General Coast News

April 25, 2008
Beaches closed after fatal shark attack in North County
SOLANA BEACH - Several North County beaches were closed Friday morning after a man was killed in a shark attack north of Fletcher Cove, officials said. 

April 22, 2008
California to sign on Earth Day a compact to help China cut emissions
SACRAMENTO - California, which puts out more greenhouse gases than any other state, is promising to share ideas and research to help China cut back on its own emissions, which rival those of the U.S. as the world's largest. 

Electric car for the masses to be made in Southern California
Norwegian automaker Think Global said Monday it planned to sell low-priced electric cars to the masses and will introduce its first models in the U.S. by the end of next year. 

April 16, 2008
California bans salmon fishing in coastal waters
Fish and Game officials on Tuesday reluctantly voted to shelter a diminished population of Sacramento River chinook by barring all ocean salmon fishing in state waters, out three miles from shore. The state Department of Fish and Game estimates the salmon closure will cost the California economy $255 million and 2,263 jobs. 

April 11, 2008
Plans approved for redevelopment of hotel
IMPERIAL BEACH - The California Coastal Commission approved plans yesterday to redevelop a blighted oceanfront hotel in Imperial Beach using 100 percent condo-investor financing. 

April 8, 2008
Panel kills Coastal Commission bill
Legislation that would have scaled back the California Coastal Commission's power to appeal decisions by cities and counties to issue coastal development permits was killed in the state Senate Tuesday. 

March 19, 2008
L.A. and Long Beach ports propose air cleanup plan
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach on Tuesday unveiled a $19-million plan to persuade shippers to burn cleaner fuel when vessels are near the California coast, a move expected to slash local air pollution by 11%. 

February 25, 2008
Erosion forcing marine researchers from center
LA JOLLA - Eroding sea bluffs have prompted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to plan a partial evacuation of its marine research facility in La Jolla this summer.

February 24, 2008
Ports clean-up plan threatened
A labor-environmental alliance threatens to sink efforts to decrease pollution at the L.A. and Long Beach facilities.

Navy sonar linked to dolphin death?
The death of a deep-diving dolphin near the site of controversial military sonar exercises last month throws the Navy's claim that it has never harmed a marine mammal in its 40 years of war games back into the spotlight.

For surfing daredevils, it's an Endless Winter
You may not know it, but a few miles off SLO County's coastline, elite surfers are chasing giant storm-driven waves, towing into monster breaks that can be as powerful as any off California's coast

February 22, 2008
Trucks to trains: Port's switch raises concerns
The Port of Oakland must show it won't worsen diesel air pollution before getting up to $445 million in state bond money for railroad and trucking improvements to move more freight, East Bay residents and environmentalists told transportation officials Thursday.

Bluff wall collapses, injuring a worker
Failures of cliffs common in area
ENCINITAS - A makeshift retaining wall at the top of an Encinitas beach bluff collapsed yesterday, trapping a landscaper in thigh-deep dirt until rescuers freed him and took him to the hospital, city officials said yesterday.

February 21, 2008
U.S. calls pelicans an environmental success story
Thriving seabirds, once devastated by DDT, no longer belong on the national endangered species list, officials say.

February 20, 2008
Long Beach harbor panel OKs plan to reduce pollution
Over the objections of environmental, public health and labor organizations, the Long Beach harbor commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved a clean-air plan that continues to place the burden of owning and maintaining diesel big rigs on drivers rather than on shipping companies that hire them.

February 19, 2008
Security spotlight focuses on port workers
Beginning next month, more than 200 San Diego Unified Port District employees who work at its two marine cargo terminals and its cruise ship terminal must submit to background checks to qualify for a federal Transportation Worker Identity Credential.

L.A., Long Beach port officials split over truck pollution
For months, officials in Los Angeles and Long Beach have touted plans to jointly combat air pollution generated by their adjacent ports, but a much-vaunted program to replace thousands of polluting trucks has hit a significant snag.

February 16, 2008
Downtown hotel plan hits snag with state
OCEANSIDE - A $187 million luxury hotel and time-share development planned for downtown Oceanside may be fine by the City Council, but the state Coastal Commission staff doesn't like it.

