Lead Still Haunts Yards in Exide Battery Recycler Cleanup Zone
A university‑led study of more than 1,100 soil samples from 370 homes near the former Exide Technologies battery‑recycling plant shows that nearly three‑quarters of properties deemed remediated still exceed California’s residential lead standards. The state has spent over $700 million since 2016 to excavate up to 18 inches of soil at more than 6,100 homes, but many areas near foundations, walkways and trees were missed, and contaminated soil was sometimes spread to neighboring lots. Researchers also found 89% of homes just outside the 1.7‑mile designated cleanup zone contain elevated lead, suggesting the plume extends farther than officially recognized. The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) disputes the findings pending data, while committing to limited post‑cleanup testing that has yet to be published.
Fire Survivors Call for Audits of Edison's Wildfire Prevention Spending
Fire survivors are urging California lawmakers to require independent audits of Southern California Edison, PG&E, and San Diego Gas & Electric’s wildfire‑prevention spending after a Times investigation revealed the utilities failed to spend hundreds of millions they claimed were needed....
Intense Santa Ana Winds and Damaging Gusts to Pound Southern California This Weekend
Intense Santa Ana winds will sweep Southern California from Friday through Saturday, with sustained speeds of 25‑45 mph and gusts reaching 60 mph in Ventura’s mountainous areas. A high‑wind warning has been issued for the western San Gabriel Mountains and Highway 14 corridor, covering communities...
Contributor: Investigate the AI Campaigns Flooding Public Agencies with Fake Comments
California regulators discovered that AI‑powered platforms CiviClick and Speak4 were used to flood public‑comment systems with thousands of fabricated submissions opposing clean‑air rules. Over 20,000 fake comments, many bearing real residents' names without consent, were submitted to the South Coast...
April 1 Is Supposed to Be Peak Snow in California. Forget that This Year
California’s Sierra Nevada snowpack collapsed far earlier than the typical April 1 peak, with surveys on April 1 reporting essentially zero snow. The snowpack sits at just 18% of its historical average, the second‑lowest on record since 1950, after a month of...
Don't Want to Miss the Bloom? This L.A. Scientist Created a Poppy Forecast
Los Angeles biologist Steve Klosterman has launched an AI‑driven wildflower forecast for the Antelope Valley, using deep‑learning on satellite imagery and weather data to predict poppy and goldfield blooms up to five days ahead. The model scans 10‑meter squares, correlating...
Industrial Chemicals Have Reached the Middle of the Oceans, New Study Shows
A global study of 2,315 seawater samples, using untargeted mass‑spectrometry, found human‑made chemicals everywhere—from coastal estuaries to the open Pacific. Researchers detected pharmaceuticals, illicit drugs, pesticides and plastic‑derived compounds, some accounting for up to 20% of dissolved organic matter near...
Fuel, Energy Prices Raise the Pressure as California Officials Take Next Steps on Climate
California regulators are revising the state’s cap‑and‑invest climate program, extending it through 2045 and tightening the carbon cap by 118 million tons by 2030. The draft shifts free allowances from natural‑gas to electric utilities and aims to generate $180.7 billion in statewide...
H5N1 Bird Flu Spreads to Sea Otters and Sea Lions Along San Mateo Coast, Wildlife Experts Say
Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza, previously found in northern elephant seals, has now been confirmed in a sea otter and a sea lion along California's San Mateo coast. The virus carries the A3 mutation, which facilitates mammal‑to‑mammal transmission and originates...
Contributor: Don't Let Lobbyists Win a Liability Shield for Big Oil
State and local governments across the U.S. are filing climate lawsuits against major oil majors, seeking compensation for billions in damage caused by fossil‑fuel emissions. The Supreme Court recently agreed to hear Exxon Mobil’s petition to block a Colorado wildfire...
Solar Energy for Renters Has Taken Off in 10 States. Not in California
Community solar, a proven tool for renters and low‑income households, has flourished in ten states but remains marginal in California, which has launched only about 34 projects totaling roughly 235 MW since 2015. In West Goshen, a pilot project delivered a 20%...
Head of L.A.'s Department of Water and Power Resigns
Janisse Quiñones, who has led Los Angeles’ Department of Water and Power since 2024, announced her resignation to become chief executive of Luma, a private electric‑utility operator in Puerto Rico. During her tenure she bolstered grid and water reliability, guided...
How a California Desalination Plant Could Ease Water Shortages on the Colorado River
San Diego County Water Authority approved a memorandum to sell up to 10,000 acre‑feet of its Colorado River allocation to Arizona and Nevada, generating revenue to expand the Carlsbad desalination plant. The deal would mark the first interstate transfer of...
California Wants Millions of Heat Pumps. High Power Bills Might Get in the Way
California aims to install six million heat pumps in homes by 2030 as part of its aggressive decarbonization agenda. While heat pumps offer higher efficiency and can replace gas furnaces, the state’s soaring residential electricity rates often erode expected bill...
Long-Awaited Reports Outline Problems with Palisades Infrastructure
Los Angeles hired AECOM for three $5 million reports that map a $1 billion, 2024‑2033 recovery strategy for Pacific Palisades after the deadly 2025 fire. The studies expose pervasive fire‑code violations, narrow streets and evacuation bottlenecks, and call for aggressive brush‑clearance, water‑system...