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"content": "\u003cp>The long-running cleanup of one of the nation’s most contaminated sites crossed a major hurdle on Thursday as officials announced the final phase of plans to remove radioactive and industrial waste from San Francisco’s former \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12005257/the-hunters-point-cranes-legacy-is-both-majestic-and-troubling\">Hunters Point Naval Shipyard\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This phase will take place underwater as the U.S. Navy and the Environmental Protection Agency address offshore pollution in the last of six areas that need environmental restoration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-and-navy-announce-milestone-cleanup-hunters-point-superfund-site-san-francisco\">new plan allows the Navy\u003c/a>, which is responsible for cleaning up the site, to address contaminated underwater sediment from a 443-acre area of the San Francisco Bay around the shipyard, otherwise known as Parcel F. This is the underwater area that wraps around the base; other parts of the base are currently undergoing remediation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Although today is an important day for record signing and planning about what the remedy is, it’s not the end of the work,” said Martha Guzman, the EPA’s Pacific Southwest regional administrator. “The history of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1993505/cleanup-of-san-francisco-superfund-site-has-been-badly-mishandled-lawsuit-alleges\">this project has dealt with many hurdles\u003c/a>, so it’s exciting to be here today to mark, really, the final action on the final parcel.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The cleanup will focus on select contaminants — polychlorinated biphenyls, copper, lead and mercury — left by the Navy when the base was active. The goal is to remove contaminants that endanger animals that live in bay mud, as well as birds and humans that eat the contaminated shellfish and fish harvested from the water around the site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Community advocates have called the agreement a “back door deal” that doesn’t fully address the radioactive contamination the Navy left in the soil at the site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991771\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991771\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3.jpg\" alt=\"Two side by side aerial maps of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. Dark blue circles are randomly spread out across the land showcasing where groundwater could emerge above the land surface in 2035 and 2065.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"952\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3-800x381.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3-1020x486.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3-160x76.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3-768x366.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3-1536x731.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3-1920x914.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In a changing climate, the circled light blue areas depict where groundwater could emerge above ground at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard by 2035 and 2065. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of U.S. Navy)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Work won’t start until 2027 after the Navy completes remedial design and planning. It will take about two years to complete the more than $30 million project; the Navy has yet to select a contractor to carry out the work or landfill to dispose of the waste.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The polluted sediment could be removed or remediated with dredging, treatment in place, capping or natural processes that eradicate the contaminants over time. The U.S. EPA and the California EPA oversee and enforce the Navy’s cleanup actions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 866-acre Hunters Point Naval Shipyard site was home to a shipyard from 1945 to 1974 and the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory from 1948 to 1960. By decontaminating ships after atomic bomb tests and other activities, the Navy contaminated shipyard soil and groundwater — as well as surface water and sediment in the San Francisco Bay — with radioactive chemicals, heavy metals and petroleum fuels. The base was declared one of the nation’s most contaminated sites in 1989.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agencies overseeing the cleanup alongside the Navy spent at least six years figuring out the best way to clean up the underwater portion of the site because it poses a risk to people and wildlife.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cleanup of the site began in 1996.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You don’t have to be an engineer to do the math, but that’s 28 years,” said Eileen White, executive officer of the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board. “I want to thank the community who’s had to wait, but the end product is going to be great.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The project is important as storms intensify because of human-caused climate change, said Michael Montgomery, director of the EPA’s Superfund and Emergency Management Division.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Very large storms can cause disruption,” he said. “So, in terms of super storms, the remedy would help prevent contamination from shifting.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bayview residents, including Arieann Harrison, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1979614/for-these-black-bayview-hunters-point-residents-reparations-include-safeguarding-against-rising-toxic-contamination\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">have advocated for the complete cleanup of the site for decades\u003c/a>. Harrison, founder and CEO of the Marie Harrison Community Foundation, said community members felt blindsided by the plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12005257 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/240918-HUNTERSPOINTCRANE-16-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“None of us affected by the contamination have been allowed to see the plan before they signed it today, let alone have a say,” she said. “The decision appears to be woefully inadequate to protect the public and the environment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harrison wants the Navy to include eradicating radioactive contamination in its new plan. However, the Navy insists it did not discover radioactive chemicals or objects during its recent testing of Parcel F.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Danielle Janda, bay closure manager for the former Hunter Point Naval Shipyard, said that doesn’t mean no radioactive objects are buried within the sediment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s no way to find every single one,” she said. “While we do the remediation, there’s going to have to be controls in place to make sure that people don’t encounter those.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Janda said the agreement allows the Navy to design the cleanup to “ensure long-term public health and safety and protect the local environment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Community groups have alerted the Navy for years that the “refusal to undertake any cleanup of radionuclides is inappropriate,” according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.committeetobridgethegap.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/CBG_Parcel_F_Comments.pdf\">2018 Committee to Bridge the Gap\u003c/a> analysis. The report suggests radioactive contamination on land could have migrated through stormwater runoff or sewer lines, and “it simply isn’t credible to assert no radioactive contamination in Parcel F.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thursday’s announcement is just the latest in a decades-long effort to clean up the contaminated site. Just last year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1985646/radioactive-object-found-at-san-franciscos-hunters-point-naval-shipyard-raises-new-concerns\">the Navy unearthed two radioactive objects there\u003c/a>. Earlier this year, the Navy, for the first time, acknowledged what Bay Area climate scientists and residents had asked the agency to look into for years: in just over a decade, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1991758/u-s-navy-acknowledges-rising-toxic-groundwater-threat-at-sf-superfund-site\">potentially toxic groundwater could surface there\u003c/a> partly because of human-caused climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The final remediation phase raises fresh questions about the city’s plans to build thousands of homes on what is an exceedingly complex and ongoing cleanup effort. When finished, the 693-acre Candlestick Point-Hunters Point Shipyard project — which the Superfund site is part of — could have more than 10,000 housing units. The development would include two new waterfront neighborhoods with housing, retail, and over 340 acres of parks and open space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The cleanup will focus on select contaminants — polychlorinated biphenyls, copper, lead and mercury — left by the Navy when the base was active. The goal is to remove contaminants that endanger animals that live in bay mud, as well as birds and humans that eat the contaminated shellfish and fish harvested from the water around the site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Community advocates have called the agreement a “back door deal” that doesn’t fully address the radioactive contamination the Navy left in the soil at the site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991771\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991771\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3.jpg\" alt=\"Two side by side aerial maps of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. Dark blue circles are randomly spread out across the land showcasing where groundwater could emerge above the land surface in 2035 and 2065.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"952\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3-800x381.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3-1020x486.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3-160x76.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3-768x366.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3-1536x731.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3-1920x914.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In a changing climate, the circled light blue areas depict where groundwater could emerge above ground at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard by 2035 and 2065. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of U.S. Navy)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Work won’t start until 2027 after the Navy completes remedial design and planning. It will take about two years to complete the more than $30 million project; the Navy has yet to select a contractor to carry out the work or landfill to dispose of the waste.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The polluted sediment could be removed or remediated with dredging, treatment in place, capping or natural processes that eradicate the contaminants over time. The U.S. EPA and the California EPA oversee and enforce the Navy’s cleanup actions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 866-acre Hunters Point Naval Shipyard site was home to a shipyard from 1945 to 1974 and the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory from 1948 to 1960. By decontaminating ships after atomic bomb tests and other activities, the Navy contaminated shipyard soil and groundwater — as well as surface water and sediment in the San Francisco Bay — with radioactive chemicals, heavy metals and petroleum fuels. The base was declared one of the nation’s most contaminated sites in 1989.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agencies overseeing the cleanup alongside the Navy spent at least six years figuring out the best way to clean up the underwater portion of the site because it poses a risk to people and wildlife.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cleanup of the site began in 1996.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You don’t have to be an engineer to do the math, but that’s 28 years,” said Eileen White, executive officer of the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board. “I want to thank the community who’s had to wait, but the end product is going to be great.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The project is important as storms intensify because of human-caused climate change, said Michael Montgomery, director of the EPA’s Superfund and Emergency Management Division.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Very large storms can cause disruption,” he said. “So, in terms of super storms, the remedy would help prevent contamination from shifting.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bayview residents, including Arieann Harrison, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1979614/for-these-black-bayview-hunters-point-residents-reparations-include-safeguarding-against-rising-toxic-contamination\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">have advocated for the complete cleanup of the site for decades\u003c/a>. Harrison, founder and CEO of the Marie Harrison Community Foundation, said community members felt blindsided by the plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“None of us affected by the contamination have been allowed to see the plan before they signed it today, let alone have a say,” she said. “The decision appears to be woefully inadequate to protect the public and the environment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harrison wants the Navy to include eradicating radioactive contamination in its new plan. However, the Navy insists it did not discover radioactive chemicals or objects during its recent testing of Parcel F.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Danielle Janda, bay closure manager for the former Hunter Point Naval Shipyard, said that doesn’t mean no radioactive objects are buried within the sediment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s no way to find every single one,” she said. “While we do the remediation, there’s going to have to be controls in place to make sure that people don’t encounter those.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Janda said the agreement allows the Navy to design the cleanup to “ensure long-term public health and safety and protect the local environment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Community groups have alerted the Navy for years that the “refusal to undertake any cleanup of radionuclides is inappropriate,” according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.committeetobridgethegap.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/CBG_Parcel_F_Comments.pdf\">2018 Committee to Bridge the Gap\u003c/a> analysis. The report suggests radioactive contamination on land could have migrated through stormwater runoff or sewer lines, and “it simply isn’t credible to assert no radioactive contamination in Parcel F.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thursday’s announcement is just the latest in a decades-long effort to clean up the contaminated site. Just last year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1985646/radioactive-object-found-at-san-franciscos-hunters-point-naval-shipyard-raises-new-concerns\">the Navy unearthed two radioactive objects there\u003c/a>. Earlier this year, the Navy, for the first time, acknowledged what Bay Area climate scientists and residents had asked the agency to look into for years: in just over a decade, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1991758/u-s-navy-acknowledges-rising-toxic-groundwater-threat-at-sf-superfund-site\">potentially toxic groundwater could surface there\u003c/a> partly because of human-caused climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The final remediation phase raises fresh questions about the city’s plans to build thousands of homes on what is an exceedingly complex and ongoing cleanup effort. When finished, the 693-acre Candlestick Point-Hunters Point Shipyard project — which the Superfund site is part of — could have more than 10,000 housing units. The development would include two new waterfront neighborhoods with housing, retail, and over 340 acres of parks and open space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "After Park Fire Devastation, an Unexpected Boon for Butterflies",