February 15, 2008
Dead zones off Oregon and Washington likely tied to global warming, study says
NEWPORT, ORE. -- -- Peering into the murky depths, Jane Lubchenco searched for sea life, but all she saw were signs of death.

February 14, 2008
Toll road appeal to take a year
A federal official said it could be a long wait, almost a year, until the U.S. Secretary of Commerce rules on the appeal for the proposed San Onofre toll road that was rejected soundly last week by the California Coastal Commission.

Court Says Coastal Commission Can Prevent Development
The California Coastal Commission may act on its own to designate an area as environmentally sensitive habitat and, in effect, prevent development, even if there is no certified local coastal program, according to the 2nd Appellate District Court.

February 10, 2008
Whale wars: The battle over marine mammals and the Navy's use of sonar
National security must trump environmental restrictions
President George W. Bush weighed in on the sonar vs. whales controversy and came down solidly on the side of common sense and national defense interests by acting to exempt the Navy from a federal judge's restrictions on the use of sonar in waters off California.
   
Our environmental laws are meant to protect marine life
They say truth is the first casualty of war. That's certainly the case in the U.S. Navy's  long, losing court battle over its use of high-intensity sonar.

February 9, 2008
So Cal Edison to build giant kelp forest
Southern California Edison will build a 127-acre artificial reef this summer to offset the loss of kelp, algae and animals caused by the San Onofre nuclear power plant, company officials announced Friday.

State game wardens fear becoming mussel-bound
Scuba divers plunged into a reservoir south of San Jose on Friday to hunt for a tiny, troublesome shellfish that is seeking, like so many travelers from afar, to start a new life in the Bay Area.

Senators want to OK guns in parks
WASHINGTON - Russell Galipeau looks at the current ban on loaded guns in national parks as a perfectly sensible way to keep public lands as the safe, scenic treasures they were intended to be.

Fishermen, researchers still clashing over catch
Biologists initially thought that it would take as long as a decade to notice any changes to the marine environment around the Channel Islands after vast swaths of the ocean were closed to fishing five years ago. But already there are signs of change.
        
UNION-TRIBUNE EDITORIAL
Fins win again
Thursday, in response to an activists' suit, the California Fish and Game Commission decided that a second fish, the longfin smelt, should join the delta smelt as an endangered species.

February 8, 2008
Toll road may have life yet
SAN ONOFRE ---- The battle over extending the Highway 241 toll road through San Onofre State Beach may not be over yet. Toll road officials said that they may exercise their right to appeal the commission's decision to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez.
      
Toll road project's backers to appeal
Many folks believe the proposed Foothill-South freeway project became roadkill Wednesday after the state Coastal Commission rejected it. But the Irvine-based Transportation Corridor Agencies, which is proposing the toll road that would slice through a habitat reserve and San Onofre State Beach, is determined to resuscitate it.

UNION-TRIBUNE EDITORIAL
Road blocked
Coastal panel ensures continued gridlock.

February 7, 2008
Toll road proposal voted down
After hearing testimony and deliberating for more than 12 hours, the California Coastal Commission yesterday voted 8-2 to deny a proposed toll road that would cut across a habitat reserve in Orange County and San Onofre State Beach next to Camp Pendleton. 

February 5, 2008
Sonar waiver for Navy is ruled invalid by judge
A federal judge yesterday said White House officials cannot override her order requiring the Navy to take special precautions to protect whales and dolphins from sonar used during its training off Southern California.
     
Nature conservation imperiled by indoor lifestyles, study says
WASHINGTON - As people spend more time communing with their televisions and computers, the impact is not just on their health, researchers say. Less time spent outdoors means less contact with nature and, eventually, less interest in conservation and parks.

February 4, 2008
Where blubber meets the road
Elephant seals are sneaking past beach fences meant to protect them from busy California 1.

January 29, 2008
Coast Guard report faults spill response
SACRAMENTO -- In a sobering self-assessment of the response to last year's San Francisco Bay oil spill, a U.S. Coast Guard study released Monday conceded that the first crews on the scene dramatically underestimated the trouble and onshore commanders failed to properly alert the public and local officials.

