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☆ Common Consumer Products Contain Multiple Toxic Chemicals, New Study Shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Dana G. Smith | More About Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

More than 100 types of common consumer products contain at least one, and often multiple, chemicals linked to cancer or reproductive and developmental problems, according to research published Tuesday in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. Many of the chemicals were found in personal care products, including nail polish, shampoo, lotion and soap. Cleaning products, particularly all-purpose cleaners, laundry detergent and dish soap, also contained numerous chemicals. To compile the list of potentially hazardous products, researchers from the Silent Spring Institute and the University of California, Berkeley, cross-referenced two databases maintained by the state of California. The second was a list of chemicals flagged as being carcinogens or reproductive and developmental toxicants by Proposition 65, California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act.

Organizations: Science, Technology, Silent Spring Institute, University of California, California Air Resources Locations: Berkeley, California

☆ New California Rule Would Ban Sale of Diesel Trucks by 2036
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Neelam Bohra | Coral Davenport | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The rule is the latest in a series of increasingly ambitious moves by California and the federal government to curb planet-warming pollution from vehicles, the nation’s largest source of greenhouse gases. The California Air Resources Board approved the regulation, which by 2045 would fully eliminate the sale of new trucks that emit carbon dioxide across the state. The rule builds in intermediate goals in the coming years for government organizations and private companies to decrease their use of diesel trucks. But the American Trucking Associations, a trade organization for the trucking industry, criticized the ban, saying that it has worked to significantly reduce emissions but needs more flexibility. The state hopes the ban will save money related to health costs caused by pollution, including asthma attacks and respiratory illness.

☆ California bans the sale of new diesel trucks by 2036
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

California regulators on Friday voted to ban the sale of new diesel big rigs by 2036 and require all trucks to be zero-emissions by 2042, a decision that puts the state at the forefront of mitigating national tailpipe pollution. The California Air Resources Board unanimously approved the Advanced Clean Fleets rule, the state's second zero-emissions trucks rule and first in the world to require new commercial trucks, including garbage trucks, delivery trucks and other medium and heavy-duty vehicles, to be electric. The mandate is estimated to deliver $26.5 billion in public health benefits in California in avoided health impacts and deaths due to diesel pollution. "There is no acceptable level of exposure to deadly diesel pollution — so it has got to go, for the sake of our health and our lungs." Some of the country's major truck manufacturers and their lobbying groups have strongly opposed the regulations, arguing that requirements are costly as electric models are more expensive than diesel trucks.

The rule also require transitioning existing fleets to zero-emission vehicles. Big rigs, local delivery and government fleets must transition to zero emission by 2035, garbage trucks and local buses by 2039, and sleeper cab tractors and specialty vehicles by 2042. American Trucking Associations Chief Executive Chris Spear criticized the decision to force motor carriers to purchase zero-emission vehicles. On Thursday, CARB adopted new locomotive regulations requiring that by 2030 only those less than 23 years old could operate in the state. The Biden administration must still approve waivers for California to implement the new regulations.

☆ U.S. EPA to propose new vehicle pollution cuts, sees big EV jump
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Kamil KrzaczynskiWASHINGTON, April 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is set as early as next week to propose new rules to spur sweeping cuts in vehicle emissions pollution that will push automakers towards a big increase in electric vehicle sales, sources told Reuters. The administration has not backed calls by California and others ban the sale of new gasoline-only light-duty vehicles by 2035. In December 2021, the EPA finalized new light-duty tailpipe emissions requirements through the 2026 model year that reversed then-President Donald Trump's rollback of car pollution cuts. One big question is whether the new EPA rules will be as aggressive as California's effort to ramp up zero-emission vehicles and phase out new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035. Environmentalists want EPA to mandate significant pollution cuts for gas-powered vehicles because they will remain on the road for decades.

☆ US approves California plan requiring half of heavy duty trucks be EV by 2035
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

California Governor Gavin Newsom said as a result of the plan, "half of all heavy duty trucks sold in CA will be electric by 2035." The California Air Resources Board (CARB) had sought waivers from the Clean Air Act to set heavy-duty vehicle and engine emission standards. CARB has noted heavy-duty vehicles greater than 14,000 pounds comprised 3% of vehicles on California roads, but account for more than 50% of nitrogen oxides and fine particle diesel pollution. In December, the EPA finalized new emissions standards to drastically cut smog- and soot-forming emissions from heavy-duty trucks. Transportation is the largest source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, making up 29% of emissions, and heavy-duty vehicles are the second-largest contributor, at 23%.

