Critics of a controversial desalination project planned for Orange County claim Governor Newsom is pressuring officials to support the plant in spite of environmental concerns.
Poseidon Water, a proposed California desalination plant with ties to Governor Newsom, is close to obtaining the last permit it needs to break ground on its facility in Orange County, reports Bettina Boxall for the Los Angeles Times. The plant, to be constructed in Huntington Beach, promises to diversify California's water sources and produce 50 million gallons fresh water each day. Critics of the project claim that the governor is exerting pressure on officials to approve the plant in spite of questions about its necessity and its potential effects on the environment.
According to state records, "during the last two years, the company paid lobbying firms a total of $839,000 to represent its interests in Sacramento. The bulk of that sum, $575,000, went to Axiom Advisors, the firm headed by longtime Newsom friend Jason Kinney, whose French Laundry birthday dinner Newsom attended." Records show that Poseidon Vice President Scott Maloni "repeatedly inserted himself" into the Regional Water Board's staff business during their deliberations on the project. Meanwhile, Governor Newsom has removed board members who opposed the desalination plant, and opponents concerned about its environmental impacts claim the moves have made it easier for the plant to gain approvals to "begin operating before all the necessary permits are obtained to mitigate the significant pollution and marine life impacts it will create."
FULL STORY: Newsom pushes private seawater desalting plant over local and environmental opposition
Mississippi Investigated for Civil Rights Violations in Jackson Water Crisis
The NAACP has accused a pair of Mississippi departments of discrimination against Black Mississippians, leading to the loss of drinking water in the state's capital city at the end of the summer.
California Coastal Commission Rejects $1.4 Billion Desalination Project
The unanimous decision by the Coastal Commission on May 12 might have dealt a fatal blow to the costly seawater desalination project proposed for Huntington Beach, but it was not 'a referendum on the future of desalination in California.'
The Real Cost of Clean Water in One Kansas Town
Pretty Prairie has water with very high levels of nitrates, and lots of farmers that need to use nitrates if they want to keep the local economy going.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
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Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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Planetizen
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Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service