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"content": "\u003cp>Don Hankins examines a bright yellow-green patch in the meadow. The land all around is charred by fire. But here, there’s a sort of miracle at work. Native milkweed has sprung up and bloomed for the second time this year. This is not something these plants, \u003cem>Asclepias eriocarpa\u003c/em>, also known as Indian milkweed, are known to do.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They bloomed in late spring and early summer and had already done so this year when the Park Fire roared through. But the fire seemed to happen at just the right time to coax a second flowering, one that is likely to line up with the return migration of the monarch butterflies south to overwinter in Mexico. Monarchs rely on these flowers to complete their life cycle. For researcher Don Hankins, this is a surprise delight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We may be coming back into some knowledge here that hasn’t been practiced in a long time,” said Don Hankins, a professor at Chico State, who teaches classes in geography with a focus on fire. He is also a California Plains Miwok traditional cultural practitioner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Native tribes of Central California tended milkweed with fire and used the plant’s fibers in feather belts, weaving the fibers together with feathers from important bird species into velvet-like textiles decorated in geometric patterns. While milkweed and such birds were once abundant, today, they are comparatively rare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994502\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-03-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1994502\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A man wearing a yellow safety helmet squats next a man wearing a red safety helmet with his hand in some plants.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-03-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-03-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-03-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-03-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-03-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chico State professor Don Hankins (right) and Ian Colunga, land steward at the Big Chico Creek Ecological reserve, crouch amid a meadow of native milkweed that has resprouted and bloomed within the Park Fire footprint on Aug. 28, 2024. Milkweed is crucial to imperiled monarch butterflies and, in general, is only known to bloom once a year. \u003ccite>(Danielle Venton/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Hankins’ research uses indigenous “eco-cultural” knowledge to detect signs of healthy landscapes and to draw lessons on how to steward. So he is fascinated that this year, the milkweed meadow at the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve will get another round of flowers and maybe another set of seeds. And the butterflies got an extra meal and a chance to lay eggs. Hankins suspects tribes knew how to time fires to achieve the same thing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Monarch butterflies, painted in brilliant orange, black and white-spotted wings, are known for four main things. Their iconic, spectacular coloring advertises they are poisonous to eat. Each year, the butterflies migrate thousands of miles, overwintering in Mexico and California in large clusters of trees. Their larvae won’t survive \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/24004/efforts-to-restore-monarch-butterflies-milkweed-habitats-may-be-doing-more-harm-than-good\">on anything but milkweed.\u003c/a> Monarch butterflies are near the brink of extinction, their population having declined by 99.9 % since the 1980s. Increasing milkweed habitat is crucial to the species long-term future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994501\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-02-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1994501\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A hand holds a milkweed seedpod.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-02-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-02-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-02-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-02-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Don Hankins holds a milkweed seedpod on Aug. 28, 2024. Native tribes traditionally use the glossy, soft, cotton-like fibers. Weavers combined the fibers with bird feathers to make velvet-like textiles in rich geometric patterns. Hankins’ research uses indigenous knowledge to draw lessons about how to care for land. \u003ccite>(Danielle Venton/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I’m actually really excited to share this with folks, to understand it,” Hankins said, “because it’s really phenomenal to see [milkweed] resprouting so vigorously. It is by far the tallest thing out here at this point in time on the ground.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Observers have already noticed monarch larvae on them.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>A phoenix landscape holds lessons\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The Park Fire, California’s fourth largest fire on record, scorched 430,000 acres and hundreds of homes in Butte and Tehama counties in late July and August. Some of those acres were in the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve, on which Hankins has conducted planned burns since 2009, intentionally lighting fires to clear vegetation and encourage native plant growth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994500\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-01-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1994500\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A charred landscape with some vegetation growing.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-01-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-01-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Park Fire burned hot and extreme up through a canyon to Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve. Despite the land’s scorched appearance plants, especially oaks and native grasses, are bounding back. \u003ccite>(Danielle Venton/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The reserve was perhaps as prepared as anywhere else in the area. And yet, when Don Hankins first saw it, trees burned down to matchsticks, a canyon scorched on both sides, an 1870s barn where classes and community events gathered reduced to rubble, he was surprised at how much damage the fire left behind. It felt like a punch to the gut.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Initially, I thought, ‘Wow, was the work that had gone into it, was it all in vain?'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As he looked around at the fresh growth of native grasses, flowers and trees and saw instead success: a land that bounced back despite experiencing an extreme wildfire. There are areas where the fire calmed down, thanks to the burning he and his colleagues did. And if the rest of the watershed had been prepared in the same way, the entire fire would likely have been much less intense.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really a testament to the work that we’re doing here,” he said. “All this regrowth right off the cuff. It’s a real gem to be able to share with people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prior to Spanish settlement, millions of acres a year burned in California, some fires ignited by lightning strikes, others by the indigenous inhabitants. Native people set these fires for scores of purposes, from reducing insect populations to encouraging the regrowth of basketry materials. However, one clear effect was that the more young trees, shrubs and grass were burned, the less fuel there was for future fires. In the hopes of bringing back some of that old-style fire protection, land agencies said they want to dramatically increase the use of prescribed fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994503\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-60-BL_qed.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1994503\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-60-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"A man wearing a blue shirt points towards burned land.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-60-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-60-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-60-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-60-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-60-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-60-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-60-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Don Hankins, Professor of Geography and Planning at California State University, Chico, points to a burn scar from the Park Fire south of Forest Ranch along Route 32 on Sept. 10, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>They have been slow to implement on a scale big enough to curb out-of-control wildfires. That’s true around the state, but Butte County has been especially hard hit by recent fires, including the Dixie, North Complex and Camp Fire, which destroyed the town of Paradise. And even when the land has recently burned in a planned fire, as it was at Big Chico Creek, mild wildfire is not a guarantee: topography and weather also get a vote in how a fire behaves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s places on the landscape where we know fire likes to flow. It’s kind of like water,” said wildfire mapping expert and analyst Zeke Lunder. Lunder is also a trained “burn boss,” qualified to run prescribed burns. “It flows over the landscape in kind of knowable ways.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hankins pointed to a field dotted with burned oak trees, sloping down toward a creek. Look at the ash and soil, he said, the color of which indicates how hot the fire was.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We see areas here and there with red soil and white ash,” he said. That tells us it was really hot in those places. His research has shown that, as those areas recover, often “native plants are the only things that have survived deeper down in the seed bank.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re going to have a lot of native plants that maybe we haven’t seen in a few generations out here in those places,” Hankins said. “I’m really looking forward to that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In other patches, where ash is black, the fire burned less intensively. Perhaps ironically, that may lead to a longer-term recovery in those areas and more work for the 40 or so employees who take care of the reserve.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Because of the timing of the fire, we’re probably going to have a lot of our invasive grasses and plants, like yellow star thistle, will come back mixed in with our native plants,” he said. If it had swept through in fall instead of summer, on the other hand, it would have likely favored natives over invasives. “Our ultimate stewardship out here is really focused on trying to get native plants to dominate again in the landscape.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These effects run counter to the conventional, simple wisdom that hot fire is ecologically bad and low-intensity fire is ecologically good. Hankins stressed the situation and place are important when talking about fire. Here, the reserve is in the foothills of California’s Cascade Range and nonnative species abound. He has seen high-severity fires in other locations, such as at higher elevations in the mountains, which can be very harmful to native species. Fire is complex —\u003cbr>\nand the thing about complexity is that it’s complicated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there is also good news all around. [aside postID=\"science_1994339,news_12001405,news_11998783\" label=\"Related Stories\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a meadow that gets burned every year, there is an early “green up” of native plants: blue wild rye, creeping wild rye and —\u003cbr>\nCalifornia’s state grass —\u003cbr>\npurple needle grass. The oaks all around are already greening, new sprouts shooting from their trunks or branches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This landscape evolved with fire. The structures that were here are just temporary,” Hankins said. “The only real guarantee we have is that fire is going to be here. So the real opportunity for us is to decide, what kind of fire do we want here?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Imagine, he said, if there had been a checkerboard of burns in the footprint of the fire, if the tops of the ridges had been tended and prepared.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That would have slowed, maybe even stopped the progression of this fire. But there was none of that.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "At a reserve outside of Chico, California a landscape’s rebound following the Park Fire holds lessons for living with wildfire. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Don Hankins examines a bright yellow-green patch in the meadow. The land all around is charred by fire. But here, there’s a sort of miracle at work. Native milkweed has sprung up and bloomed for the second time this year. This is not something these plants, \u003cem>Asclepias eriocarpa\u003c/em>, also known as Indian milkweed, are known to do.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They bloomed in late spring and early summer and had already done so this year when the Park Fire roared through. But the fire seemed to happen at just the right time to coax a second flowering, one that is likely to line up with the return migration of the monarch butterflies south to overwinter in Mexico. Monarchs rely on these flowers to complete their life cycle. For researcher Don Hankins, this is a surprise delight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We may be coming back into some knowledge here that hasn’t been practiced in a long time,” said Don Hankins, a professor at Chico State, who teaches classes in geography with a focus on fire. He is also a California Plains Miwok traditional cultural practitioner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Native tribes of Central California tended milkweed with fire and used the plant’s fibers in feather belts, weaving the fibers together with feathers from important bird species into velvet-like textiles decorated in geometric patterns. While milkweed and such birds were once abundant, today, they are comparatively rare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994502\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-03-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1994502\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A man wearing a yellow safety helmet squats next a man wearing a red safety helmet with his hand in some plants.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-03-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-03-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-03-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-03-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-03-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chico State professor Don Hankins (right) and Ian Colunga, land steward at the Big Chico Creek Ecological reserve, crouch amid a meadow of native milkweed that has resprouted and bloomed within the Park Fire footprint on Aug. 28, 2024. Milkweed is crucial to imperiled monarch butterflies and, in general, is only known to bloom once a year. \u003ccite>(Danielle Venton/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Hankins’ research uses indigenous “eco-cultural” knowledge to detect signs of healthy landscapes and to draw lessons on how to steward. So he is fascinated that this year, the milkweed meadow at the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve will get another round of flowers and maybe another set of seeds. And the butterflies got an extra meal and a chance to lay eggs. Hankins suspects tribes knew how to time fires to achieve the same thing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Monarch butterflies, painted in brilliant orange, black and white-spotted wings, are known for four main things. Their iconic, spectacular coloring advertises they are poisonous to eat. Each year, the butterflies migrate thousands of miles, overwintering in Mexico and California in large clusters of trees. Their larvae won’t survive \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/24004/efforts-to-restore-monarch-butterflies-milkweed-habitats-may-be-doing-more-harm-than-good\">on anything but milkweed.\u003c/a> Monarch butterflies are near the brink of extinction, their population having declined by 99.9 % since the 1980s. Increasing milkweed habitat is crucial to the species long-term future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994501\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-02-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1994501\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A hand holds a milkweed seedpod.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-02-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-02-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-02-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-02-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Don Hankins holds a milkweed seedpod on Aug. 28, 2024. Native tribes traditionally use the glossy, soft, cotton-like fibers. Weavers combined the fibers with bird feathers to make velvet-like textiles in rich geometric patterns. Hankins’ research uses indigenous knowledge to draw lessons about how to care for land. \u003ccite>(Danielle Venton/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I’m actually really excited to share this with folks, to understand it,” Hankins said, “because it’s really phenomenal to see [milkweed] resprouting so vigorously. It is by far the tallest thing out here at this point in time on the ground.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Observers have already noticed monarch larvae on them.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>A phoenix landscape holds lessons\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The Park Fire, California’s fourth largest fire on record, scorched 430,000 acres and hundreds of homes in Butte and Tehama counties in late July and August. Some of those acres were in the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve, on which Hankins has conducted planned burns since 2009, intentionally lighting fires to clear vegetation and encourage native plant growth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994500\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-01-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1994500\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A charred landscape with some vegetation growing.