☆ California to require half of all heavy trucks sales to be electric by 2035
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday said it's granting California the legal authority to require that half of all heavy-duty truck sales in the state be fully electric by 2035, an ambitious standard that will go beyond federal requirements. The Biden administration's approval of California's Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) Regulation comes after the state last year banned the sale of new gasoline-powered cars starting in the same target year of 2035. The California Air Resources Board had sought waivers from the Clean Air Act to set stricter standards for heavy-duty vehicles such as garbage trucks, delivery vans and tractor-trailers. The approval of the new rule will likely have greater impacts beyond California and pave the way for other states to follow suit. California, which has committed to achieving 100% renewable energy by 2045, has considerable authority over the country's auto industry.

☆ One-third of Americans would consider EV purchase -Reuters/Ipsos poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, March 21 (Reuters) - Just over one-third of Americans would consider buying an electric vehicle for their next model, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found. The seven-day poll completed on Monday found 34% of all respondents would consider an EV, while 31% said no. Among Democrats 50% said they would consider an EV, while 26% of Republicans and 27% of independents said they would consider. There are now more than 80 EV models for sale in the United States. President Joe Biden wants 50% of all new vehicles sold in 2030 to be EV or plug-in hybrid models.

☆ San Francisco Bay area to phase out natural gas heating appliances
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Carlos BarriaMarch 16 (Reuters) - The San Francisco Bay area will phase out natural gas-powered furnaces and water heaters beginning in 2027 to improve local air quality and public health. It is the latest move by local officials in the United States to eliminate natural gas, a fossil fuel, from heating homes and buildings. Eliminating natural gas appliances would mean transitioning to electric equipment such as heat pumps. Currently about two thirds of Bay Area households use natural gas appliances, according to the regulator. They will apply to water heaters in single-family homes in 2027, furnaces in 2029, and multifamily and commercial water heaters in 2031.

☆ Elon Musk promised a lot with the Tesla Semi. Here's how it stacks up now that it's finally here
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Andrew Evers | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

First announced by Elon Musk in 2017, the Tesla Semi has been one of the longest-delayed products in the company's history. But the new electric truck is finally here, with PepsiCo being the first customer to receive some of the 100 vehicles it pre-ordered. Pepsi declined to say whether it had pressed the trucks to test if they have the full 500-mile range Musk promised. The Tesla Semis there are the latest additions to the company's fleet of more than 80,000 vehicles. Watch the video to learn more about PepsiCo's Tesla Semis and whether they live up to the hype.

☆ Where EV trucks are going to hit the road first
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Kaitlin Balasaygun | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Due to the limitations that EV truck batteries face in mileage range, they're best suited for drayage transportation, or the movement of goods across short distances. So, trucking companies are making efforts to develop short-haul EV trucks and put them to use at ports and intermodal logistics facilities. How electric trucks navigate long-haul shipping is one of the main issues that the trucking industry faces as it looks to expand EV usage. Performance Team, a subsidiary of shipping giant Maersk, deployed Volvo short-haul EV trucks in Southern California for distribution facilities and warehouses starting last October. Regardless of how these EV trucks are being deployed to lower carbon emissions, the goal is also for them to save the trucking companies money.

☆ U.S. agency plans to propose new fuel economy standards in April
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 10 (Reuters) - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) plans to propose new fuel economy standards for the 2027 model year and beyond in April which could dramatically reshape new cars on America's roads. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said it plans to introduce companion stringent vehicle greenhouse gas emissions standards from 2027 through at least the 2030 model year by March. In March 2020, Trump's Republican administration rolled back then-President Barack Obama's standards to only 1.5% annual increases in efficiency through 2026. In March, NHTSA reinstated a sharp increase in penalties for automakers whose vehicles do not meet Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) requirements for model years 2019 and beyond. The company then known as Fiat Chrysler paid $152.3 million in total CAFE fines for 2016 and 2017 model years.

Dec 15 (Reuters) - Californian regulators voted Thursday to approve a plan to reduce the state's carbon-dioxide emissions by 85% by 2045, reaching carbon neutrality then, including by cutting petroleum usage to one-tenth of the current level. The state has also angered its fuelmakers, which argue its policies hurt fuel consumers. Policy updates approved on Thursday were in the 2022 edition of a document called the Scoping Plan, which is revised every five years. Many California residents and lobbyists from oil and transportation companies said in public comments on Thursday that they welcomed the changes in the plan. CARB will continue evaluating how refiners can continue to operate to export fuel, said CARB spokesperson Dave Cleghern.

