National News
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Releases Most Wanted List
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a list of wanted posters that identify fugitives sought by the EPA’s Criminal Investigations Division. The posters provide a brief case summary and instructions on how to report information related to their identities and/or locations. The identified fugitives are defendants charged with environmental crimes or violations of the U.S. Federal Criminal Code that have fled the court’s jurisdiction and/or the United States.
California News
Wastewater Treatment Plant Converts Sludge Into Fertilizer
(Water and Wastewater.com, December 11, 2008) The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s (SFPUC) Southeast Treatment Plant is host to a new pilot project that demonstrates a new technology that removes phosphorus and other nutrients from wastewater and recycles them into an environmentally safe commercial fertilizer. The SFPUC plant processes its sewage sludge liquids and then converts them into the high-quality, environmentally friendly commercial fertilizer that can, in turn, generate revenue for the municipality.
State Water Resources Control Board Grants Additional Wastewater Waiver to Morro Bay and Cayucos
(State Water Resources Control Board, December 4, 2008) On December 4, 2008, the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board unanimously approved a five-year extension of a wastewater waiver permit. The extension will allow Morro Bay and Cayucos to complete wastewater treatment plant upgrades by March 2014, when the plant is planned to treat all wastewater to a secondary level. Eventually, the plant would be upgraded to achieve tertiary treatment levels.
Association of California Water Agencies Adopts Sustainability Principles
(Association of California Water Agencies, November 26, 2008) The board of directors of the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) has formally adopted policy principles that embrace concepts of environmental and economic sustainability for water management in California. The principles express strong support for policies that promote significant improvements in water supply reliability and ecosystem health. The principles include comprehensive solutions for sustainability, including conveyance improvements in the Delta, additional surface and groundwater storage, substantial investments in water use efficiency and local resources, and investments in habitat.
Southern California
University of California, San Diego Plans to Covert Methane Gas From Wastewater Treatment Plant Into Electricity
(San Diego 6 News, December 15, 2008) The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) has announced plans to convert methane gas from the City of San Diego’s Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant into electricity using fuel-cell technology. The 2.8-megawatt fuel cell would use an electrochemical process to convert the methane gas into electricity. The power produced at night would then be stored and used during peak-demand hours the next day. The electricity would be used to power the UCSD campus grid for 20 hours a day. UCSD also would capture the waste heat generated by the fuel cells as a power source to cool buildings. The project has been approved by the California Public Utilities Commission as part of an effort to lower peak demands on the state’s electrical power grid.
Legal News Alert is part of our ongoing commitment to providing legal insight to our environmental stormwater clients and our colleagues.
If you have any questions about this newsletter or would like to discuss these topics further, please contact your Foley attorney or:
S. Wayne Rosenbaum
San Diego, California
619.685.6413
[email protected]
Elizabeth A. Cason
San Diego, California
619.685.4634
[email protected]
Heidi K. Vonblum
San Diego, California
619.685.4637
[email protected]