Toll road's damage estimate downsized
SAN ONOFRE - State regulators have decreased the amount of environmental damage they think would be caused by the toll road Orange County officials want to lay down across North San Diego County.

January 28, 2008
Governor's bid to close parks stirs broad dissent
SACRAMENTO - State lawmakers have quickly learned that sparing treasured parks from painful budget cuts will be no picnic. Alternatives from raising fees to shifting revenues to counting on volunteers are riddled with obstacles.

January 27, 2008
County farm tries degradable plastic
On one hand, making an item out of cornstarch instead of petroleum seems like a great way to reduce the use of limited resources. On the other hand, many researchers conclude it takes more energy to make plant-based plastic than plastic from oil.

Fishermen face new, increasing threat from jumbo squid
SANTA CRUZ - Researchers in Santa Cruz have found that the squid's favorite foods are some of the most popular catches of fishermen in the region -- meaning competition, and perhaps another threat to an industry that has long struggled in the Monterey Bay.

January 26, 2008
China targets plastic bags
A ban on the thinnest goes into effect in June. Some wonder how effective it will be.

January 24, 2008
Ports hope to sink rule change
A Florida-based cruise line's efforts to protect its lucrative Hawaii business through a federal rule change is generating a wave of concern among port and business representatives, who say it would harm jobs and tourist revenue.

Air quality, visual issues dominate Carlsbad power plant workshop
CARLSBAD ---- The city of Carlsbad wants an air quality monitoring device installed at the Encina Power Station, so that neighbors can see what a recently proposed addition to the facility could produce.

January 22, 2008
Whole Foods Market to Sack Disposable Plastic Grocery Bags by Earth Day
AUSTIN, Texas. Whole Foods Market, the world's leading natural and organic foods supermarket, announced today (Jan 22) it will end the use of disposable plastic grocery bags at the checkouts in all of its 270 stores in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. with the goal to be plastic bag-free by Earth Day, April 22, 2008.

January 21, 2008
Unsafe trucks stream out of L.A.'s ports
Pushed by thin profit margins, many drivers rely on shadowy fix-it men or skip repairs as they elude inspectors.

Bagging the plastic bag?
New law requiring retailers to offer recycling bins, reusable bags may not have proved to be fruitful

Coastal staff OKs Oceanside riverbed clearing
OCEANSIDE -- State officials say they support the clearing of vegetation and sediment that clogs the San Luis Rey River channel and threatens parts of the city with flooding and brush fire, but they say endangered species must be protected.

January 20, 2008
State beaches may have reduced lifeguard services
SANTA CRUZ - The governor's proposal only eliminates lifeguard positions in three counties: Santa Cruz, Orange and San Diego. Of those, Santa Cruz is the only area that may face a 100 percent reduction in seasonal guards; the Southern California counties would have to cut to half of their seasonal lifeguards.

January 19, 2008
State to curb toxic runoff
Millions of gallons of polluted runoff from state highways in Los Angeles and Ventura counties will be prevented from contaminating local waters and beaches every year under a court agreement reached Friday between Caltrans and environmentalists.

January 18, 2008
Judge sets aside some restrictions on sonar
A federal judge in Los Angeles on Thursday temporarily set aside some of the tough restrictions on upcoming naval exercises off Southern California that employ a type of sonar linked to the injury and death of whales and dolphins.

Lockyer asks coastal agency to reject San Onofre tollway
State Treasurer Bill Lockyer, saying he was "deeply disappointed" by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's support for a toll road extension through San Onofre State Beach, called on the state Coastal Commission to reject the project.

January 17, 2008
Parks plan intended to 'rattle the cage'
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Wednesday he proposed closing 48 state parks to "rattle the cage" at the Capitol but fully expects lawmakers to come forward with alternatives - including higher fees - to keep parks open.

January 13, 2008
Walls of waves tackled at Mavericks
Two dozen surfers show up for the contest just south of San Francisco to challenge one of the world's most dangerous breaks.

Ports urge trucking firms to hire full-time drivers
Ports along the western seaboard are studying ways to cut diesel fuel emissions from trucks and ocean-going vessels.