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-01-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240924-Park-Fire-Forest-DV-01-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Park Fire burned hot and extreme up through a canyon to Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve. Despite the land’s scorched appearance plants, especially oaks and native grasses, are bounding back. \u003ccite>(Danielle Venton/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The reserve was perhaps as prepared as anywhere else in the area. And yet, when Don Hankins first saw it, trees burned down to matchsticks, a canyon scorched on both sides, an 1870s barn where classes and community events gathered reduced to rubble, he was surprised at how much damage the fire left behind. It felt like a punch to the gut.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Initially, I thought, ‘Wow, was the work that had gone into it, was it all in vain?'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As he looked around at the fresh growth of native grasses, flowers and trees and saw instead success: a land that bounced back despite experiencing an extreme wildfire. There are areas where the fire calmed down, thanks to the burning he and his colleagues did. And if the rest of the watershed had been prepared in the same way, the entire fire would likely have been much less intense.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really a testament to the work that we’re doing here,” he said. “All this regrowth right off the cuff. It’s a real gem to be able to share with people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prior to Spanish settlement, millions of acres a year burned in California, some fires ignited by lightning strikes, others by the indigenous inhabitants. Native people set these fires for scores of purposes, from reducing insect populations to encouraging the regrowth of basketry materials. However, one clear effect was that the more young trees, shrubs and grass were burned, the less fuel there was for future fires. In the hopes of bringing back some of that old-style fire protection, land agencies said they want to dramatically increase the use of prescribed fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994503\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-60-BL_qed.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1994503\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-60-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"A man wearing a blue shirt points towards burned land.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-60-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-60-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-60-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-60-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-60-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-60-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-60-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Don Hankins, Professor of Geography and Planning at California State University, Chico, points to a burn scar from the Park Fire south of Forest Ranch along Route 32 on Sept. 10, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>They have been slow to implement on a scale big enough to curb out-of-control wildfires. That’s true around the state, but Butte County has been especially hard hit by recent fires, including the Dixie, North Complex and Camp Fire, which destroyed the town of Paradise. And even when the land has recently burned in a planned fire, as it was at Big Chico Creek, mild wildfire is not a guarantee: topography and weather also get a vote in how a fire behaves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s places on the landscape where we know fire likes to flow. It’s kind of like water,” said wildfire mapping expert and analyst Zeke Lunder. Lunder is also a trained “burn boss,” qualified to run prescribed burns. “It flows over the landscape in kind of knowable ways.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hankins pointed to a field dotted with burned oak trees, sloping down toward a creek. Look at the ash and soil, he said, the color of which indicates how hot the fire was.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We see areas here and there with red soil and white ash,” he said. That tells us it was really hot in those places. His research has shown that, as those areas recover, often “native plants are the only things that have survived deeper down in the seed bank.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re going to have a lot of native plants that maybe we haven’t seen in a few generations out here in those places,” Hankins said. “I’m really looking forward to that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In other patches, where ash is black, the fire burned less intensively. Perhaps ironically, that may lead to a longer-term recovery in those areas and more work for the 40 or so employees who take care of the reserve.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Because of the timing of the fire, we’re probably going to have a lot of our invasive grasses and plants, like yellow star thistle, will come back mixed in with our native plants,” he said. If it had swept through in fall instead of summer, on the other hand, it would have likely favored natives over invasives. “Our ultimate stewardship out here is really focused on trying to get native plants to dominate again in the landscape.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These effects run counter to the conventional, simple wisdom that hot fire is ecologically bad and low-intensity fire is ecologically good. Hankins stressed the situation and place are important when talking about fire. Here, the reserve is in the foothills of California’s Cascade Range and nonnative species abound. He has seen high-severity fires in other locations, such as at higher elevations in the mountains, which can be very harmful to native species. Fire is complex —\u003cbr>\nand the thing about complexity is that it’s complicated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there is also good news all around. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a meadow that gets burned every year, there is an early “green up” of native plants: blue wild rye, creeping wild rye and —\u003cbr>\nCalifornia’s state grass —\u003cbr>\npurple needle grass. The oaks all around are already greening, new sprouts shooting from their trunks or branches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This landscape evolved with fire. The structures that were here are just temporary,” Hankins said. “The only real guarantee we have is that fire is going to be here. So the real opportunity for us is to decide, what kind of fire do we want here?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Imagine, he said, if there had been a checkerboard of burns in the footprint of the fire, if the tops of the ridges had been tended and prepared.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That would have slowed, maybe even stopped the progression of this fire. But there was none of that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "park-fire-survivors-stuck-in-recovery-limbo-as-officials-figure-out-what-to-do",
"title": "Park Fire Survivors Stuck in Recovery Limbo as Officials Figure Out What to Do",
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"content": "\u003cp>[dropcap]U[/dropcap]nder a low-slung ceiling of flashing disco lights, Yahmo Ahqha roared into the mic during his band’s practice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The band, called Yahmo, is in the performance space of an independent radio station in Chico. They have shows coming up, want to record an album, and need to stay sharp.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a moment of some normalcy in Ahqha’s week, doing what he loves. But outside of rehearsal, his life is one of uncertainty, anything but normal. Ahqha, like many of his friends, lost his Cohasset home in the hills north of Chico in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/park-fire\">Park Fire,\u003c/a> which broke out on July 24.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ahqha was playing with his 9-year-old son at their home when the fire touched off near Bidwell Park in Chico and roared up toward them. An alert to leave came through on his phone, and they jumped in a car and left.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m still kind of processing, really,” he said. “I’m super happy to be alive, and my son, too.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like many affected by the Park Fire, he was uninsured. The disaster, as of right now, doesn’t clearly meet the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s threshold for aid: $73 million in structural losses. That’s when the president declares a major disaster and deems the incident beyond the combined capabilities of state and local governments to respond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, California is trying to negotiate with the federal government. But the result is that Ahqha and other survivors are left in a bureaucratic quagmire of uncertainty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994305\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1994305\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-33-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-33-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-33-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-33-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-33-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-33-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-33-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-33-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Yahmo Ahqha stands next to what remains of his destroyed home in Cohasset on Sept. 10. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With no clarity from the county, state or federal government about what victims should expect next, he is one of hundreds of survivors in a vortex of trying to help himself while asking for help through a GoFundMe, while helping others, while waiting for answers from officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It seems unbelievable, affected residents said, that after so many bad fires, there isn’t a set way to handle recovery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m grateful there’s a really good community here,” Ahqha said.“A lot of people are pulling together.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, he said, relief options are limited.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So we’re, really, a lot of people, anybody uninsured, is in a pretty rough spot right now,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_11998471]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Butte County Supervisor Doug Teeter, who represents the area affected by the Park Fire, said he understands why survivors are upset.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The people don’t understand that [officials] are waiting for someone to figure out whose pocketbook this is coming out of. It’s a pretty crappy answer, isn’t it?”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Officials at a loss for answers\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Residents of the heavily impacted community of Cohasset and nearby Forest Ranch are trying to figure out who, if anyone, will pick up the tab for even the first basic steps of recovery, like debris cleanup. Although the California Department of Toxic Substances Control has cleared many properties of immediate hazards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ahqha called his congressional representative, Doug LaMalfa, asking for his office to apply some pressure for some movement to get help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Right now, everybody is saying they’re waiting on the California Office of Emergency Services, they’re the ones responsible for validating the requirements for FEMA. It’s not my area of expertise, but I’m having a crash course in it,” Ahqha said. “It’s just a waiting game with bad odds.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994300\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1994300\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-11-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-11-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-11-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-11-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-11-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-11-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-11-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The remains of the garage on Yahmo Ahqha’s property in Cohasset. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The problem is that it is unclear what government organization will take responsibility for assistance. In personal conversations, on the Cohasset private Facebook group and in public community meetings, people are frustrated with being stuck in an information void.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CalOES did not respond to a KQED request for an interview.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlike the nearby 2018 Camp Fire, which \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11789259/state-probe-says-pge-missed-deadly-flaw-on-line-that-sparked-camp-fire\">ignited from a PG&E transmission line\u003c/a>, officials believe the cause of the Park Fire was arson. Butte County prosecutors have charged Ronnie Dean Stout II with the crime, alleging that he pushed a flaming car off a cliff. He has told investigators that the car caught fire accidentally and that he fled the area because he was frightened. He \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12001405/chico-man-pleads-not-guilty-to-starting-californias-massive-park-fire\">pled not guilty\u003c/a> in August.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s no FEMA,” Ahqha said. “It’s not like we can sue PG&E.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E \u003ca href=\"https://www.norcalfirelawyers.com/pge-fire-settlements/\">settled for half a billion dollars in liabilities\u003c/a> stemming from the Camp Fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Why isn’t there a plan that’s just ready to roll out?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Supervisor Teeter, whose own home in Paradise was destroyed by the Camp Fire, said he hears the frustration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was at the [Cohasset Community] meeting and they’re like: ‘You guys should have a plan. There’s been enough fires. You should have a plan that’s just ready to roll out,’” Teeter said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Butte County has recovery plans from the Camp and North Complex fires, he explained. But if officials started doing residential waste cleanup themselves, it could risk making the county ineligible for state or federal aid because each fire is responded to uniquely depending on who is calling the shots at the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not like [agencies] go, ‘You do this, we’ll guarantee the money.’ They audit the heck out of you,” Teeter said. “So you can’t just go, ‘OK, we’re going to start, on the county dime, cleaning up these parcels and then just expect out of the blue FEMA’s going to fully fund it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It took until Wednesday, Sept. 11, for Butte County to announce they had received formal approval from CalOES to begin debris removal on private properties — almost 50 days after the fire broke out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Residents do not yet have details on what that means for them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The County and State will work together to stand up the debris removal program. Information will be shared on the County website as it becomes available,” a press release said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994303\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1994303\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-30-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-30-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-30-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-30-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-30-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-30-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-30-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-30-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Yahmo Ahqha holds a photo of his home in Cohasset from before the Park Fire burned through the area. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Teeter’s belief, he said, is that state officials want to help, but they first want to exhaust all opportunities to get reimbursed by FEMA. So, the county wants the state to come in, and the state wants FEMA to come in. So that, “Ultimately, the feds are the ones on the hook for the dollars.” Currently, he does not know if FEMA will help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For property owners without insurance, companies pay out money to cover debris removal. However, many homeowners use this money for other expenses, such as rebuilding costs, according to Amy Bach of United Policyholders, a nonprofit that helps people navigate insurance matters post-disaster. People might “need every dime of the insurance coverage that they have just to put their house back,” she said. “So often, the hope is that the debris removal is going to be funded by the government. That’s what people pray for, right?