• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) met with stakeholders and a representative from the U.S. Navy on March 21 to discuss the potential testing and training conflicts that the Navy has cited as an issue for offshore wind development along the Central Coast. A press release from Carbajal said that he called the meeting in advance of a letter that the Department of Defense is sending to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management identifying proposed areas for offshore wind platforms that wouldn’t interfere with naval training exercises off the Central Coast. “Today’s discussion looked to find opportunities within the challenges the Navy has outlined to take into account our renewable energy goals in light of the impending closure of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, as well as ocean area required for military training exercises,” Carbajal said in a statement. “I will continue working to bring renewable energy in all its forms to the Central Coast and to secure all available federal resources to help offset the economic impact of Diablo’s decommissioning. Offshore wind is one component of a multi-pronged strategy to designate the Central Coast a renewable energy hub, by attracting new businesses that provide good-paying jobs in our community.”
• On March 21, state Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo) released a statement supporting the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) decision to open an investigation into the data practices of tech companies. The statement was a response to a March 20 Politico article (“Agency probing Facebook plans broad review of tech data practices”) that broke the news. “For decades, large Silicon Valley companies have made money off the personal data of their unsuspecting users. As more information leaks out about how data is being collected and used, the public has demanded answers,” Cunningham said in the statement. “Last month some of my colleagues and I sent a letter to Congress urging them to push the FTC into taking action. I am glad that the FTC will open an investigation into these companies’ data practices, but Congress and the FTC must address Silicon Valley giants’ anti-competitive practices that squash innovation. We can support technological development while also protecting the consumer and encouraging innovation.”
• Ahead of the coming fire season, on March 22, California Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency on wildfires throughout the state that would expedite priority forest management projects that would protect 200 of California’s most wildfire-vulnerable communities. The proclamation follows a Cal Fire report released earlier in March that identified 35 priority fuel-reduction projects that could reduce the public safety risk for wildfire. “The increasing wildfire risks we face as a state mean we simply can’t wait until a fire starts in order to start deploying emergency resources,” Newsom said in a press release. Three of the projects would cover 6,798 acres of land in southern Santa Barbara County in the foothills outside of Santa Barbara, the Painted Cave community, and along San Marcos Pass.
• The Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) announced on March 21 a new logo designed to better represent its mission. The logo “reflects our vision of clean air and showcases how beautifully diverse our landscape is countywide,” APCD Director Aeron Arlin Genet said in a press release. It’s part of the APCD’s recent efforts to build up community understanding about the agency and get feedback on how to better provide news and information to county residents. A revamp of the website is up next for the APCD, and the agency is looking for community feedback. Share your ideas at surveymonkey.com/r/BTPNCBQ by March 29.
This article appears in Mar 28 – Apr 4, 2019.
