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The California Product Stewardship Act, AB 283, would incentivize producers to design products and packaging that are less toxic, more durable, reusable, recyclable and/or biodegradable.
“AB 283 moves California towards a more sustainable environment and economy,” said Chesbro, chair of the Assembly’s Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee. “Product stewardship will reduce government spending and greenhouse gases, while creating jobs that are desperately needed in our state. This bill will help move California out of its budget crisis and into a ‘cradle to cradle’ state that takes care of its own.”
AB 283 is supported by the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC). CPSC is an organization of local governments and other partners, formed to support development and implementation of product stewardship, otherwise known as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). EPR is a policy approach that shifts waste management costs from local governments to the producers who make design and marketing decisions. CPSC works collaboratively with other local government stewardship councils such as the Northwest Product Stewardship Council (NWPSC).
“CPSC and NWPSC have developed Framework Principles that address many products at once, rather than the product-by-product legislation that is slow and costly,” said Kevin Hendrick, Director of the Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority. “Framework legislation will streamline the process to include other products over time.”
AB 283 uses EPR Framework Principles that address climate change and the growing waste problem. Even with new recycling programs, California is still generating more waste than ever – 40-million tons annually. In a free market, EPR reduces waste while creating opportunities to grow businesses and jobs in recycling and manufacturing industries.
“EPR policies are working in Canada, Europe, Japan and other countries,” said Heidi Sanborn, Executive Director of CPSC. “The primary responsibility should rest with producers because only they make design and packaging decisions. It is far less expensive to design a product and packaging to reduce waste than it is to create expensive end-of-life disposal and recycling systems.”
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CLEARLAKE – The Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce has temporarily moved.
The chamber moved from its Golf Avenue location last week to the Highlands Senior Center at 3245 Bowers Ave., Clearlake.
The Clearlake City Council gave the chamber to move to the senior center because the building that the group rents from the city has a leaking roof.
Chamber Executive Director Lori Peters said the chamber will continue to offer information center services to residents and guests of Lake County in the new location. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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SACRAMENTO – A 12-year-old mare in California has tested positive for Contagious Equine Metritis (CEM), a highly contagious but treatable reproductive disease of horses.
The positive mare was bred via artificial insemination using shipped semen collected from a CEM-positive stallion. The mare remains under quarantine while being treated for the disease.
The mare is part of a disease investigation involving 45 states to identify horses with CEM. Exposure primarily occurs through natural breeding or artificial insemination by a horse infected with CEM.
CEM is a contagious bacterial infection spread between mares and stallions during mating or artificial insemination with infected semen. It can also be transmitted on contaminated breeding equipment.
CEM is not known to infect other livestock or humans. Stallions infected with CEM do not exhibit any clinical symptoms, but infection in the mare can cause fertility problems. The disease is successfully treated with antibiotics.
As of Feb. 17, a total of 11 stallions and three mares were confirmed infected in the United States. Three of the stallions are located in Indiana, four are in Kentucky, one is in Texas, and three are in Wisconsin. One mare is in Wisconsin, one in Illinois and one in California.
Nationwide, approximately 580 horses have been identified to date that are considered exposed to horses with confirmed infection. Due to the difficulty in detecting active CEM infection, all horses that may have been exposed to the disease are cultured and treated to prevent further spread. The source of the outbreak has not been determined.
In California, CDFA veterinarians are working with private practitioners to test 35 mares that have been quarantined due to exposure to an infected stallion. The mares will be released from quarantine following blood tests, cultures and treatment. To date, only one of these 35 mares has been confirmed as CEM positive.
CEM is considered a foreign animal disease in the United States. The disease was previously detected in the United States in 1978, 1979 and 2006. In all instances, the limited outbreaks were quickly eradicated.
Additional National CEM Information
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/hot_issues/cem/index.shtml
Additional California CEM Information
http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/AHFSS/Animal_Health/Contagious_Equine_Metritis.html
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PG&E's consolidated net income for the year ended December 31, 2008, reported in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), was $1.34 billion, or $3.63 per share, compared with $1 billion, or $2.78 per share, in 2007. Per-share earnings on a GAAP basis in 2008 include income from a settlement of 2001-2004 tax audits, totaling $257 million or $0.68 per share.
On a non-GAAP earnings from operations basis, which excludes the benefits of the tax settlement, PG&E Corporation's results in 2008 were $2.95 per share, compared with $2.78 per share in 2007.
For the fourth quarter of 2008, PG&E Corp.'s consolidated net income was $517 million, or $1.37 per share, reflecting the benefits of the tax settlement. This compares with $203 million, or $0.56 per share, in the same quarter of 2007.
On a non-GAAP earnings from operations basis, PG&E Corp.'s results in the fourth quarter of 2008 were $0.70 per share, compared with $0.56 per share in the fourth quarter of 2007.
The year-over-year increase in earnings from operations primarily reflects earnings from higher authorized capital investments in utility infrastructure and energy efficiency incentive revenues, partially offset by higher expenses due to storm-related outages, natural gas system maintenance activities, and the extended outage to replace the steam generators at one unit of the Diablo Canyon nuclear generating facility.
"Our results for 2008 were in line with our commitments to investors and continue to support our longer-term earnings growth targets," said Peter A. Darbee, Chairman, CEO and President of PG&E Corporation. "Looking ahead, we are confident that we are well positioned to continue making the needed investments to strengthen energy reliability and services for our customers."
Earnings guidance
PG&E Corp. reaffirms guidance for 2009 earnings from operations in the $3.15-$3.25 per share range.
Guidance assumes that Pacific Gas and Electric Co. maintains a ratemaking capital structure of 52 percent equity, that it maintains its California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)-authorized return on equity of 11.35 percent and achieves at least a 12 percent return on equity on its Federal Energy Regulatory Commission jurisdictional assets, while growing its asset base in line with its forecast, that it earns sufficient incentive revenues for energy efficiency achievements with an anticipated CPUC decision before the end of 2009, and that the Utility realizes planned operational and cost efficiencies.
Guidance excludes three anticipated items impacting comparability forecast to total between $0.05 and $0.11 per share.
The three items are: expected benefits of a settlement of refund claims for the 1998 and 1999 tax years that are anticipated to be finalized this year; forecasted recovery of hydroelectric divestiture costs incurred by the utility in 2000 and 2001 in connection with the proposed divestiture of its hydroelectric generation facilities; and forecasted costs to accelerate the completion of natural gas system integrity surveys and associated remedial work.
When added to earnings from operations, the net effect of these items impacting comparability results in 2009 GAAP earnings per share guidance of $3.20 to $3.36.
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