CDP: Waterways Clips: March 23, 2023
White House Announces $49B For Water Security. According to Politico, “The Biden administration on Wednesday announced up to $49 billion in funding to advance global water security efforts. The United States will ‘unveil a series of commitments of up to $49 billion’ at a U.N. water conference meeting in New York this week, White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said Wednesday in a statement. The spending commitments, Watson said, ‘reflect President Biden’s once-in-a-generation investment in equitable access as well as climate-resilient water and sanitation infrastructure at home and around the world. We will leverage learning from domestic investments and programs to improve and expand the success of our work abroad.’ The White House did not provide specifics about the spending commitments.” [Politico, 3/22/23 (=)]
Water Rule Foes Jockey To Capitalize On Injunction. According to Politico, “Idaho landowners at the heart of a potentially decisive Supreme Court case are seeking to use a recent court injunction to strike at federal oversight of waters around the country. In a letter Tuesday, an attorney for Chantell and Michael Sackett called for Supreme Court justices to note a recent last-minute legal move exempting the states of Texas and Idaho from the Biden administration's signature water policy — mere hours before it took effect. The Supreme Court is expected to soon rule in Sackett v. EPA.” [Politico, 3/22/23 (=)]
Judge OKs $626M Flint Water Crisis Settlement. According to Politico, “A multimillion-dollar settlement over one of the worst drinking water tragedies in recent history is moving forward after a judge signed off this week. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) announced Tuesday that a Genesee County judge had given final approval for a $626 million settlement over the Flint water crisis, inching residents closer to compensation. The move would be the largest civil settlement in the state's history, nearly a decade after the drinking water fiasco began.” [Politico, 3/22/23 (=)]
A Quarter Of World Population Lacks Safe Drinking Water — U.N. According to Politico, “A report issued on the eve of the first major U.N. conference on water in over 45 years says 26 percent of the world's population doesn't have access to safe drinking water, and 46 percent lacks access to basic sanitation. The ‘U.N. World Water Development Report 2023,’ released Tuesday, painted a stark picture of the huge gap that needs to be filled to meet U.N. goals to ensure all people have access to clean water and sanitation by 2030. Richard Connor, editor-in-chief of the report, told a news conference that the estimated cost of meeting the goals is between $600 billion and $1 trillion a year.” [Politico, 3/22/23 (=)]
Residents Sue Louisiana Parish To Halt Polluting Plants. According to the AP, “Residents of a Louisiana parish located in the heart of a cluster of polluting petrochemical factories filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday raising allegations of civil rights, environmental justice and religious liberty violations. The lawsuit names St. James Parish as the defendant and says the parish council approved the construction of several factories in two Black districts of the parish that emit harmful amounts of toxic chemicals. It said the pollution negatively affected the health of the area’s Black residents. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit are calling for a moratorium on petrochemical plants like one being built by Formosa Plastics that was approved by the council in 2019. The Associated Press reached out to the council for comment but did not receive an immediate response.” [AP, 3/22/23 (=)]
Geothermal Power, Cheap and Clean, Could Help Run Japan. So Why Doesn’t It? According to the New York Times, “A treasured getaway for travelers in Japan is a retreat to one of thousands of hot spring resorts nestled in the mountains or perched on scenic coasts, some of which have been frequented for centuries. All are powered by Japan’s abundant geothermal energy. In fact, Japan sits on so much geothermal energy potential, if harnessed to generate electricity, it could play a major role in replacing the nation’s coal, gas or nuclear plants. For decades, however, Japan’s geothermal energy ambitions have been blocked by its surprisingly powerful hot spring owners.” [New York Times, 3/22/23 (=)]
California Faces More Flooding After Strong Pacific Storm. According to Politico, “A strong late-season Pacific storm that brought damaging winds and more rain and snow to saturated California was blamed for two deaths, and forecasters said additional flooding was possible Wednesday in parts of the state. Tuesday's storm focused most of its energy on central and southern parts of the state, bringing threats of heavy runoff and mountain snowfall. In the north, intense hail was reported in Sacramento, the state capital. Locally heavy rain and snowmelt may cause flooding Wednesday in Southern California and central Arizona, the National Weather Service warned. On Tuesday, some residents of north-central Arizona were told to prepare to evacuate because of rising water levels in rivers and basins.” [Politico, 3/22/23 (=)]
One Of ‘Extraordinary’ Season’s Wildest California Storms Moves Out, But Flood Dangers Remain. According to the Los Angeles Times, “Heavy rain and damaging winds will gradually subside Wednesday as one of the wildest storms of the season makes its exit from the Golden State. The remarkable “bomb cyclone” rocked the San Francisco Bay Area and Central Coast, killing at least one person and critically injuring several others as it felled trees and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands. The storm brought hurricane-force winds as it developed two “eyes,” or areas of low pressure, that swirled around each other in what is known as the Fujiwhara effect, meteorologists said.” [Los Angeles Times, 3/22/23 (=)]
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