Read more here.

This document provides guidance on how to comply with the water diversion measurement requirements under the California Water Code for diverters of water who file Statements of Water Diversion and Use (Statement). According to the State Water Resources Control Board’s (State Water Board) records, you filed a Statement or requested notification of this guidance.

Continue Reading Final Guidance for Complying with Water Diversion Measurement Requirements for Statement Holders

The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center announces the publication of a new document:

Bioaccumulation Models: State of the Application at Large Superfund Sites by Karl Gustavson, Trina von Stackelberg, Igor Linkov, and Todd Bridges

If you wish to access/download the document (31 pages, 474 kb) in pdf format, the address is: http://libweb.wes.army.mil/uhtbin/hyperion/TN-DOER-R17.pdf

BPC took a look at President Obama’s 2012 Appropriations Budget and added our recommendations regarding continuing construction projects, operations and maintenance, continuing authorities and navigation studies in progress of our members.

Download the excel spreadsheet.

Recently released new San Francisco Bay Subtidal Habitat Goals report led by California Coastal Conservancy/Ocean Protection Council, BCDC, NOAA Fisheries and Restoration Center, and San Francisco Estuary Partnership.  The report deals with 50-year planning horizon; six Subtidal habitat types; targeted restoration areas; public awareness and involvement with Subtidal areas; and high priority tidal wetlands sites and offshore Subtidal areas. http://www.sfbaysubtidal.org/report.html

Summary: The Bay Plan is not confined to “advisory” status regarding projects and activates outside BCDC’s formal jurisdiction. To the contrary, the Bay Plan has the force of binding federal law under the Coastal Zone Management Act with respect to any project or activity involving a federal permit or assistance (including financial assistance, insurance, and/or guarantees), whether or not located in BCDC’s formal jurisdiction. The Bay Plan also has significant regulatory impact under the California Environmental Quality Act. BCDC staff’s “analysis” to the contrary misstates the legal question at issue,  continues a pattern and practice of mischaracterizing the Coalition’s legal (and policy) arguments, and ultimately gets it dead wrong on the law.

Download a PDF of the full document here.

Read more or download the BCDC’s Bay Plan Amendment.

From the EPA Region 9:

EPA is pleased to offer this opportunity to support projects that protect and restore the water quality of the San Francisco Bay and its watersheds.  The 28 projects now underway using SFBWQIF funds leverage nearly $12 million and involve 37 partners working to achieve tangible results for the toughest problems still facing the Bay — wetlands and watershed restoration, legacy pollutants, urban runoff and climate change.  We encourage prospective applicants to read the RFP carefully as some sections differ from the previous RFPs.  We have also updated the list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) available at the weblink.

Please use the link below to find the open San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund (SFBWQIF) Request for Proposals (RFP).  Proposals will be due to EPA on January 28, 2011.

http://www.epa.gov/region9/water/watershed/sfbaywqfund.html

If you have questions, please feel free to contact us as listed below.  We encourage you to submit questions to us via email so that we can provide a more thorough answer and share this information with others through the FAQs.

Contacts:
Luisa Valiela                                     Erica Yelensky
Phone: (415) 972-3400                     Phone: (415) 972-3021
Email: valiela.luisa@epa.gov             Email: yelensky.erica@epa.gov

On June 2, BAAQMD unanimously adopted “thresholds of significance”.  These are numeric air pollution thresholds to be used in the land use review process by local government in deciding whether to require  builders/project sponsors to conduct studies on ways to remove pollution.  If construction projects exceed a certain threshold of emissions, ways to reduce or offset pollution would be to locate projects near bus, train and/or transit centers, create shuttles, and install energy saving devices such as solar panels.  A major concern about the guidelines is increased burden in the permit process and creating obstacles for in-fill development mandated by SB 375.  BAAQMD planning manager, Henry Hilken, said at a recent BPC membership briefing that the BAAQMD supports in-fill development and the guidelines will not prevent compliance with SB 375.

For more info, visit: http://www.baaqmd.gov/Division/Planning-and-Research/CEQA-GUIDELINES/Proposed-Guidelines.aspx.

The text of the bill is as follows:

SECTION 1. FUNDING FOR HARBOR MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS.

(a) Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund Guarantee-

(1) IN GENERAL- The total budget resources made available from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund each fiscal year pursuant to section 9505(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to expenditures from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund) shall be equal to the level of receipts plus interest credited to the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund for that fiscal year. Such amounts may be used only for harbor maintenance programs described in section 9505(c) of such Code.

(2) GUARANTEE- No funds may be appropriated for harbor maintenance programs described in such section unless the amount described in paragraph (1) has been provided.

(b) Definitions- In this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) TOTAL BUDGET RESOURCES- The term `total budget resources’ means the total amount made available by appropriations Acts from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund for a fiscal year for making expenditures under section 9505(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

(2) LEVEL OF RECEIPTS PLUS INTEREST- The term `level of receipts plus interest’ means the level of taxes and interest credited to the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund under section 9505 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 for a fiscal year as set forth in the President’s budget baseline projection as defined in section 257 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Public Law 99-177) for that fiscal year submitted pursuant to section 1105 of title 31, United States Code.

(c) Enforcement of Guarantees- It shall not be in order in the House of Representatives or the Senate to consider any bill, joint resolution, amendment, motion, or conference report that would cause total budget resources in a fiscal year for harbor maintenance programs described in subsection (b)(1) for such fiscal year to be less than the amount required by subsection (a)(1) for such fiscal year.