The Trump administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to pause its review of a case involving California’s stricter vehicle emissions and electric vehicle standards. Acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris filed the request on January 24, signaling plans to reassess a 2022 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decision that reinstated California’s authority to set its own emissions rules. The dispute stems from California’s unique authority under the Clean Air Act, which permits the state to implement stricter air pollution standards than those set federally, provided EPA grants a waiver. Originally reinstated by EPA in 2022, this authority has been challenged by fuel producers, including Valero and related groups, which argue that the waiver exceeded EPA’s authority and harmed their businesses by lowering demand for liquid fuels.
President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order on January 26 directing federal agencies to “immediately take action” to deliver more Central Valley water and eliminate rules that stand in the way, including protections for endangered species. At stake are the rules that guide two massive Delta water systems, the federal Central Valley Project and the state-operated State Water Project. Trump ordered federal agencies to “expedite action related to any exemption under the Endangered Species Act…for the long-term operation” of the water delivery systems. In addition, he directed the federal Bureau of Reclamation to “take all available measures to ensure that state agencies — including the California Department of Water Resources — do not interfere.” About 75% of Central Valley Project water is used for agriculture, while much of the rest goes to cities and towns in the San Joaquin Valley, including Sacramento and Fresno.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 20 directing the U.S. to again withdraw from the landmark Paris climate agreement, dealing a blow to worldwide efforts to combat global warming and distancing the U.S. from its closest allies. Trump’s action echoed his directive in 2017, when he announced that the U.S. would abandon the global Paris accord. The pact is aimed at limiting long-term global warming to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit above pre-industrial levels or, failing that, keeping temperatures at least well below 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit above pre-industrial levels.
A California judge has denied environmentalists’ claims that the Hell’s Kitchen lithium extraction project approved by Imperial County officials was not adequately studied for water supply or air pollution issues or supported by proper consultation with area tribes. Commercially processed lithium is a key component of electric vehicles, smart phones, and myriad other products, and the north end of the county sits atop a huge underground reserve of lithium and other minerals. Environmental groups filed suit in 2024, alleging county planners and consultants had not adequately considered the potential environmental impacts of the nearly $2 billion project. After nearly a year of delays due to the lawsuit, initial construction of the project will likely resume within four to five months.
A bill introduced in California’s state Legislature would make fossil fuel companies legally liable for damages from climate change, similar to current law holding utilities liable for fires started by their equipment. Senator Scott Wiener, who co-introduced the bill, said it would shift the cost burden of climate disasters from homeowners to oil and gas companies. The legislation would also allow the Fair Access to Insurance Requirements Plan, the state’s insurer of last resort, to sue fossil fuel companies to recoup costs rather than passing them onto ratepayers.
After finally agreeing to work with San Diego County to investigate the environmental and health impacts of the decades-long cross-border sewage crisis, the federal government has suddenly gone silent. Under orders from the incoming Trump administration, the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services directed all federal employees to refrain from any communications with any outside agency through at least the end of the month. The executive order blocks the release of the results of a federal survey measuring the community’s health and bars talks with federal scientists on the ground in San Diego County working with regional health officials.
City leaders from Duarte, Irwindale, Azusa, and Baldwin Park have joined in opposition of federal plans to use the Lario Staging Ground as a place to dump and process the hazardous waste left behind by the Eaton Fire. The announcement comes as EPA continues to prepare the site, implementing spill control measures and plans to monitor air quality operations as soon as next week. City officials argue that they were not given prior notice or a chance to weigh in on the issue, which has raised concerns about the potential environmental implications of the site and its proximity to residents.
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