Is a California water agency racist? USEPA plans to investigate

California is known for leading the way in several respects regarding environmental protections for air, water, and other natural resources. But, has one of its major regulatory agencies been using racist policies to do its job? 

Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

Photo Credit: California Water Resources Control Board

In response to allegations by indigenous groups and environmental activists that the California State Water Resources Board has discriminated against Native American tribes and people of color, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has informed the State Water Board that it is under investigation for violating the civil rights of those groups.

According to the State Water Board itself, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta supplies freshwater to two-thirds of the state's population and millions of acres of farmland. Fresh water from the Sacramento, San Joaquin, and other rivers mix with salt water from the San Francisco Bay to form the largest estuary on the West Coast, home to a diverse range of fish and other wildlife.

However, the groups claim that the State Water Board has failed to properly review and update water quality control plans for the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta every 3 years as required by law. According to those groups, the Bay-Delta plan has not been updated in almost 17 years.

Because of this failure, the groups claim that water quality has significantly worsened, leading to decreased fish populations, increased toxic algae blooms, and stagnant waterways, all of which negatively impact tribes who depend upon these resources for their living. 

For more information:

L.A. Times:  EPA to Investigate California State Water Board for alleged civil rights violations

Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta info

EPA sparks furor over approval of new Chevron boat fuel that could cause cancer to everyone exposed to it over a lifetime

Folks who aren't particularly fond of the oil and gas industry and oil companies in particular are causing quite a stir over EPA's recent approval of a new boat fuel by Chevron. The new fuel, derived from discarded plastic, is so toxic that everyone exposed to it over the course of a lifetime would be expected to get cancer - that's according to calculations made by investigative reporters from ProPublica from data in an EPA risk assessment. Their calculated risk was 1.3:1  - basically anyone exposed to it - a number ProPublica claims was confirmed by EPA.

Photo: © Frank J. Maccioli

EPA had earlier refused to provide the risk assessment to reporters from ProPublica and another news site, The Guardian. The document was not obtained until ProPublica made a formal request through the federal Freedom of Information Act.

EPA's risk assessment, which was also done to review some other new fuel additives, including jet fuel (which apparently would cause cancer in 1 of 4 people exposed), typically uses extreme exposure scenarios to arrive at a risk number. However, as noted in this article, EPA's Risk Assessment Guidelines for Carcinogens generally does not approve things that result in a risk of more than 1 cancer death in 1 million exposures, let alone a 1 in 4 risk, or, as it worked out for the boat fuel additive, a 1.3 in 1 risk!

So what do you think, is this much ado about nothing or a serious threat to the well being of folks who operate boats and/or live near marinas?