Press Room

Sign up to receive e-mail updates for this page

In the News updated March 11, 2010

SMCWPPP In the News:

San Mateo County Seeks End to Cigarette Butt Litter, San Mateo County Times, January 16, 2010.

Green Streets and Parking Lots: Coming Soon to Cities Near You, Cal Planner, American Planning Association California, July-August 2009.

Past Press releases:

9.10.09 CALIFORNIA COASTAL CLEANUP DAY CELEBRATES 25TH ANNIVERSARY

7.28.09 LOCAL “GREEN STREETS” GUIDEBOOK WINS STATEWIDE PLANNING AWARD

5.18.09 BAY AREA PROGRAM HELPS PEOPLE CONTROL COMMON PESTS WITHOUT HARM TO WATER QUALITY

4/13/09 EARTH DAY EVENT INCLUDE FREE RECYCLING OF CFL’s

Contact:PollutionPrevention@co.sanmateo.ca.us

###

Legislative Bills of Interest

In the News Watershed, Stormwater, and Pollutants Articles:

Business owner pleads 'no contest' to dumping hazardous metals. Expresstech was illegally pumping heavy metals into the sewer system, which went straight to the wastewater treatment facility that prevents impurities from local businesses from reaching San Francisco Bay. San Jose Mercury News, March 11, 2010.

Study: Bay Area fish high in mercury levels. On Your Side has found a disturbing problem at Bay Area fish markets. Some of what you buy may contain a toxin in levels above federal safety limits. San Francisco KGO TV, March 4, 2010.

Local couple returns after plastic voyage. As part of their global study on ocean plastic pollution, the scientist couple of Dr. Marcus Eriksen and Anna Cummins recently returned from the Sargasso Sea with some startling news -- plastic pollutants may be working their way up the food chain to humans. Santa Monica Daily Press, March 3, 2010.

Lehigh Cement Plant in Cupertino braces for impact of new EPA rules. The EPA is about to crack down on cement plants, a known source of potentially nerve-damaging mercury pollution. The new regulations will have a huge impact on one of the state's biggest mercury polluters, Lehigh Cement Plant in Cupertino. San Francisco KGO TV, February 27, 2010.

Gold Rush toxics in our water: What can be done? If it works, the Nevada Irrigation District's novel plan to clear toxic Gold Rush mercury from Combie Reservoir could be an answer to an age-old problem in the Sierra Nevada range. Nevada City Union, February 27, 2010.

What makes Plastiki float? Early next month, de Rothschild and a five-member crew are promising to set sail across the Pacific in an unwieldy, 60-foot catamaran called Plastiki, an engineering mash-up of cutting-edge tech gear, including thin-film solar panels and stacks of the aforementioned soda bottles, which help the boat stay afloat. San Jose Mercury News, February 26, 2010.

L.A. graduates green gardeners. There’s a lot of talk about green jobs being the savior for the country’s disturbingly high un- and under-employment rates. But the city of L.A. is actively working to create some. Los Angeles Times, February 26, 2010.

Derived from flowers, but not benign: Pyrethroids raise new concerns. Chemicals derived from flowers may sound harmless, but new research raises concerns about compounds synthesized from chrysanthemums that are used in virtually every household pesticide. Environmental Health News. February 26, 2010.

Bloom Energy unveils 'power plant in a box.' One of Silicon Valley's most secretive startups unveiled its long-awaited "power plant in a box," a collection of fuel cells that the company says can provide clean electricity to homes, office buildings – even whole villages in the developing world. San Francisco Chronicle, February 26, 2010.

Treasure trove in world's e-waste. To mine one gram of gold, most companies will move a tone of ore. But it would be far simpler to get the gold through recycling -- you can find the same amount of gold in 41 mobile phones. Der Spiegel. February 25, 2010.

Chemicals in toys, furniture may face tighter standards. Consumer advocates are now helping to shape what is expected to be a massive overhaul of American chemical policy. ABC News. February 22, 2010.

Trash floats eco-warrior's boat. David de Rothschild plans to sail the Plastiki, his catamaran made of soda bottles, to the giant floating garbage patch in the Pacific to publicize environmental woes. Los Angeles Times, February 21, 2010.

A dam deal. "Hasta la vista, Klamath dams," joked Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at a celebratory gathering for a plan to remove four aging dams straddling the river running through Oregon and California. San Francisco Chronicle, February 20, 2010.

GreenMap's New iPhone App Helps You Find The Green Hotspots Nearby We love GreenMap. It's a crowd-sourced map of all the great green stuff in cities all over the world. Launched last year, the online resource now is available as an iPhone app. Treehuger, February 16, 2010.