☆ California invested an enormous amount of money into getting EVs on the road, but practically nothing when it comes to dealing with the waste: 'It's totally like the Wild West.'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Hanna Kang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

"It's totally like the Wild West," said Zora Chung, co-founder of ReJoule, Inc., a startup project based in Signal Hill that is exploring repurposing used batteries from EVs. However, there are no EV battery recycling plants that exist in California, nor tried-and-true recycling programs in place to deal with the fallout. Currently, the company has used batteries deployed at the American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona, where solar panels feed electricity into the used battery storage units. Charging station for electric and hybrid cars using solar panels to generate electricity to charge car batteries. "Imagine if it just took you one full work week to qualify one used battery," Chung said.

☆ Shares of Lordstown Motors rise as company begins electric truck deliveries
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( John Rosevear | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Lordstown Motors gave rides in prototypes of its upcoming electric Endurance pickup truck on June 21, 2021 as part of its "Lordstown Week" event. Electric truck startup Lordstown Motors said Tuesday it began shipping its pickup truck to customers after receiving final regulatory approval to sell the vehicle in the United States. In a key milestone for the company, Lordstown said its Endurance was certified for sale by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board following a successful series of tests, including crash testing. The Endurance is an electric pickup truck designed for commercial fleet use. Lordstown had previously said it plans to ramp up Endurance production slowly in a bid to conserve cash.

☆ California Looks to Ban Diesel Trucks at Ports by 2035
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Paul Berger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

An ambitious California plan to require trucking fleets in the state to switch from diesel to electric power faces a potential backup at charging stations. Requiring that dealers and truckers make the switch should give companies confidence to invest in charging stations, Mr. Brasil said. The trucks tend to cost two or three times as much as diesel trucks, which retail for about $150,000. State officials say they have funded 200 charging stations for medium- and heavy-duty trucks so far and that many more are being funded by private companies. Write to Paul Berger at paul.berger@wsj.comCorrections & AmplificationsThe Port of Los Angeles expects to install a small number of charging stations for electric trucks.

☆ Proposition 30: Californians will vote to tax high-earners to fund electric vehicle rebates and other climate change initiatives
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Proposition 30 would raise the personal income tax to create a Clean Cars and Clean Air Fund. Opponents say it's a scheme by rideshare companies to avoid paying for their electric vehicle transition. The state legislative analyst's office estimates an increase of $3.5 billion to $5 billion annually in funding for climate change initiatives. Gavin Newsom, the California Republican Party, the California Teacher's Association, the California Chamber of Commerce, and the California Hawaii State Conference NAACP. The largest financial contributors for or against the proposition include Lyft, a coalition of rideshare companies, and labor and environmental groups, according to OpenSecrets.

☆ This startup wants to democratize electric-vehicle ownership by bringing charging stations to fast-food restaurants — starting with a Taco Bell in California
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The San Diego startup is installing public charging stations at fast-food chains such as Taco Bell. It says the fast chargers at a California Taco Bell can provide a 100-mile charge in 20 minutes. Roughly 120 California Taco Bell restaurants owned by Diversified are set to add EV stations in the coming months. Tosh Dutt, the CEO of ChargeNet, said he's carving a niche for his 2-year-old startup by placing stations at fast-food restaurants. Of the 47,666 public EV stations in the US, only about 6,500 are fast chargers, according to the Department of Energy.

☆ Los Angeles wholesale gasoline hits new high on refinery outages
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Phillips 66's (PSX.N) 139,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Los Angeles-area refinery in Wilmington, California, began an overhaul after a Sept. 16 fire on a reformer. On Sept. 11, Chevron Corp (CVX.N) reported an equipment failure at its 245,271 bpd San Francisco-area refinery in Richmond, California. Marathon Petroleum (MPC.N) shut a unit in planned flaring between Sept. 3 and 9 at its 383,000 bpd Carson, California, refinery in the Los Angeles area. Los Angeles market gasoline for delivery later in October was lower, pointing to some refinery production returning within a few weeks, traders said. November CARBOB sold in Los Angeles at 50 cent and 57 cents a gallon over December NYMEX RBOB.