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there can be uncertainty, a worry that those people will be asked to pay some portion of their insurance payout back to whoever does the local cleanup. “And that’s a tricky dynamic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994312\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1994312\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-17-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-17-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-17-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-17-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-17-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-17-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-17-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-17-BL-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Yahmo Ahqha points to a pile of abalone shells in what remains of his garage in Cohasset on Sept. 10. His grandmother and mother found the abalone shells, and Ahqha, a descendent of the Pomo Nation, had planned to incorporate them into his regalia. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Adding to the general uncertainty and exasperation, at the moment, the county’s advice is that Park Fire survivors should not even return to their property to retrieve valuables or mementos that may have survived the flames. The county’s concern is that disturbing and spreading the ash could compromise people’s ability to be included in a government cleanup program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To me, that’s not acceptable,” Teeter said. “It’s not fair to people that believe they have stuff that they want to find, like jewelry or ceramics. That’s their right. That’s the biggest frustration that I want something solved ASAP on.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Teeter has requested that CalOES issue a clear policy on retrievals, but that has not happened yet.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Getting on their feet as best they can\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Survivors have received some aid. The American Red Cross responded quickly and set up an aid center at the invitation of the county. Several survivors spoke of receiving cash aid from the organization, which they used to pay bills, buy food or replace basic items.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other community organizations have also aided in relief through gift cards, grants, food or supplies. Many, many survivors, particularly those who did not have personal or property insurance, have set up a GoFundMe online donation page.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of people have chipped in and helped me,” Ahqha said. “And I’m really super grateful. But that’s kind of the only thing I got going on other than some of these different organizations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994297\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1994297 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-01-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-01-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-01-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-01-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-01-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Yahmo Ahqha plays guitar in a practice space in Chico on Sept. 10, where he works giving music lessons. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Sacramento Blues Society recently granted him $500. And he himself helped raise $8,000 through a \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/kaimusicandarts/\">local music and arts nonprofit\u003c/a> that put on a multiband fundraiser in Chico’s City Plaza. He helped pull together the musicians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every single band was close personal friends of mine — some of the best bands in town. The opening band, particularly, are from Cohasset. They’re a bluegrass, country blues band named the Stump Jumpers. Virtually everybody in that band lost their house.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The funds were donated to the Cohasset Community Association, which is helping organize recovery and distributing aid. Ahqha wants to help organize other fundraisers. “We’ve only got a short window, maybe a year,” before people lose interest. “If FEMA doesn’t come through in that time, it’s a small window of opportunity to try and get as much together as we can.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label='More Wildfire Coverage' tag='wildfires']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If FEMA came in, like it did after the Camp Fire destroyed the nearby town of Paradise, his life would immediately be easier. Ahqha had many friends who were affected by the Camp Fire and received thousands of dollars in the form of aid checks from FEMA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“FEMA came through for pretty much every person, depending on the situation,” Ahqha recalled. “That would make a huge difference for me right now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It could allow him, for instance, to buy a vehicle. His ’93 Jeep and ’89 Toyota 4runner were lost in the fire. “They’re like the best vehicles you’d ever have living in Cohasset,” he said wistfully. He and his son drove out his dad’s car because it already had some musical equipment in it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[Now] I’m still borrowing my dad’s car and staying in my parent’s house,” he said. “So, not an ideal situation. I’m turning 40 this year. I’m like, how has this happened? How has this happened to me? I’m hoping FEMA can get it together. If not FEMA, the state.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the absence of certain aid, Ahqha relies on personal and community connections and determination.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994306\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1994306\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-34-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-34-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-34-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-34-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-34-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-34-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-34-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-34-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Yahmo Ahqha stands next to his burned Jeep near his home in Cohasset on Sept. 10. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On the day of band practice, Ahqha had come from an interview for a job promotion. He teaches at a music store and was hoping to get a management position, to work more hours, make more money, get a vehicle, get his life moving again. But he was passed over for the job.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prior to the fire, he was in the middle of recording an album, which he planned to use to apply for a SHIFT grant, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.nativeartsandcultures.org/programs/shift\">program for Indigenous artists that can lead to $100,000 in funding\u003c/a>. Ahqha is a descendant of the Pomo Nation. The loss of his home recording studio and musical equipment, drum sets, mic stands, cables and soundproofing is a major setback.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I had things all dialed in for me to make things like this grant happen,” he said. “I felt like I was seeing light at the end of the tunnel, like, oh my god, I could really do this and make a living as a musician.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, he is undaunted and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/yahmoguitar/\">playing music\u003c/a>. The next fundraising concert will be on Oct. 19 at Maple Creek Ranch in Cohasset.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"title": "Park Fire Survivors Stuck in Recovery Limbo as Officials Figure Out What to Do | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">U\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>nder a low-slung ceiling of flashing disco lights, Yahmo Ahqha roared into the mic during his band’s practice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The band, called Yahmo, is in the performance space of an independent radio station in Chico. They have shows coming up, want to record an album, and need to stay sharp.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a moment of some normalcy in Ahqha’s week, doing what he loves. But outside of rehearsal, his life is one of uncertainty, anything but normal. Ahqha, like many of his friends, lost his Cohasset home in the hills north of Chico in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/park-fire\">Park Fire,\u003c/a> which broke out on July 24.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ahqha was playing with his 9-year-old son at their home when the fire touched off near Bidwell Park in Chico and roared up toward them. An alert to leave came through on his phone, and they jumped in a car and left.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m still kind of processing, really,” he said. “I’m super happy to be alive, and my son, too.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like many affected by the Park Fire, he was uninsured. The disaster, as of right now, doesn’t clearly meet the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s threshold for aid: $73 million in structural losses. That’s when the president declares a major disaster and deems the incident beyond the combined capabilities of state and local governments to respond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, California is trying to negotiate with the federal government. But the result is that Ahqha and other survivors are left in a bureaucratic quagmire of uncertainty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994305\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1994305\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-33-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-33-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-33-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-33-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-33-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-33-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-33-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-33-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Yahmo Ahqha stands next to what remains of his destroyed home in Cohasset on Sept. 10. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With no clarity from the county, state or federal government about what victims should expect next, he is one of hundreds of survivors in a vortex of trying to help himself while asking for help through a GoFundMe, while helping others, while waiting for answers from officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It seems unbelievable, affected residents said, that after so many bad fires, there isn’t a set way to handle recovery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m grateful there’s a really good community here,” Ahqha said.“A lot of people are pulling together.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, he said, relief options are limited.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So we’re, really, a lot of people, anybody uninsured, is in a pretty rough spot right now,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Butte County Supervisor Doug Teeter, who represents the area affected by the Park Fire, said he understands why survivors are upset.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The people don’t understand that [officials] are waiting for someone to figure out whose pocketbook this is coming out of. It’s a pretty crappy answer, isn’t it?”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Officials at a loss for answers\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Residents of the heavily impacted community of Cohasset and nearby Forest Ranch are trying to figure out who, if anyone, will pick up the tab for even the first basic steps of recovery, like debris cleanup. Although the California Department of Toxic Substances Control has cleared many properties of immediate hazards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ahqha called his congressional representative, Doug LaMalfa, asking for his office to apply some pressure for some movement to get help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Right now, everybody is saying they’re waiting on the California Office of Emergency Services, they’re the ones responsible for validating the requirements for FEMA. It’s not my area of expertise, but I’m having a crash course in it,” Ahqha said. “It’s just a waiting game with bad odds.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994300\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1994300\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-11-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-11-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-11-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-11-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-11-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-11-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-11-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The remains of the garage on Yahmo Ahqha’s property in Cohasset. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The problem is that it is unclear what government organization will take responsibility for assistance. In personal conversations, on the Cohasset private Facebook group and in public community meetings, people are frustrated with being stuck in an information void.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CalOES did not respond to a KQED request for an interview.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlike the nearby 2018 Camp Fire, which \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11789259/state-probe-says-pge-missed-deadly-flaw-on-line-that-sparked-camp-fire\">ignited from a PG&E transmission line\u003c/a>, officials believe the cause of the Park Fire was arson. Butte County prosecutors have charged Ronnie Dean Stout II with the crime, alleging that he pushed a flaming car off a cliff. He has told investigators that the car caught fire accidentally and that he fled the area because he was frightened. He \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12001405/chico-man-pleads-not-guilty-to-starting-californias-massive-park-fire\">pled not guilty\u003c/a> in August.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s no FEMA,” Ahqha said. “It’s not like we can sue PG&E.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E \u003ca href=\"https://www.norcalfirelawyers.com/pge-fire-settlements/\">settled for half a billion dollars in liabilities\u003c/a> stemming from the Camp Fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Why isn’t there a plan that’s just ready to roll out?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Supervisor Teeter, whose own home in Paradise was destroyed by the Camp Fire, said he hears the frustration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was at the [Cohasset Community] meeting and they’re like: ‘You guys should have a plan. There’s been enough fires. You should have a plan that’s just ready to roll out,’” Teeter said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Butte County has recovery plans from the Camp and North Complex fires, he explained. But if officials started doing residential waste cleanup themselves, it could risk making the county ineligible for state or federal aid because each fire is responded to uniquely depending on who is calling the shots at the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not like [agencies] go, ‘You do this, we’ll guarantee the money.’ They audit the heck out of you,” Teeter said. “So you can’t just go, ‘OK, we’re going to start, on the county dime, cleaning up these parcels and then just expect out of the blue FEMA’s going to fully fund it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It took until Wednesday, Sept. 11, for Butte County to announce they had received formal approval from CalOES to begin debris removal on private properties — almost 50 days after the fire broke out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Residents do not yet have details on what that means for them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The County and State will work together to stand up the debris removal program. Information will be shared on the County website as it becomes available,” a press release said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994303\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1994303\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-30-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-30-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-30-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-30-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-30-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-30-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-30-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-30-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Yahmo Ahqha holds a photo of his home in Cohasset from before the Park Fire burned through the area. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Teeter’s belief, he said, is that state officials want to help, but they first want to exhaust all opportunities to get reimbursed by FEMA. So, the county wants the state to come in, and the state wants FEMA to come in. So that, “Ultimately, the feds are the ones on the hook for the dollars.” Currently, he does not know if FEMA will help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For property owners without insurance, companies pay out money to cover debris removal. However, many homeowners use this money for other expenses, such as rebuilding costs, according to Amy Bach of United Policyholders, a nonprofit that helps people navigate insurance matters post-disaster. People might “need every dime of the insurance coverage that they have just to put their house back,” she said. “So often, the hope is that the debris removal is going to be funded by the government. That’s what people pray for, right?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there can be uncertainty, a worry that those people will be asked to pay some portion of their insurance payout back to whoever does the local cleanup. “And that’s a tricky dynamic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994312\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1994312\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-17-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-17-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-17-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-17-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-17-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-17-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-17-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-ParkFireFolo-17-BL-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Yahmo Ahqha points to a pile of abalone shells in what remains of his garage in Cohasset on Sept. 10. His grandmother and mother found the abalone shells, and Ahqha, a descendent of the Pomo Nation, had planned to incorporate them into his regalia. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Adding to the general uncertainty and exasperation, at the moment, the county’s advice is that Park Fire survivors should not even return to their property to retrieve valuables or mementos that may have survived the flames. The county’s concern is that disturbing and spreading the ash could compromise people’s ability to be included in a government cleanup program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To me, that’s not acceptable,” Teeter said. “It’s not fair to people that believe they have stuff that they want to find, like jewelry or ceramics. That’s their right. That’s the biggest frustration that I want something solved ASAP on.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Teeter has requested that CalOES issue a clear policy on retrievals, but that has not happened yet.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Getting on their feet as best they can\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Survivors have received some aid. The American Red Cross responded quickly and set up an aid center at the invitation of the county. Several survivors spoke of receiving cash aid from the organization, which they used to pay bills, buy food or replace basic items.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other community organizations have also aided in relief through gift cards, grants, food or supplies. Many, many survivors, particularly those who did not have personal or property insurance, have set up a GoFundMe online donation page.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of people have chipped in and helped me,” Ahqha said. “And I’m really super grateful. But that’s kind of the only thing I got going on other than some of these different organizations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994297\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1994297 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-01-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-01-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-01-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-01-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-01-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Yahmo Ahqha plays guitar in a practice space in Chico on Sept. 10, where he works giving music lessons. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Sacramento Blues Society recently granted him $500. And he himself helped raise $8,000 through a \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/kaimusicandarts/\">local music and arts nonprofit\u003c/a> that put on a multiband fundraiser in Chico’s City Plaza. He helped pull together the musicians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every single band was close personal friends of mine — some of the best bands in town. The opening band, particularly, are from Cohasset. They’re a bluegrass, country blues band named the Stump Jumpers. Virtually everybody in that band lost their house.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The funds were donated to the Cohasset Community Association, which is helping organize recovery and distributing aid. Ahqha wants to help organize other fundraisers. “We’ve only got a short window, maybe a year,” before people lose interest. “If FEMA doesn’t come through in that time, it’s a small window of opportunity to try and get as much together as we can.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If FEMA came in, like it did after the Camp Fire destroyed the nearby town of Paradise, his life would immediately be easier. Ahqha had many friends who were affected by the Camp Fire and received thousands of dollars in the form of aid checks from FEMA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“FEMA came through for pretty much every person, depending on the situation,” Ahqha recalled. “That would make a huge difference for me right now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It could allow him, for instance, to buy a vehicle. His ’93 Jeep and ’89 Toyota 4runner were lost in the fire. “They’re like the best vehicles you’d ever have living in Cohasset,” he said wistfully. He and his son drove out his dad’s car because it already had some musical equipment in it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[Now] I’m still borrowing my dad’s car and staying in my parent’s house,” he said. “So, not an ideal situation. I’m turning 40 this year. I’m like, how has this happened? How has this happened to me? I’m hoping FEMA can get it together. If not FEMA, the state.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the absence of certain aid, Ahqha relies on personal and community connections and determination.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994306\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1994306\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-34-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-34-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-34-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-34-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-34-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-34-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-34-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240910-PARKFIREFOLO-34-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Yahmo Ahqha stands next to his burned Jeep near his home in Cohasset on Sept. 10. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On the day of band practice, Ahqha had come from an interview for a job promotion. He teaches at a music store and was hoping to get a management position, to work more hours, make more money, get a vehicle, get his life moving again. But he was passed over for the job.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prior to the fire, he was in the middle of recording an album, which he planned to use to apply for a SHIFT grant, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.nativeartsandcultures.org/programs/shift\">program for Indigenous artists that can lead to $100,000 in funding\u003c/a>. Ahqha is a descendant of the Pomo Nation. The loss of his home recording studio and musical equipment, drum sets, mic stands, cables and soundproofing is a major setback.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I had things all dialed in for me to make things like this grant happen,” he said. “I felt like I was seeing light at the end of the tunnel, like, oh my god, I could really do this and make a living as a musician.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, he is undaunted and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/yahmoguitar/\">playing music\u003c/a>. The next fundraising concert will be on Oct. 19 at Maple Creek Ranch in Cohasset.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "the-pajaro-flood-forced-them-to-flee-californias-high-rents-forced-them-to-return",
"title": "The Pajaro Flood Forced Them to Flee. California's High Rents Forced Them to Return",
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"content": "\u003cp>[dropcap]C[/dropcap]arla Escutia fled with her three kids to the second story of an apartment building across the street when a storm burst an infamously weak levee outside their town of Pajaro in March 2023.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They huddled and watched in horror as chocolate milk-colored flood water swamped their beige home and rendered their cars inoperable. When the California National Guard rescued her family, crammed into military vehicles, they swore they’d find a new place to live on higher ground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That was the beginning of what would turn into a 16-month odyssey to find an affordable two-bedroom apartment, which can cost more than $3,000 in the area around Monterey County. The family cycled through a shelter, a trailer, group homes, rentals and couches at other family members’ houses. Escutia, a custodian at UC Santa Cruz, encountered landlords who wouldn’t accept applicants from single parents like her with little kids and teenagers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They said little kids would destroy the property,” Escutia explained. Some of the apartments cost as much as $4,000. “It was difficult. The prices were really high, and I couldn’t pay that much.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC3448175992&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The only affordable option Escutia, 42, could find was an apartment back in Pajaro, but she did not want to put her kids through that trauma again. “I wanted to find something far away,” she said. Authorities have reinforced the crumbled section of the levee, but they admit it is still too small to protect Pajaro, a community of many lower-income earners and farmworkers who harvest strawberries and other crops near Watsonville and Monterey County. The Army Corps of Engineers, along with the state and the local flood agency, plan to build a new levee, but that project won’t be completed until at least 2031.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We left because we don’t want the same thing to happen again,” said her oldest daughter, Denia Escutia, who KQED profiled for the third season of its Sold Out podcast. The 19-year-old \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1984643/reluctant-retreat-one-familys-fight-against-climate-induced-flooding\">deferred her dream of studying at UCLA\u003c/a> to help her mom, choosing to enroll in community college and working to help pay bills instead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In April, the Escutias landed a spot for $1700 in a shared house with 12 people in Castroville, about 20 minutes from Watsonville. The family hated the cramped quarters and quickly resented their housemates who raided their bathroom for toilet paper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994210\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1994210\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"833\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-1.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-1-800x267.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-1-1020x340.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-1-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-1-768x256.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-1-1536x512.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-1-2048x682.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-1-1920x640.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Denia Escutia stands for a portrait outside her mud-coated bedroom in Pajaro, on March 24, 2023. Right: Denia Escutia sits in her new bedroom in Pajaro on Aug. 20, 2024. \u003ccite>(Left: Kori Suzuki/KQED; Right: Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“One family had a daughter who would go into our refrigerator and grab stuff,” said Denia Escutia, with shoulder-length chestnut brown hair and pearl-colored long acrylic nails. “We didn’t have our own space, and I was uncomfortable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In July, reality set in; Escutia wanted to get her three kids out. Beaten down by the reality of living in one of the most expensive areas in the country for rentals, she called the landlord in Pajaro and accepted the apartment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The family would return to the floodplain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their nearly year-and-a-half-long housing search concluded right across the street from their old home in the same apartment complex where they had found refuge from the flood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They moved in early August and now pay $1,900 for a freshly painted three-bedroom apartment. They knew the landlord and said he gave them a deal based on their relationship, and because of the flood risk, Escutia explained as she stirred sizzling chorizo and flipped homemade corn tortillas on a comal in her new thin galley kitchen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There were no options but this one,” Escutia said, her brown hair tied with a big black bow. “I am happy that I have my room and my kids have privacy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her new address is just one number different from her previous home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am scared the flooding might happen again, but I try to put it in the back of my head, telling myself it won’t happen for a few years and in a few years, we will probably not live here,” said Escutia, as she served her daughter a guava Jarritos soda.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Daily, she’s reminded of the flood and the toll on her family. From her upstairs bedroom window, she can see her former landlord slowly repairing the gutted tan house across the street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I miss that house,” she said. “When I see it, I feel sad they’re rebuilding the house, and it’s not for us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994204\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1994204\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240820-PajaroFolo-60-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240820-PajaroFolo-60-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240820-PajaroFolo-60-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240820-PajaroFolo-60-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240820-PajaroFolo-60-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240820-PajaroFolo-60-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240820-PajaroFolo-60-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240820-PajaroFolo-60-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The house that Carla Escutia lived in for 19 years, which flooded in March 2023, can be seen from her bedroom window in the new apartment where she and her family live in Pajaro on Aug. 20, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘We’re taking that chance’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The family now lives in a constant state of déjà vu, dwelling in the apartment complex they fled to when the debris-laden water ran up the walls of their home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If it floods again, where will we go when we just settled down? We’re taking that chance,” said Denia Escutia, who is in her third semester at Cabrillo Community College in Aptos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The family’s choice — to return to the floodplain — is one other Californians will face as future storms intensify due to human-caused climate change. Thousands of miles of levees pen in rivers and streams across the state; much of that infrastructure, including the levee that protects Pajaro, is aging and is not built for these storms, which could cause major flooding in any given year. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/08/19/connecticut-floods-nyc-nj-rain-weather/\">1-in-1000-year storm flooded the Connecticut area last month\u003c/a>, and a similarly rare storm \u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/atmospheric-river-la-storm-evacuations-damage-los-angeles-orange-riverside-san-bernardino-santa-barbara\">flooded parts of Los Angeles last February\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994207\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1994207\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/GettyImages-1248040358.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"615\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/GettyImages-1248040358.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/GettyImages-1248040358-800x480.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/GettyImages-1248040358-1020x613.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/GettyImages-1248040358-160x96.