January 10, 2008
Costal panel report on Foothill South tollway 'inaccurate, one-sided,' says O.C.
Orange County's tollway agency Wednesday criticized a state Coastal Commission staff report that urged rejection of a proposed road through San Onofre State Beach as heavily "inaccurate and one-sided."

January 1, 2008
Californians recycling more beverage containers
It's amazing what a penny can do. State officials credit last year's one-cent increase in the refund people receive for returning used beverage containers for boosting California's bottle-and-can recycling rate to more than 70 percent in 2007.

December 29, 2007
State back to create marine reserves
The California Fish and Game Department announced this month that they intend early next year to begin studying where it might be appropriate to create marine reserves in waters up to three miles offshore between Santa Barbara and the border - including San Diego County.

December 25, 2007
Rival ports join forces on green growth
Riding a tide of regional discontent over noxious emissions, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are yielding to public health concerns in a way that has dramatically changed the policy landscape of Los Angeles County's largest economic engine.

December 24, 2007
UNION TRIBUNE EDITORIAL "Costly zealotry"
Suits over habitat will hit taxpayers, agency

December 21, 2007
More Californians cashing in on recyclables
Almost 7 billion containers were recycled in the first half of the year, study says. Conservation experts believe a rise in the state's redemption value could be the reason.

December 20, 2007
EPA denies California's right to mandate emissions
WASHINGTON -- In a blow to California's efforts to combat global warming, the Bush administration Wednesday denied the state's bid to regulate vehicle tailpipe emissions. But state officials promptly vowed to fight the decision in court.year by wild, tsunami-driven currents that hit the harbor of Crescent City.

December 19, 2007
Groups sue to overturn habitat decisions
Environmental groups Wednesday sued to force the federal government to void decisions that they contend protect too little habitat for 13 imperiled species of animals and plants in four states, including Southern California's arroyo toad.

December 18, 2007
Long Beach OKs fee on cargo to fund green efforts
The Port of Los Angeles is expected to enact a similar measure. Drivers protest, saying they can't afford to operate newer, cleaner trucks.

December 14, 2007
Tsunami threat to L.A., Long Beach ports studied
SACRAMENTO -- Concerned about the threat a tsunami could pose to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, a state agency agreed Thursday to launch a study of potential risk to the busy ports in light of nearly $10 million in damage caused last year by wild, tsunami-driven currents that hit the harbor of Crescent City.

December 13, 2007
Habitat reduced for two species
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced major cutbacks yesterday in the amount of habitat it deemed essential for protecting two imperiled species in San Diego County. Its ruling could, among other things, speed construction of a hotly contested toll road between San Diego and Orange counties.


November 20, 2007
Congressional panel seeks probe of oil spill
A congressional subcommittee today grilled the federal and state commanders in charge of handling the oil spill in San Francisco Bay and, unhappy with the responses, announced they would seek a new probe by the Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security.


November 19, 2007
Government sued over pollution from mothballed ships
SAN FRANCISCO - Several environmental groups have sued the federal government over toxic pollution caused by a fleet of mothballed warships floating near San Francisco Bay.



November 6, 2007
Long Beach agrees to ban old diesel trucks from ports
In a rare display of partnership, Los  Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster on Monday touted a joint plan to scrap old diesel rigs and replace them with newer, cleaner models as part of an effort to slash port-related pollution linked to 2,400 premature deaths a year.

November 14, 2007
Troubling sign in Baja
Southern California surfers have reason to be especially wary about venturing to Baja California after a spate of armed robberies by paramilitary-style criminals.

Carlsbad council approves Ponto development plan
CARLSBAD -- Calling it a "real step forward" for a mostly forgotten region, Carlsbad's City Council unanimously approved a planning document Tuesday for the coastal region known as Ponto on the city's southern border.

Ruling restores sonar ban off coast
A federal appeals court Tuesday restored a ban on the U.S. Navy's use of submarine-hunting sonar in upcoming training missions off Southern California until it adopts better safeguards for whales, dolphins and other marine mammals.

