CalEPA Spotlight

New Updates to Groundbreaking CalEnviroScreen Environmental Justice Tool Released for Public Input

The public is invited to review the draft update to CalEnviroScreen, the mapping tool that tracks which communities bear the greatest burden of environmental pollution in California. It is being updated to include children’s exposure to lead from housing, new census data, other pollution data and enhanced methodology to help policy makers and others prioritize programmatic and other resource investments on communities that need it most. In addition to lead, CalEnviroScreen version 4.0 adds pollution from chrome plating facilities, dairies and feedlots, and certain industrial and manufacturing pollution sources in Mexico. Read the CalEnviroScreen 4.0 press release | (en español) (2/22/21) 

News & Updates 

New Tool Provides Human Right to Water Maps and Data 

California has a new tool to assess the status of water quality, accessibility and affordability across the state. It was developed by CalEPA’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to help measure California’s progress toward providing access to clean drinking water, which is lacking for nearly one million Californians. Use the interactive map, read the report on Achieving the Human Right to Water in California and learn more at Human Right to Water Framework and Data Tool (CalHRTW 1.0).

Pollution and Prejudice: CalEPA Releases Redlining StoryMap

As part of its commitment to racial equity, CalEPA has released a draft StoryMap highlighting the connection between racist land use practices of the 1930s and environmental injustice, as reflected by CalEnviroScreen scores. Redlining practices systematically included both race and environmental factors as criteria in assessing the credit-worthiness of neighborhoods. Explore the StoryMap: Pollution and Prejudice | Contaminación y Prejuicio  (Download English, español) (02/01/21)

Governor’s Task Force Outlines Actions to Reduce Wildfire Risk, Improve Health of Forests and Wildlands

Following the most destructive wildfire season in California’s recorded history, the Governor’s Forest Management Task Force today issued a $1 billion comprehensive action plan in the Governor’s budget to reduce wildfire risk for vulnerable communities, improve the health of forests and wildlands and accelerate action to combat climate change. Read the press release. (1/8/21)

NASA to provide real-time satellite data for climate change efforts

A new partnership with Pasadena-based Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA JPL) will help state agencies better understand climate change impacts and identify opportunities to build resilience, conserve biodiversity and use California’s natural and working lands to store and remove carbon from the atmosphere. Read the press release. (11/24/20)

State Water Board adopts new power plant compliance deadlines

To help maintain grid reliability as new sources of power are built during the next three years, the State Water Board amended a policy that protects marine life by extending compliance deadlines for power plants that use ocean water for cooling. Read the Once-Through Cooling Policy press release. (9/1/20)

Study finds wastewater treatment plants could profit by processing food waste while reducing greenhouse gases

A new report shows that at least half of California’s landfill-bound food waste could be processed at wastewater treatment plants and serve as an innovative power source. Maximizing co-digestion capacity could reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions by more than half of the landfill emissions that California committed to reducing by 2030. Read the press release. (8/24/20)

New Report Lays Groundwork for Safer, More-sustainable Alternatives to Banned Pesticide Chlorpyrifos

A report identifies alternatives for California growers to the banned pesticide chlorpyrifos and calls for continued work towards safer, more sustainable pest management practices. Following California’s historic decision to end use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos in 2019, a work group was convened to evaluate potential alternatives. This is the groups report. Read the press release. (en español)  (7/16/20)

California Joins 14 States and District of Columbia to Accelerate Bus and Truck Electrification

“Our efforts in California will be magnified through the efforts of this multi-state coalition to reduce emissions and improve air quality, especially crucial in communities where our most vulnerable citizens live,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “By working together, we can move toward a cleaner future.” Read the press release. (7/14/20)