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/GettyImages-1248040358-768x461.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An aerial view shows people making their way around a flooded neighborhood in the unincorporated community of Pajaro in Watsonville, Santa Cruz County on March 11, 2023. \u003ccite>(Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Climate change is affecting these probabilities,” said Noah Diffenbaugh, professor of Earth system science at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. “What is clear is that the probability of extreme wet conditions is going up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The storms that doused the region in 2023 were a small example of what Californians can expect, and they still oversaturated the system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 2023 Pajaro flood \u003ca href=\"https://hazards.colorado.edu/quick-response-report/toward-equitable-recovery-for-unincorporated-areas\">damaged 273 homes and destroyed five\u003c/a>. Most of the damaged homes were single-story, single-family residences, like the Escutias’, according to an assessment by Danielle Zoe Rivera, assistant professor of landscape architecture and environmental planning at UC Berkeley. She reviewed an early assessment of damaged structures from the Cal Fire Damage Inspection Program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rivera is trying to determine how many people moved back after the water receded. The Pájaro Valley Unified School District lost 2,043 of its 17,963 students between the 2022–23 and 2023–24 school years, which she said is a “hint at the scale of the displacement” but might not be due to the storm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She also reviewed the U.S. Postal Service records and found very few people moved from Pajaro after 2023. She said residents, facing the high cost of housing, appear to have chosen to “live through flooding” instead of finding a new place to live.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Maybe some people did leave, but the need for housing was so great in the region that people just instantly repopulated those flooded homes,” Rivera said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994211\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1994211\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"833\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-2.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-2-800x267.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-2-1020x340.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-2-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-2-768x256.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-2-1536x512.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-2-2048x682.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-2-1920x640.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: An aerial view of the broken levee in Pajaro on March 13, 2023. Right: A construction project is underway to stabilize and add height to the Pajaro levee on Aug. 20, 2024, after a breach in the levee flooded the community of Pajaro in March of 2023. \u003ccite>(Left: Jennifer Cain/Getty Images; Right: Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘An undersized levee system’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Under pressure from lawmakers, the local flood agency quickly rebuilt the 400 feet of levee that ruptured. The restored section has the same amount of flood protection as the levee that failed, leaving Pajaro vulnerable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Residents still need to be a bit concerned because we are still living in a situation where we have an undersized levee system,” said Mark Strudley, executive director of the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency. “My hope is that if water starts touching this part of the levee system, we’re going to see less damage.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tommy Williams, chief of project management at the Army Corps in San Francisco, said the positive news is that the newly repaired section is “no longer the weakest link.” The bad news is that while crews frequently inspect the mostly earthen structure, the exact strength of the entire aging levee is nearly impossible to tell.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1993960\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1993960\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-33-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-33-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-33-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-33-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-33-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-33-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-33-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-33-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mark Strudley, Executive Director of the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency, stands on the Pajaro levee on Aug. 20, 2024. A breach in the levee flooded the Pajaro community in March of 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Corps expects to break ground later this fall on a project to raise and widen nearly 14 miles of levee to strengthen it against future storms. Flood authorities won’t widen the main section that failed for several years, although Williams said the design work has started. They want to set the new levee back 100 feet from where it is today to give the river room to expand during storms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Years before the recent flood, the Corps had officially rated the levee along the Pajaro River a “moderate” risk of flooding. The truth is that for decades, officials knew it needed repair but didn’t act. They determined that the town wasn’t worth protecting because property values were too low, according to levee records and interviews with several officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Corps’ plan will prepare the most populated areas for a 1-in-100-year flood — some experts believe that is only half the needed protection. With that level of protection, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1982513/experts-call-for-doubled-levee-protection-to-battle-climate-change-in-california\">a house has a 25% chance of flooding\u003c/a> during a typical Pajaro homeowner’s 30-year mortgage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Living behind a makeshift levee scares residents and leaders of community groups like Regeneración – Pájaro Valley Climate Action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a ticking time bomb,” said Nancy Faulstich, director of the community group. “We all know there are vulnerabilities here, and with the acceleration of climate change, all bets are off.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1993958\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1993958\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-12-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-12-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-12-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-12-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-12-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-12-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-12-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-12-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A construction project is underway to stabilize and add height to the Pajaro levee on Aug. 20, 2024, after a breach in the levee flooded the community of Pajaro in March of 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘I fear we’ll have to leave this one, too’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A Pajaro where all bets are off is a future the Escutias hope to escape. Denia Escutia wants to become a doctor and eventually buy “a big house or ranch where I can have my mom retire from her work.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unless the family’s financial situation changes, that could prove difficult. \u003ca href=\"https://nlihc.org/oor\">The Santa Cruz-Watsonville region is the most out-of-reach metropolitan area in the country for rental homes\u003c/a>, according to the latest report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label=\"Related Stories\" postID=\"science_1984643,news_11961759,news_11944295\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 2024 study found a family like the Escutias would need a household hourly wage of $77.96 to afford a modest two-bedroom rental in this area without spending more than 30% of their income on housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Most people would have to work nearly five full-time jobs, with a minimum wage of $16 an hour, to afford just a regular rental in our county,” said Miriam Greenberg, professor of sociology at UC Santa Cruz and co-director of the Center for Critical Urban and Environmental Studies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Greenberg studies the intersection of housing and climate catastrophes. She said when a wildfire burns through a community, it displaces families and, in turn, can raise the rent price. She said the same thing happens when floods eliminate the number of rentals in a community and “compound an already dire situation for housing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Denia Escutia finds herself replaying the fear of flooding and displacement, even as she lays on her new trundle bed covered in lavender sheets surrounded by K-Pop posters and scissor-cut photos of her girlfriends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were forced to leave one house, and now we have another house,” she said. “I fear we’ll have to leave this one, too, and we might not find anything.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "KQED followed the Escutia family after they fled Pajaro following ferocious winter flooding. After struggling to find a place to live, they're back behind the levee — which won't be rebuilt for years. ",
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"title": "The Pajaro Flood Forced Them to Flee. California's High Rents Forced Them to Return | KQED",
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"headline": "The Pajaro Flood Forced Them to Flee. California's High Rents Forced Them to Return",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">C\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>arla Escutia fled with her three kids to the second story of an apartment building across the street when a storm burst an infamously weak levee outside their town of Pajaro in March 2023.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They huddled and watched in horror as chocolate milk-colored flood water swamped their beige home and rendered their cars inoperable. When the California National Guard rescued her family, crammed into military vehicles, they swore they’d find a new place to live on higher ground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That was the beginning of what would turn into a 16-month odyssey to find an affordable two-bedroom apartment, which can cost more than $3,000 in the area around Monterey County. The family cycled through a shelter, a trailer, group homes, rentals and couches at other family members’ houses. Escutia, a custodian at UC Santa Cruz, encountered landlords who wouldn’t accept applicants from single parents like her with little kids and teenagers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They said little kids would destroy the property,” Escutia explained. Some of the apartments cost as much as $4,000. “It was difficult. The prices were really high, and I couldn’t pay that much.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC3448175992&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The only affordable option Escutia, 42, could find was an apartment back in Pajaro, but she did not want to put her kids through that trauma again. “I wanted to find something far away,” she said. Authorities have reinforced the crumbled section of the levee, but they admit it is still too small to protect Pajaro, a community of many lower-income earners and farmworkers who harvest strawberries and other crops near Watsonville and Monterey County. The Army Corps of Engineers, along with the state and the local flood agency, plan to build a new levee, but that project won’t be completed until at least 2031.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We left because we don’t want the same thing to happen again,” said her oldest daughter, Denia Escutia, who KQED profiled for the third season of its Sold Out podcast. The 19-year-old \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1984643/reluctant-retreat-one-familys-fight-against-climate-induced-flooding\">deferred her dream of studying at UCLA\u003c/a> to help her mom, choosing to enroll in community college and working to help pay bills instead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In April, the Escutias landed a spot for $1700 in a shared house with 12 people in Castroville, about 20 minutes from Watsonville. The family hated the cramped quarters and quickly resented their housemates who raided their bathroom for toilet paper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994210\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1994210\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"833\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-1.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-1-800x267.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-1-1020x340.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-1-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-1-768x256.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-1-1536x512.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-1-2048x682.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-1-1920x640.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Denia Escutia stands for a portrait outside her mud-coated bedroom in Pajaro, on March 24, 2023. Right: Denia Escutia sits in her new bedroom in Pajaro on Aug. 20, 2024. \u003ccite>(Left: Kori Suzuki/KQED; Right: Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“One family had a daughter who would go into our refrigerator and grab stuff,” said Denia Escutia, with shoulder-length chestnut brown hair and pearl-colored long acrylic nails. “We didn’t have our own space, and I was uncomfortable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In July, reality set in; Escutia wanted to get her three kids out. Beaten down by the reality of living in one of the most expensive areas in the country for rentals, she called the landlord in Pajaro and accepted the apartment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The family would return to the floodplain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their nearly year-and-a-half-long housing search concluded right across the street from their old home in the same apartment complex where they had found refuge from the flood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They moved in early August and now pay $1,900 for a freshly painted three-bedroom apartment. They knew the landlord and said he gave them a deal based on their relationship, and because of the flood risk, Escutia explained as she stirred sizzling chorizo and flipped homemade corn tortillas on a comal in her new thin galley kitchen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There were no options but this one,” Escutia said, her brown hair tied with a big black bow. “I am happy that I have my room and my kids have privacy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her new address is just one number different from her previous home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am scared the flooding might happen again, but I try to put it in the back of my head, telling myself it won’t happen for a few years and in a few years, we will probably not live here,” said Escutia, as she served her daughter a guava Jarritos soda.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Daily, she’s reminded of the flood and the toll on her family. From her upstairs bedroom window, she can see her former landlord slowly repairing the gutted tan house across the street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I miss that house,” she said. “When I see it, I feel sad they’re rebuilding the house, and it’s not for us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994204\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1994204\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240820-PajaroFolo-60-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240820-PajaroFolo-60-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240820-PajaroFolo-60-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240820-PajaroFolo-60-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240820-PajaroFolo-60-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240820-PajaroFolo-60-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240820-PajaroFolo-60-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240820-PajaroFolo-60-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The house that Carla Escutia lived in for 19 years, which flooded in March 2023, can be seen from her bedroom window in the new apartment where she and her family live in Pajaro on Aug. 20, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘We’re taking that chance’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The family now lives in a constant state of déjà vu, dwelling in the apartment complex they fled to when the debris-laden water ran up the walls of their home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If it floods again, where will we go when we just settled down? We’re taking that chance,” said Denia Escutia, who is in her third semester at Cabrillo Community College in Aptos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The family’s choice — to return to the floodplain — is one other Californians will face as future storms intensify due to human-caused climate change. Thousands of miles of levees pen in rivers and streams across the state; much of that infrastructure, including the levee that protects Pajaro, is aging and is not built for these storms, which could cause major flooding in any given year. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/08/19/connecticut-floods-nyc-nj-rain-weather/\">1-in-1000-year storm flooded the Connecticut area last month\u003c/a>, and a similarly rare storm \u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/atmospheric-river-la-storm-evacuations-damage-los-angeles-orange-riverside-san-bernardino-santa-barbara\">flooded parts of Los Angeles last February\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994207\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1994207\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/GettyImages-1248040358.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"615\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/GettyImages-1248040358.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/GettyImages-1248040358-800x480.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/GettyImages-1248040358-1020x613.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/GettyImages-1248040358-160x96.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/GettyImages-1248040358-768x461.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An aerial view shows people making their way around a flooded neighborhood in the unincorporated community of Pajaro in Watsonville, Santa Cruz County on March 11, 2023. \u003ccite>(Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Climate change is affecting these probabilities,” said Noah Diffenbaugh, professor of Earth system science at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. “What is clear is that the probability of extreme wet conditions is going up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The storms that doused the region in 2023 were a small example of what Californians can expect, and they still oversaturated the system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 2023 Pajaro flood \u003ca href=\"https://hazards.colorado.edu/quick-response-report/toward-equitable-recovery-for-unincorporated-areas\">damaged 273 homes and destroyed five\u003c/a>. Most of the damaged homes were single-story, single-family residences, like the Escutias’, according to an assessment by Danielle Zoe Rivera, assistant professor of landscape architecture and environmental planning at UC Berkeley. She reviewed an early assessment of damaged structures from the Cal Fire Damage Inspection Program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rivera is trying to determine how many people moved back after the water receded. The Pájaro Valley Unified School District lost 2,043 of its 17,963 students between the 2022–23 and 2023–24 school years, which she said is a “hint at the scale of the displacement” but might not be due to the storm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She also reviewed the U.S. Postal Service records and found very few people moved from Pajaro after 2023. She said residents, facing the high cost of housing, appear to have chosen to “live through flooding” instead of finding a new place to live.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Maybe some people did leave, but the need for housing was so great in the region that people just instantly repopulated those flooded homes,” Rivera said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1994211\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1994211\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"833\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-2.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-2-800x267.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-2-1020x340.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-2-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-2-768x256.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-2-1536x512.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-2-2048x682.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/Pajaro-Diptych-2-1920x640.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: An aerial view of the broken levee in Pajaro on March 13, 2023. Right: A construction project is underway to stabilize and add height to the Pajaro levee on Aug. 20, 2024, after a breach in the levee flooded the community of Pajaro in March of 2023. \u003ccite>(Left: Jennifer Cain/Getty Images; Right: Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘An undersized levee system’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Under pressure from lawmakers, the local flood agency quickly rebuilt the 400 feet of levee that ruptured. The restored section has the same amount of flood protection as the levee that failed, leaving Pajaro vulnerable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Residents still need to be a bit concerned because we are still living in a situation where we have an undersized levee system,” said Mark Strudley, executive director of the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency. “My hope is that if water starts touching this part of the levee system, we’re going to see less damage.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tommy Williams, chief of project management at the Army Corps in San Francisco, said the positive news is that the newly repaired section is “no longer the weakest link.” The bad news is that while crews frequently inspect the mostly earthen structure, the exact strength of the entire aging levee is nearly impossible to tell.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1993960\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1993960\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-33-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-33-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-33-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-33-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-33-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-33-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-33-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-33-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mark Strudley, Executive Director of the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency, stands on the Pajaro levee on Aug. 20, 2024. A breach in the levee flooded the Pajaro community in March of 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Corps expects to break ground later this fall on a project to raise and widen nearly 14 miles of levee to strengthen it against future storms. Flood authorities won’t widen the main section that failed for several years, although Williams said the design work has started. They want to set the new levee back 100 feet from where it is today to give the river room to expand during storms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Years before the recent flood, the Corps had officially rated the levee along the Pajaro River a “moderate” risk of flooding. The truth is that for decades, officials knew it needed repair but didn’t act. They determined that the town wasn’t worth protecting because property values were too low, according to levee records and interviews with several officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Corps’ plan will prepare the most populated areas for a 1-in-100-year flood — some experts believe that is only half the needed protection. With that level of protection, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1982513/experts-call-for-doubled-levee-protection-to-battle-climate-change-in-california\">a house has a 25% chance of flooding\u003c/a> during a typical Pajaro homeowner’s 30-year mortgage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Living behind a makeshift levee scares residents and leaders of community groups like Regeneración – Pájaro Valley Climate Action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a ticking time bomb,” said Nancy Faulstich, director of the community group. “We all know there are vulnerabilities here, and with the acceleration of climate change, all bets are off.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1993958\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1993958\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-12-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-12-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-12-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-12-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-12-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-12-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-12-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/240820-PAJAROFOLO-12-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A construction project is underway to stabilize and add height to the Pajaro levee on Aug. 20, 2024, after a breach in the levee flooded the community of Pajaro in March of 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘I fear we’ll have to leave this one, too’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A Pajaro where all bets are off is a future the Escutias hope to escape. Denia Escutia wants to become a doctor and eventually buy “a big house or ranch where I can have my mom retire from her work.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unless the family’s financial situation changes, that could prove difficult. \u003ca href=\"https://nlihc.org/oor\">The Santa Cruz-Watsonville region is the most out-of-reach metropolitan area in the country for rental homes\u003c/a>, according to the latest report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 2024 study found a family like the Escutias would need a household hourly wage of $77.96 to afford a modest two-bedroom rental in this area without spending more than 30% of their income on housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Most people would have to work nearly five full-time jobs, with a minimum wage of $16 an hour, to afford just a regular rental in our county,” said Miriam Greenberg, professor of sociology at UC Santa Cruz and co-director of the Center for Critical Urban and Environmental Studies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Greenberg studies the intersection of housing and climate catastrophes. She said when a wildfire burns through a community, it displaces families and, in turn, can raise the rent price. She said the same thing happens when floods eliminate the number of rentals in a community and “compound an already dire situation for housing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Denia Escutia finds herself replaying the fear of flooding and displacement, even as she lays on her new trundle bed covered in lavender sheets surrounded by K-Pop posters and scissor-cut photos of her girlfriends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were forced to leave one house, and now we have another house,” she said. “I fear we’ll have to leave this one, too, and we might not find anything.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "bay-area-dances-on-the-edge-of-a-heat-wave-fire-danger-looms",
"title": "Bay Area Dances on the Edge of a Heat Wave, Fire Danger Looms",
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"content": "\u003cp>Homes in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>’s sunnier neighborhoods, like the Mission District, aren’t known for having air conditioning, so with temperatures expected to peak up to 85 degrees over the next few days, forecasters said residents should open windows and let down their blinds — or escape the heat altogether by heading to Fort Funston to cool off.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If it gets really hot inside, go find a local park where you can sit under a shade tree or head west to find that breeze at Ocean Beach,” said Brian Garcia, the National Weather Service’s Bay Area warning coordination meteorologist. “It’s going to be a lot cooler out there, and it’s going to keep you a lot safer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across the city by the bay, Garcia said temperatures could sneak above average in neighborhoods along the bay shore and only slightly cool off at night. That’s why he said the weather service issued a heat advisory for Tuesday for the entire city, which he calls a “rare event.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s going to take some time for these places to cool off,” he said. “We’re crossing some thresholds in the city that put us outside the norm, with minimum temperatures only dropping into the low 60s.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Through Friday, temperatures in inland cities like Healdsburg, Concord, Livermore and Morgan Hill could spike into the triple digits. A heat advisory will be in effect on Wednesday and Thursday for temperatures ranging 10 to 20 degrees above average for inland areas, according to the weather service’s daily forecast discussion for the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/NWSBayArea/status/1831016323754926568\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Farther inland in the Central Valley, the weather service has issued a moderate to major heat risk advisory with triple-digit temperatures from Redding to Sacramento.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We expect about 10 to 15 degrees above the climatological normal in many of these cities,” said Katrina Hand, meteorologist with the weather service in Sacramento. “We expect high temperatures in the triple digits up to 107 degrees.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://kqedsf.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/basic/index.html?appid=bf643abda876496db0b74dacc2620b53\" width=\"1000\" height=\"700\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:0\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The warming trend in the Bay Area doesn’t quite equate to a heat wave, but Garcia said such conditions — mainly a spike from average temperatures for several days — are “teetering right on the edge” of becoming a reality.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Garcia also expects nighttime lows, especially at high elevations around the region, to remain relatively warm. Combined with wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph and ample dry grass and brush, that makes for the perfect conditions for igniting wildfires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Fire danger is widespread across the Bay Area now,” he said. “Essentially, what we’re looking at right now is a tinderbox of dry fuels at elevation. If a spark occurs, it could expand quickly into flames and spread rapidly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Electricity grid operators also worry that several days of heat could increase the risk of power outages. In a heat bulletin issued late last week, the California Independent System Operator \u003ca href=\"https://www.caiso.com/about/news/heat-forecasted-for-much-of-the-western-united-states\">cautioned utility companies to defer maintenance scheduled between Wednesday and Friday to ensure enough generation\u003c/a>. Meanwhile, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District has issued a Spare the Air Alert for smog for Tuesday and Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The National Weather Service is advising Bay Area residents to find solace on the coast as temperatures peak above average across the region this week.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Homes in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>’s sunnier neighborhoods, like the Mission District, aren’t known for having air conditioning, so with temperatures expected to peak up to 85 degrees over the next few days, forecasters said residents should open windows and let down their blinds — or escape the heat altogether by heading to Fort Funston to cool off.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If it gets really hot inside, go find a local park where you can sit under a shade tree or head west to find that breeze at Ocean Beach,” said Brian Garcia, the National Weather Service’s Bay Area warning coordination meteorologist. “It’s going to be a lot cooler out there, and it’s going to keep you a lot safer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across the city by the bay, Garcia said temperatures could sneak above average in neighborhoods along the bay shore and only slightly cool off at night. That’s why he said the weather service issued a heat advisory for Tuesday for the entire city, which he calls a “rare event.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s going to take some time for these places to cool off,” he said. “We’re crossing some thresholds in the city that put us outside the norm, with minimum temperatures only dropping into the low 60s.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Through Friday, temperatures in inland cities like Healdsburg, Concord, Livermore and Morgan Hill could spike into the triple digits. A heat advisory will be in effect on Wednesday and Thursday for temperatures ranging 10 to 20 degrees above average for inland areas, according to the weather service’s daily forecast discussion for the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Farther inland in the Central Valley, the weather service has issued a moderate to major heat risk advisory with triple-digit temperatures from Redding to Sacramento.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We expect about 10 to 15 degrees above the climatological normal in many of these cities,” said Katrina Hand, meteorologist with the weather service in Sacramento. “We expect high temperatures in the triple digits up to 107 degrees.