Student-Built Eco Car Gets 2,752 MPG Mechanical engineering students from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo have developed an eco supercar that gets 2,752 MPG! I never get tired of stories like these. As the car industry trips over itself trying to tap the fuel-efficient vehicle market, they end up getting pwned by a group of kids. Treehugger, February 20, 2010.

Urban parks: A global warming downer? Green is good — right? Not necessarily when it comes to lawns, according to a new study by UCI researchers. Los Angeles Times, February 19, 2010.

Dolphins at risk. Dolphins are getting sick from eating the same fish we do. That's the disturbing conclusion of the latest round of federal research. Studies of dolphins in coastal Georgia discovered some of the highest levels of PCBs ever found in the fat of a marine mammal, 30 years after PCBs were banned. Charleston Post and Courier, South Carolina. February 19, 2010.

Rodent poison faces tougher new rules. Federal regulators are now taking a hard look at imposing stricter controls on a pesticide believed to have caused two Layton girls to die -- revisiting safety restrictions they drafted and then abandoned nearly a decade ago. Salt Lake Tribune, Utah. February 19, 2010.

Salt pond restoration tests for hidden danger. A wide swath of the South Bay's salt flats will see its first tidal waters in generations as a long-awaited restoration project gets under way near San Jose. But there is apprehension that reintroduced tidal waters could churn up long-buried mercury. San Francisco Chronicle, February 18, 2010.

Human testing at heart of debate over US toxics law. Scientific advances that have made it possible to detect the tiniest traces of chemicals in the human body and the environment are shaping efforts to modernize U.S. chemical policies and regulations. Greenwire. February 17, 2010.

Too much pavement, too little oversight: EPA to tackle stormwater runoff. Across the country, stormwater runoff hammers thousands of rivers, streams and lakes. Communities are left to struggle with the consequences of too much pavement and too little oversight. Environmental Health News. February 17, 2010.

True Life Trash Audit I recently volunteered to undergo a trash audit to figure out just how well I have implemented my own knowledge of household recycling. Theoretically, my recycling bin should be impeccable: no contaminants, no haphazard recyclables in the trash. Earth 911, February 15, 2010.

Cleaning naturally improves indoor air quality. While commercial cleaning products present a bevy of environmental health hazards, there are plenty of natural cleaning solutions that will keep you and your family healthy and squeaky-clean. San Mateo Daily Journal, February 11, 2010.

Wow, You Can Recycle That? From paint and batteries to wine corks and hair (really!), a little patience (and a search on Earth911.com) can make recycling these items a little easier. The list of qualified recycling candidates was long, so we figured we would feature a few more. Earth 911, February 8, 2010.

What “Bio” Really Means In the ever-changing world of consumer products, “bio” is gearing up to be the new buzzword (or prefix – take your pick) of the decade. More and more products are hitting the shelves that are made of bio-based materials and/or are biodegradable. Earth 911, February 8, 2010.

Amazon River Water Being Stolen and Bottled Abroad A recently published report is exposing some shocking exploitation of the Amazon's natural resources--and this times it's water being stolen. Where is this water headed? According to the report, "tankers are quietly removing water" to be bottled and sold in Europe and the Middle East. Treehugger, February 8, 2010.

Food Chain Radio Discusses Mitigating the Problem of Pharmaceuticals in Our Drinking Water We've become a nation dependant upon drugs. For better or worse, we use pharmaceuticals for everything from getting to sleep to waking up. We use them to stabilize our moods and to increase our sex drives. But what happens to these drugs once we're done with them? Treehugger, February 8, 2010.

Los Angeles May Get Mandatory Rainwater Harvesting Law A new proposed law to go into effect in 2011 could have Los Angeles residents changing their habits when it comes to rainfall. Rather than just complaining that there's some strange wet substance falling from the sky, all new homes, large developments, and some redevelopment projects will start to appreciate those few rainy days by harvesting and redirecting rainfall. Treehugger, February 8, 2010.

Car-Sharing Grew by 117% The global economic problems of the past couple years helped increase attention to car-sharing as a way to reduce transportation costs. Just in America, car-sharing membership rose by 117% between 2007 and 2009. Carsharers drove 31% less saving 482,170 fewer tons of CO2 emissions. TreeHugger, February 8, 2010.

Global ocean protection measures have failed. Thousands of tons of trash are thrown into the sea each year, endangering humans and wildlife. A classified German government report indicates that efforts by the United Nations and the European Union to clean up our oceans have failed entirely. Der Spiegel. February 8,2010.

