The fertilizers that help California produce food for the world might also threaten some of the drinking water at home, experts said Tuesday in Modesto. They also noted ways that farmers have improved their use of fertilizers in recent years in response to the concerns, mainly about nitrates in public wells.
The discussion came at the 21st annual conference for the state’s Fertilizer Research and Education Program, which promotes farming practices that help ensure bountiful crops while protecting streams and aquifers…
News
This page features excerpts from news about environmental justice advocacy in the San Joaquin Valley and links to their original sources. Use the features on the right to sort by topic, news source, date, key word or author. You may also subscribe to receive the news by e-mail or through an rss reader. Please note that links to original sources may expire over time.
For 40 years, Debra Hollingshed has made her home in Matheny Tract, where the water is contaminated with arsenic and nitrates.
“It’s still drinkable, but gets less and less drinkable,” said Hollingshed, a board member of Pratt Mutual Water Co., which supplies the water to the rural residential subdivision south of Tulare. “Our system is old. People here are poor. They can’t pool a bunch of money to replace it.”
But clean water is on the way…
Kern County supervisors, over the objections of a long stream of farmers, rural residents and environmentalists, agreed to remove ag protections from some land so it could be used for the controversial Hydrogen Energy California project.
The Board of Supervisors had been asked to cancel an agricultural preserve on 72 acres of the project northwest of Tupman — something needed to develop one corner of the project as it is proposed.
It agreed to do so…
Central California Environmental Justice Network joined Fresnans Against Fracking on Saturday, October 19th for a demonstration in River Park. The event was a part of a global event aptly titled “Global Frackdown.” Over 250 events in over 25 countries were hosted on Saturday, all recognizing the collective state that there is no safe way to frack, and that fracking should be stopped…
The Central Valley’s bad air quality could be leading to more cases of lung cancer in Kings County.
The World Health Organization has officially classified outdoor air pollution as a carcinogen and has stated that it’s become a leading cause for lung cancer, due to data recently released by the International Agency of Research on Cancer in partnership with the organization. As pollution rates continue to climb, the rate of cancer will also increase…
If you’ve been following along, you’ll remember we officially launched the Arvin Bucket Brigade in December of 2011. Looking back on this project in California’s Central Valley, I honestly don’t think I had a clue as to what I was signing up for.
In October 2011, two young workers lost their lives after being overcome with hydrogen sulfide at the Community Recycling facility in Lamont, CA. This was the last straw for the community, already overburdened by air pollution, and the residents took matters (and air monitoring equipment) into their own hands. The Committee for a Better Arvin (CBA) partnered with the Rose Foundation, the Center for Race, Poverty and the Environment (CRPE) and Global Community Monitor (GCM) to get to work documenting air pollution incidents at the Community Recycling (CRRR) facility and advancing policy change in Kern County…
The state seemed poised to grant the controversial expansion permit for the hazardous waste landfill near Kettleman City. That was true two months ago before the first public comment deadline was extended.
Now the deadline has been extended again…
The state still is poised to issue a permit allowing expansion of the hazardous waste landfill near Kettleman City — a holding pattern that started in August. But the official process has been extended again.
You might remember the state Department of Toxic Substances Control extended its public comment deadline from Sept. 4 to Oct. 11. on the landfill expansion plan. Last week, leaders extended it again to Oct. 25.
The latest extension came after two members of the environmental community requested it. The two are Ingrid Brostrom of The Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment and Bradley Angel of Greenaction, state leaders said…
The final date for the public to submit written comments on a draft permit allowing Chemical Waste Management to expand its hazardous waste landfill in Kings County has been extended to Oct. 25, the Department of Toxic Substances Control said Thursday…
Today Assemblymember Luis Alejo (D, Salinas) called on the California Department of Toxics Control to reject the plan to expand the toxic waste disposal site near the San Joaquin Valley Community of Kettleman City. In a letter to the State Agency, Alejo voiced his concern over the failure of the State to address issues of environmental justice and the need to find alternatives to land disposal of toxic waste.
Assemblymember Alejo is the Chairman of the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee and has been active in addressing the problems of toxic chemical exposure in disadvantaged communities throughout California…