☆ Duke Energy is one of the top leakers of a gas that is 25,000 times more polluting than carbon dioxide, EPA records show
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Phil Mckenna | Inside Climate News | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +22 min

The emissions were equal to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of more than 59,000 automobiles, according to the EPA’s greenhouse gas equivalency calculator. Under such a scenario Duke Energy would likely have years of low emissions punctuated by a single year of high emissions. While other utilities have participated for decades in a voluntary program with the EPA to reduce SF6 emissions to next to nothing, Duke Energy has not. Brooks said Duke Energy is also targeting its most leaky equipment for faster replacement. The figure is roughly half of 1% of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, far smaller than yearly emissions of carbon dioxide, the primary driver of climate change.

☆ Oil prices steady on expectations Fed rate hike to curb fuel demand
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Isabel Kua | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Storage tanks are seen at Marathon Petroleum's Los Angeles Refinery, which processes domestic & imported crude oil into California Air Resources Board (CARB) gasoline, CARB diesel fuel, and other petroleum products, in Carson, California, U.S., March 11, 2022. REUTERS/Bing Guan/File PhotoSINGAPORE, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Oil prices steadied on Tuesday after rising in the previous sessionon concerns that further U.S. interest rate hikes this week to tame inflation will curb economic growth and fuel demand in the world's biggest oil consumer. U.S. crude oil stocks are estimated to have risen last week by around 2 million barrels in the week to Sept. 16, a preliminary Reuters poll showed on Monday. read moreSigns that major producers are unable to meet their output quotas did give prices some support. read moreHowever, they are signs that higher oil prices this year are curbing demand.

☆ California regulator sees 2035 EV mandate as 'sweet spot'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CARB said the rules will reduce smog-causing pollution from light-duty vehicles by 25% by 2037 and result in 9.5 million fewer conventional vehicles sold by 2035. California was not as aggressive as some environmental groups wanted, or Tesla (TSLA.O), which urged ending new gas-powered vehicles by 2030. California needs a waiver from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to adopt the 2035 rules, which will open the request for public comment. Some states that previously adopted California's zero emission vehicle rules have not yet signed on for the tougher 2035 phase-out date. A spokesman for Colorado's environmental agency told Reuters, "Colorado is certainly not California and Colorado has our own plan."

☆ U.S. traffic deaths in first half of 2022 hit 16-year high
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterTraffic is pictured at twilight along 42nd St. in the Manhattan borough of New York, U.S., March 27, 2019. REUTERS/Carlo AllegriWASHINGTON, Sept 19 (Reuters) - U.S. traffic deaths rose 0.5% in the first half of 2022 to 20,175, the highest number killed in the period since 2006, according to an early estimate released by U.S. regulators. Traffic deaths have jumped after pandemic lockdowns ended as more drivers engaged in unsafe behavior. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterNHTSA research indicates incidents of speeding and traveling without wearing seatbelts were higher than before the pandemic. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Marguerita ChoyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. crude seen higher last week, gas and distillates inventories fall: Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Bing GuanRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterSept 19 (Reuters)- U.S. crude oil stockpiles are expected to have risen last week, while gas and distillate inventories were seen lower, a preliminary Reuters poll showed on Monday. Five analysts polled by Reuters estimated on average that crude inventories rose by around 2 million barrels in the week to Sept. 16. read moreAnalysts estimated stockpiles of gasoline (USOILG=ECI) fell by about 900,000 barrels last week. Distillate inventories (USOILD=ECI), which include diesel and heating oil, were expected to have dropped by 500,000 barrels last week. The rate of refinery utilization (USOIRU=ECI)was seen 0.1% lower than 91.5% of total capacity for the week ended Sept. 9, the poll found.

☆ Tesla aims to cut wildfire smoke exposure for Nevada Gigafactory workers, memo explains
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-17 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

As a massive wildfire chewed through tens of thousands of acres in California over the past week, smoke and ash billowed into nearby towns including Sparks — home to Tesla's Gigafactory in Nevada. Overall air quality around the Tesla facility was ranked "unhealthy" to "very unhealthy" on Thursday and Friday with around 57 micrograms of fine particulate matter per cubic meter of air, according to the U.S. Air Quality Index. When air quality is that poor, people of all ages are advised to seriously limit outdoor activities, and wear a mask outside to filter smoke and other pollutants. Nevada Gigafactory HVAC filters have been upgraded to a MERV 13 level or higher over the past year to capture wildfire particulates. California's Caldor Fire, for example, burned more than 220,000 acres in 2021, destroying homes, land and leading to hazardous air quality in surrounding areas including in Nevada.

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