Seaweed beds, the 'cradle of the sea,' vanishing. The rich seaweed beds stretching 8,000 hectares and brimming with fish in the western coast of the bay off Shizuoka Prefecture have been transformed into a barren wasteland. Pollution, climate change, and other factors are suspects, but the exact causes are unknown. Asahi Shimbun, Japan. February 8, 2010.

Even if you're careful, drugs can end up in water. The federal government says to throw most unused or expired medications into the trash, not down the drain, but they can end up in the water anyway, a new study finds. The results come as Maine lawmakers consider a bill, among the first of its kind, that would require manufacturers to collect and dispose of unused drugs. Associated Press. February 8, 2010.

Testing waters for salmon in San Joaquin River. Water has begun flowing down 64 barren miles of the San Joaquin River in what is being touted as California's most ambitious effort to bring back long-lost native salmon. San Francisco Chronicle, February 7, 2010.

Removing paint now requires extra caution. Do-it-yourselfers looking to remodel a home built before 1978, beware: A new law policed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will take effect April 22 requiring new safety precautions or a certified professional to remove lead-based paints or other materials. Stockton Record, February 7, 2010.

How Wetlands are Good For Your Health, Good For The Planet 5 Steps You Can Take To Take To Help Protect Wetlands, Planet Green, February 4, 2010.

Why can't I protect my baby from chemicals? Molly Gray for five years struggled with fertility and repeated miscarriages. As she told a Senate panel on Thursday, she discovered a connection between chemical exposures and their effect on reproductive systems. Seattle Post Globe, February 5, 2010.

Activists want makers to come clean on cleansers. Exactly what’s in floor cleaner? What’s stain remover made of? And what effects, if any, might they have on human health or the environment? Environmental advocates asked a court Wednesday to use a 1971 New York state law to force manufacturers to reveal just what makes up such products. Associated Press. February 5, 2010.

San Mateo beach remains closed after sewage spills. Sewage spills in late January on both sides of the Peninsula resulted in three beach closures, one of which is still in effect. San Mateo County Times, February 4, 2010.

Honeybees are modern-day canaries in coal mines. Over the past three years, more than 50 billion honeybees have died. Scientists understand the causes and now we need everyone to lend a helping hand. Palo Alto Daily News, Opinion, February 2, 2010.

Parties to three international treaties on hazardous waste to join forces. Over 1,000 signatories to three international treaties on hazardous chemical substances will hold meetings in Bali to discuss coordinated efforts to mitigate toxic pollutants. Jakarta Post, Indonesia. February 2, 2010.

Up in flames. The EPA recently announced a list of chemicals to be reviewed. On the list: flame retardants or PBDEs. Scientists say these chemicals, used to reduce the flammability of upholstery and carpeting, accumulate in our bodies. Living On Earth, January 31, 2010.

Rains notwithstanding, state drought isn't over. The question gurgles up from every storm drain and creek in California: Is the drought over? Sacramento Bee, January 29, 2010.

Biofuel advance made in Bay Area, researchers say. Researchers in Emeryville, Calif. have engineered a microbe that produces biodiesel fuel directly from plant waste and grasses, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Nature. Contra Costa Times, January 29, 2010.

Study: Mercury in canned tuna high. More than half of canned tuna samples from a local grocery store failed to meet the strict Environmental Protection Agency safety level for mercury in fish, according to a new study by University of Nevada, Las Vegas researchers. Las Vegas Review-Journal, January 29, 2010.

Reducing drain on our beaches. Those "No Dumping: Drains to Ocean" labels aren't just an idle threat. About 100 storm drains, as well as creeks, deposited about 133 tons of trash along 31 miles of Los Angeles County beaches during the last week of storms. Torrance Daily Breeze, January 28, 2010.

Gray water's grass roots. If water is the next battleground for a globe facing dwindling water resources, then this 1960s-style community center at the northern end of Los Angeles's Koreatown is at the forefront of the fight. Christian Science Monitor. January 27, 2010.

Scientists link flame retardants and reduced human fertility. Women exposed to high levels of flame retardants take substantially longer to get pregnant, indicating for the first time that the widespread chemicals may affect human fertility, according to a study published Tuesday. Environmental Health News. January 27, 2010.

As water crisis worsens, rare Congressional hearing held in Los Angeles. In a rare congressional hearing held in Los Angeles on Monday, water authorities warned that no matter how much it rains and snows this year, the water woes of farms and cities across the state are far from over. Pasadena Star-News, January 26, 2010.