Captain delayed calling in cleanup contractor
Governor bans fishing in Bay, on S.F. coast
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger took the unprecedented step Tuesday of banning fishing in San Francisco Bay and off portions of the Northern California coast until Dec. 1 because of last week's oil spill.

Fishing season delayed because of Bay oil spill
Ban effective until Dec.1, maybe earlier if human risk eliminated
PRINCETON-BY-THE-SEA - Fishermen got what they asked for on Tuesday - a ban on all fishing in areas affected by last weeks oil spill. But they weren't too happy about it.

November 11, 2007
NORTH COUNTY TIMES
A river of red tape runs through it
From beginning to end, the saga of the San Luis Rey River is a case study in what happens when good intentions, poor planning and bureaucratic inertia collide. Whether floods or fires, the mismanagement of the river opens North County to a serious, long-term public safety threat. Uncooperative state agencies must get out of the way before our worst fears come racing down the riverbed.

November 6, 2007
Long Beach agrees to ban old diesel trucks from ports
In a rare display of partnership, Los  Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster on Monday touted a joint plan to scrap old diesel rigs and replace them with newer, cleaner models as part of an effort to slash port-related pollution linked to 2,400 premature deaths a year.

November 3, 2007
Bush vetoes $23-billion water bill
WASHINGTON -- President Bush delivered his threatened veto of a $23-billion water bill Friday, but Congress is virtually certain to reverse it in the first override of a Bush veto.

November 2, 2007
L.A. panel OKs cleanup plan for port trucks
The Los Angeles Harbor Commission on Thursday unanimously approved a phased ban of old-model trucks, a move that is expected to reduce harmful diesel emissions by 80% within five years but also ignite controversy among shippers, drivers, trucking companies and environmentalists.

'An epic journey'
A paddleboarder with a message follows coast
Barring injury or some other calamity, Tom Jones of Orange County will be the first to conquer the state's 1,200-mile coastline on a stand-up paddleboard. Jones is making the trip to highlight the growing problem of plastics injuring or killing marine life.

October 28, 2007
East Bay park district draws up expansion plans
The East Bay Regional Park District wants to develop seven new parks -- including one nestled under the new Bay Bridge, and others at an old coal mining town site near Livermore, on grazing land near Hercules and in closed parts of the Concord Naval Weapons Station.

Rescue planned for fish in danger
Ten years after the steelhead trout was placed on the endangered species list, an outline has been released on how to recover the species.
     
Biodiversity takes a hit
Native chaparral and coastal sage scrub in the overlapping burn zones may not recover in time to prevent the spread of fast-growing, non-native grasses. The areas were home to most of San Diego County's more than 40 species listed as threatened or endangered by the federal government.

October 27, 2007
ID program to tighten port security
Nine thousand Oakland port workers will have to enroll next month in a new identification program required by the Department of Homeland Security to prevent terrorists from infiltrating the Port of Oakland. 

October 25, 2007
L.A. port spends $3.1 million to fight suit
The plaintiff, not represented by a lawyer, alleges the agency used fuel facility funds to build a container terminal. 

October 18, 2007
Officials float idea of port research center
The currents of change coursing through Los Angeles Harbor were evident Wednesday when Geraldine Knatz went to the waterfront and stood among aging chemical storage tanks, spread her arms and announced: "This is where we hope to house a world-class marine research center." 

October 13, 2007
Agency wants analysis of sand, habitat proposals
SAN DIEGO -- With billions of dollars at stake and a long list of goals to accomplish, the San Diego Association of Governments is directing its staff to analyze the costs and benefits of several ambitious proposals to replenish beach sand, preserve open space and treat stormwater runoff. 
          
Plan aims to protect quality of life locally
Local governments agreed yesterday to a regional policy to protect San Diego County's quality of life through better pollution control, beach sand replenishment, improved public transit, and the acquisition and management of habitats.

State recommends banning lead ammo
CONCORD, Calif. - The California Department of Fish and Game recommended Friday that the state commission that regulates hunting prohibit the use of lead ammunition in areas where condors are flying free. 

October 12, 2007
UCSD Scripps researchers share Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore
Researchers at UCSD's Scripps Institution of Oceanography are sharing the Nobel Peace Prize with other scientists and Al Gore.

