear power plant in California open can help the state achieve its climate goals and save money to boot, according to a 114-page assessmentcompiled by a joint study team from Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

But Pacific Gas & Electric, the operator of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant, says it still plans to close the facility starting in three years, and longtime critics of nuclear power remain firmly opposed to any talk of extending the life of the power plant that overlooks the Pacific in central California.

Should California’s last nuclear power plant stay open? – CaliforniaDME GmbH2021-11-13T19:57:38+01:00

Diablo Canyon nuclear plant could provide benefits for California, including desalinated water and clean hydrogen – California

The Diablo Canyon nuclear plant in California, the only one still operating in the state, is set to close in 2025.

A team of researchers at MIT’s Center for Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems, Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab, and Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research; Stanford’s Precourt Energy Institute; and energy analysis firm LucidCatalyst LLC have analyzed the potential benefits the plant could provide if its operation were extended to 2030 or 2045.

They found that this nuclear plant could simultaneously help to stabilize […]

Diablo Canyon nuclear plant could provide benefits for California, including desalinated water and clean hydrogen – CaliforniaDME GmbH2021-11-10T14:07:48+01:00

California should create more water — much more – California

l’d write one every day if it meant ending our water woes. But it tells you everything you need to know about California’s dire water situation — that the atmospheric river that recently pummeled Northern California and other parts of the state doesn’t even begin to make a dent in our drought.

And it highlights the urgency for California to create more water. Much more.

California currently manufactures far less drought-resilient freshwater than other similarly arid regions.

(LINK).

California should create more water — much more – CaliforniaDME GmbH2021-10-30T15:15:58+02:00