October 9, 2007
Decision on south O.C. tollway is postponed
After a blistering report concluded that a planned toll road through San Onofre State Beach would violate the state's coastal act, the California Coastal Commission has agreed to postpone its decision on the road at the request of its proponents.

October 8, 2007
Study says fish born in hatcheries losing ability to reproduce in wild
GRANTS PASS, Ore.  - The power of natural selection is producing steelhead in hatcheries that lose their ability to produce offspring in the wild, raising concerns about the effectiveness of captive-breeding programs to save endangered fish, a new study concludes.

October 6, 2007
Tourmaline Tailgaters raising money to build memorial
SAN DIEGO - At Tourmaline Surf Park, a loose-knit group of locals has served as caretakers of this scenic cove where gently folding waves attract hordes of longboarders.
        
Old surfers never die, they just keep telling their stories
OCEANSIDE - There are many legendary surfing stories, and a lot are told at the California Surf Museum in Oceanside.

October 5, 2007
Toll road delay rejected
An Irvine-based agency that wants to build a six-lane toll road across a popular state park at San Onofre has asked for the delay of a key decision amid signs the project might be rejected. The California Coastal Commission's staff, however, refused Thursday to pull the North County road project off the agenda for a meeting next Thursday in Los Angeles.

Parks panel survey says voters oppose toll road
SAN DIEGO -- A survey released Tuesday by a state parks foundation said voters wouldn't support the idea of building toll roads through parks, including an $875 million Orange County proposal that would cut close to a popular San Diego County surfing spot.

October 3, 2007
LOS ANGELES TIMES EDITORIAL
No to the Foothill South Toll Road
Building a new toll route through parkland and pristine wilderness is not the way to go in Orange County.

Brown to broaden fight over dirty air
State Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown, joining with national environmental groups, will petition the Bush Administration today to crack down on global warming emissions from ocean-going vessels, which make more than 11,000 calls at California ports each year.

October 2, 2007
Babcock buyout boosts plan for first U.S. offshore wind park
Bluewater Wind has been acquired by Babcock & Brown in a deal which should address the last major hurdle in the effort to finance and build what will likely be the first offshore wind park in the U.S., where costs stand at US$1.6 billion.
   
Science marks milestone in Scripps-inspired sea research
A pioneering effort to take stock of the world's oceans will reach a milestone today when an international team of scientists celebrates the launch of its 3,000th floating laboratory.

September 30, 2007
Seals' approval of beach poses problem in La Jolla
SAN DIEGO -- Oblivious to the 15-year legal and political fight their presence has caused, harbor seals loll in the water off the Children's Pool in La Jolla.

Whales' deaths spur questions on ship speeds
Since three blue whales have died off the Southern California coast this month, including two off Ventura County - all of which were either confirmed or greatly suspected to be killed by ship strikes - biologists are scrambling to see what, if anything, can or should be done to protect the endangered species swimming through one of the country's busiest shipping lanes.

September 29, 2007
Proposed O.C. tollway violates Coastal Act, report says
Building a six-lane toll road through San Onofre State Beach near San Clemente would lead to widespread violations of state environmental laws designed to protect endangered species, natural resources and recreational opportunities, according to a California Coastal Commission report released today.

New bill would open San Onofre for another reactor
A bill introduced earlier this week by Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, R-Irvine, would allow the building of a new nuclear reactor at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.

September 27, 2007
San Diego joins opposition of toll road extension
San Diego has joined a growing chorus of cities opposed to a toll road extension through San Onofre State Beach, surprising and disappointing tollway officials who are battling for support.

September 23, 2007
Whale death attributed to ship strike
The blue whale found dead last week in the Santa Barbara Channel was probably the third victim of a ship collision in two weeks, scientists said Saturday as they conducted a post-mortem on the 60-ton creature.

September 22, 2007
Rising seas likely to flood U.S. history
In about a century, some of the places that make America what it is may be slowly erased. Global warming — through a combination of melting glaciers, disappearing ice sheets and warmer waters expanding — is expected to cause oceans to rise by one meter, or about 39 inches.

Federal permit not yet issued for eradication of invasive arundo
The delay is costing critical time, said Pam Lindsey, an ecologist with the Ventura County Watershed Protection District, which is overseeing the project. Under terms of the state grant funding the project, work must be completed by August 2008.

Clean air strategy would further tighten restrictions
Air quality officials from Southern California and the state jointly announced a sweeping set of measures Friday aimed at improving Los Angeles' badly polluted air in time to meet a 2014 federal deadline.

September 21, 2007
State moves to protect marine life habitats
After  years of haggling with fishermen and coming to compromises in countless public hearings, the California Department of Fish and Game closed off hundreds of miles of Central Coast ocean today to protect marine life and help boost declining fish populations.

September 17, 2007
Retailers push reusable bags to save money, environment
Several large retailers, including Stop & Shop, New England's largest food retailer, and housewares store Ikea, now sell reusable shopping bags. Some groceries, including independent stores and natural foods chain Whole Foods, go a step further, offering credits of a few cents for each bag that's reused.

September 15, 2007
Sewage project's deadline is upheld
A SAN DIEGO judge yesterday refused to give the U.S. government more time to stop discharging toxic sewage off the South Bay coastline.

September 14, 2007
Marine debris bills faced rough time in Legislature
At the outset of the year, environmentalists and coastal advocates took dead aim at trash soiling California's beaches and harming marine life hundreds of miles offshore. But by the time the Legislature adjourned this week, just one of five bills they had proposed to attack the problem had safely navigated the rough waters of Sacramento politics.

September 7, 2007
Port picked for security program
SAN DIEGO - The Department of Homeland Security has chosen the Port of San Diego to participate in a $10 million pilot program aimed at detecting nuclear or radiological weapons aboard small commercial and recreational boats.

September 5, 2007
Catch adds to knowledge of great whites
A longtime fisherman helps aquarium get sharks.

August 29, 2007
Kuehl bill would set rules for lab cleanup
Proposed legislation that would prohibit the sale or transfer of Boeing Co.'s Santa Susana Field Laboratory unless the contaminated site is cleaned to the strictest standards has gained some behind-the-scenes momentum.

August 20, 2007
Tribe fears for village site along proposed O.C. toll road
The sacred burial site, mentioned in mission logs from the 1770s, abuts the planned extension of the 241 toll road.

August 10, 2007
Boxer says EPA stalling ports' air cleanup
Joined by a chorus of California and local officials, U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer accused federal air regulators Thursday of stalling on rules for highly polluting ocean vessels and said Congress must act instead.

August 7, 2007
Judge bans Navy from using sonar off Southern California
Federal jurist backs activists, saying use during training exercises off Southern California could harm whales.

Malibu Pier poised to recapture its past
Restaurants and other beach services are in the works after years of rebuilding delays.

August 2, 2007
Plastic water bottles open can of worms
Light, popular and easy to throw away, plastic water and drink bottles are dragging down California's recycling performance.

July 30, 2007
Californians all talk on environment
Poll reveals discrepancy between lifestyles, desire for green living.

July 29, 2007
Agency OKs waterfront makeover plan
SAN DIEGO - San Diego officials gave a green light to developer Douglas Manchester's massive waterfront makeover plan Wednesday, despite objections from the public that the project caters to the wealthy and sits on an earthquake fault.


City officials challenging draft report on bayfront
NATIONAL CITY - National City officials are questioning the accuracy of a consultant's report that seems to preclude the South County city from redeveloping a portion of its bayfront.


Project to bring undersea wonders to Web users
Scientists hope sea floor maps, data will aid conservation


July 28, 2007
Deaths of 11 trout in dried pools questioned
The only thing anyone knows for sure is that 11 dead fish were found in dried up pools in the Ventura River last month. Then the questions begin.



March 20, 2007
Navy sued twice over sonar use near coast
The California Coastal Commission filed suit yesterday to contest the Navy's assertion that the agency has no say over training maneuvers beyond the state's waters, which extend three miles from shore.


March 20, 2007
Two men caught in lobster traps
Suspecting poaching in a marine reserve, game wardens set up a sting.