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://kqedsf.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/basic/index.html?appid=bf643abda876496db0b74dacc2620b53\" width=\"1000\" height=\"700\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:0\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The warming trend in the Bay Area doesn’t quite equate to a heat wave, but Garcia said such conditions — mainly a spike from average temperatures for several days — are “teetering right on the edge” of becoming a reality.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Garcia also expects nighttime lows, especially at high elevations around the region, to remain relatively warm. Combined with wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph and ample dry grass and brush, that makes for the perfect conditions for igniting wildfires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Fire danger is widespread across the Bay Area now,” he said. “Essentially, what we’re looking at right now is a tinderbox of dry fuels at elevation. If a spark occurs, it could expand quickly into flames and spread rapidly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Electricity grid operators also worry that several days of heat could increase the risk of power outages. In a heat bulletin issued late last week, the California Independent System Operator \u003ca href=\"https://www.caiso.com/about/news/heat-forecasted-for-much-of-the-western-united-states\">cautioned utility companies to defer maintenance scheduled between Wednesday and Friday to ensure enough generation\u003c/a>. Meanwhile, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District has issued a Spare the Air Alert for smog for Tuesday and Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>The sand is draining out in the final hours of California’s legislative session, and Gov. Gavin Newsom is locked in a stalemate with lawmakers over a series of energy bills and whether or not to call a special session on high gasoline prices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom wants the Legislature to pass reforms proposed by a state oil industry watchdog tapped to root out price manipulation in the oil market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also on the table are a series of other bills giving one-time credits of about $30 to most California ratepayers, streamlining renewable energy development and increasing oversight of wildfire mitigation spending.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The proposals were finalized just before the deadline on Wednesday, and Assembly leaders and environmentalists bristled with what they saw as ramming through a sweeping set of high-stakes policies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s what to know.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The context:\u003c/strong> Newsom tapped former antitrust prosecutor Tai Milder to lead the oil watchdog effort. When gas prices surged across California to nearly $6 a gallon last September, Milder’s team blamed the increase, in part, on refiners not maintaining supply.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Among the reforms proposed by Milder’s office is a requirement that refineries store a minimum amount of reserve gas. The state’s energy commission \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2024-06/state-officials-provide-update-gasoline-supplies-and-summer-outlook\">has warned that if refineries go offline without an adequate reserve\u003c/a>, then oil and gas inventories drop, leading to price spikes at the pump.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Industry groups and trade associations have said the Newsom administration’s plan could lead to higher gas prices in California. Andy Walz, Chevron’s president of American products, said in a letter to the energy commission that “this bill risks the safety of refinery operations, the orderly functioning of markets and would leave industry and labor experts without a voice in key policies.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom’s press team responded by saying “predictable lies” in a \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/GovPressOffice/status/1829591477695217954\">social media post\u003c/a> that included a yawning-face emoji.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label=\"more science coverage\" tag=\"science\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What’s next:\u003c/strong> Legislators have said they’d like more time to massage out the details of complex legislation. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Salinas) backed a special session in a statement released by his office on Friday, indicating that his chamber would not pass the bills by the end of session this weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If the Governor calls a special session, we’re going to do the work and deliver results,” he said. “What I’m not going to do is push through bills that haven’t been sufficiently vetted with public hearings. Doing so could lead to unintended consequences on Californians’ pocketbooks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) reportedly stated unequivocally this week that he “will not support convening a special session this fall.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Warning signs: \u003c/strong>High costs of electricity to power homes and gasoline to fuel cars are on the minds of many Bay Area residents and are a perennial political issue in the Golden State.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the beginning of the year, for example,\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11968220/why-your-pge-bill-is-about-to-go-up\"> PG&E ratepayers saw their monthly bills increase\u003c/a> by an average of about $30 to help pay for infrastructure projects, including work on power lines that will reduce the risk of wildfires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, in May, the California Public Utilities Commission voted in favor of a plan to lower the amount \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1992639/california-regulators-approve-adding-24-fixed-fee-to-utility-bills\">Californians pay per kilowatt hour while adding a fixed charge of $24.15\u003c/a>, a move regulators argued would incentivize people to use more clean energy and help pay for modernizing the grid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zoom in:\u003c/strong> The bill to reduce the cost of electricity would see the state send $500 million back to customers via credits but also cut energy programs that advocates said are crucial.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The money would come from a fund that, among other things, finances HVAC upgrades in schools and solar on multifamily housing. Customers would pocket between $30 and $50.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a tiny drop in the bucket for most people, and we’re cutting programs that are really meaningful to the schools and the affordable housing developers,” said Merrian Borgeson, a policy director at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “It’s just not worth it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mark Toney, executive director of The Utility Reform Network, agrees the one-time customer rebates are not a lot, but he said they are a meaningful first step. The package will “provide billions of dollars of long-term rate relief” by pressuring utilities like PG&E to make more cost-effective choices like insulating overhead wires rather than burying them to mitigate wildfire risk, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Toney said the package will also protect low-income families who are behind on bills or have had their power shut off by offering them more time to pay back what they owe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label=\"more legislature coverage\" tag=\"california-legislature\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zoom out:\u003c/strong> Environmental advocates argue that there are a range of causes for high electricity prices, including the increased costs associated with fighting wildfire and modernizing the energy grid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This policy proposal will move the needle on some of these challenges, but it also includes damaging cuts to important programs that benefit vulnerable communities,” Borgeson said. “We need comprehensive, long-term policy solutions for an affordable and equitable energy system.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What’s new:\u003c/strong> California Republicans are trying to hang the high price of energy in this state around the neck of Vice President Kamala Harris in an attempt to weigh down her presidential campaign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republican Assemblymember Vince Fong of Bakersfield, in a social media post, criticized Newsom for “intentionally disrupting needed energy production and raising gasoline costs even more in California” and said that he is “following Kamalanomics in pushing terrible policies not grounded in economic reality.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Politico\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/news/2024/08/29/newsom-harris-gas-price-policy-00176817\">reported\u003c/a> that Republicans in Arizona are warning of “significant adverse impacts on fuel supplies and consumer costs in Arizona” from Newsom’s price gouging proposal.\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\nThe bottom line: \u003c/strong>The clock is ticking on Newsom and lawmakers to come to some kind of agreement; the legislative session is scheduled to adjourn at the end of the day on Saturday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If they can’t hash out some kind of deal, all eyes will be on the Newsom administration to see if it makes good on the promise to schedule a special session for later this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The sand is draining out in the final hours of California’s legislative session, and Gov. Gavin Newsom is locked in a stalemate with lawmakers over a series of energy bills and whether or not to call a special session on high gasoline prices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom wants the Legislature to pass reforms proposed by a state oil industry watchdog tapped to root out price manipulation in the oil market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also on the table are a series of other bills giving one-time credits of about $30 to most California ratepayers, streamlining renewable energy development and increasing oversight of wildfire mitigation spending.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The proposals were finalized just before the deadline on Wednesday, and Assembly leaders and environmentalists bristled with what they saw as ramming through a sweeping set of high-stakes policies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s what to know.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The context:\u003c/strong> Newsom tapped former antitrust prosecutor Tai Milder to lead the oil watchdog effort. When gas prices surged across California to nearly $6 a gallon last September, Milder’s team blamed the increase, in part, on refiners not maintaining supply.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Among the reforms proposed by Milder’s office is a requirement that refineries store a minimum amount of reserve gas. The state’s energy commission \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2024-06/state-officials-provide-update-gasoline-supplies-and-summer-outlook\">has warned that if refineries go offline without an adequate reserve\u003c/a>, then oil and gas inventories drop, leading to price spikes at the pump.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Industry groups and trade associations have said the Newsom administration’s plan could lead to higher gas prices in California. Andy Walz, Chevron’s president of American products, said in a letter to the energy commission that “this bill risks the safety of refinery operations, the orderly functioning of markets and would leave industry and labor experts without a voice in key policies.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom’s press team responded by saying “predictable lies” in a \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/GovPressOffice/status/1829591477695217954\">social media post\u003c/a> that included a yawning-face emoji.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What’s next:\u003c/strong> Legislators have said they’d like more time to massage out the details of complex legislation. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Salinas) backed a special session in a statement released by his office on Friday, indicating that his chamber would not pass the bills by the end of session this weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If the Governor calls a special session, we’re going to do the work and deliver results,” he said. “What I’m not going to do is push through bills that haven’t been sufficiently vetted with public hearings. Doing so could lead to unintended consequences on Californians’ pocketbooks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) reportedly stated unequivocally this week that he “will not support convening a special session this fall.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Warning signs: \u003c/strong>High costs of electricity to power homes and gasoline to fuel cars are on the minds of many Bay Area residents and are a perennial political issue in the Golden State.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the beginning of the year, for example,\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11968220/why-your-pge-bill-is-about-to-go-up\"> PG&E ratepayers saw their monthly bills increase\u003c/a> by an average of about $30 to help pay for infrastructure projects, including work on power lines that will reduce the risk of wildfires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, in May, the California Public Utilities Commission voted in favor of a plan to lower the amount \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1992639/california-regulators-approve-adding-24-fixed-fee-to-utility-bills\">Californians pay per kilowatt hour while adding a fixed charge of $24.15\u003c/a>, a move regulators argued would incentivize people to use more clean energy and help pay for modernizing the grid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zoom in:\u003c/strong> The bill to reduce the cost of electricity would see the state send $500 million back to customers via credits but also cut energy programs that advocates said are crucial.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The money would come from a fund that, among other things, finances HVAC upgrades in schools and solar on multifamily housing. Customers would pocket between $30 and $50.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a tiny drop in the bucket for most people, and we’re cutting programs that are really meaningful to the schools and the affordable housing developers,” said Merrian Borgeson, a policy director at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “It’s just not worth it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mark Toney, executive director of The Utility Reform Network, agrees the one-time customer rebates are not a lot, but he said they are a meaningful first step. The package will “provide billions of dollars of long-term rate relief” by pressuring utilities like PG&E to make more cost-effective choices like insulating overhead wires rather than burying them to mitigate wildfire risk, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Toney said the package will also protect low-income families who are behind on bills or have had their power shut off by offering them more time to pay back what they owe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zoom out:\u003c/strong> Environmental advocates argue that there are a range of causes for high electricity prices, including the increased costs associated with fighting wildfire and modernizing the energy grid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This policy proposal will move the needle on some of these challenges, but it also includes damaging cuts to important programs that benefit vulnerable communities,” Borgeson said. “We need comprehensive, long-term policy solutions for an affordable and equitable energy system.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What’s new:\u003c/strong> California Republicans are trying to hang the high price of energy in this state around the neck of Vice President Kamala Harris in an attempt to weigh down her presidential campaign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republican Assemblymember Vince Fong of Bakersfield, in a social media post, criticized Newsom for “intentionally disrupting needed energy production and raising gasoline costs even more in California” and said that he is “following Kamalanomics in pushing terrible policies not grounded in economic reality.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Politico\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/news/2024/08/29/newsom-harris-gas-price-policy-00176817\">reported\u003c/a> that Republicans in Arizona are warning of “significant adverse impacts on fuel supplies and consumer costs in Arizona” from Newsom’s price gouging proposal.\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\nThe bottom line: \u003c/strong>The clock is ticking on Newsom and lawmakers to come to some kind of agreement; the legislative session is scheduled to adjourn at the end of the day on Saturday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If they can’t hash out some kind of deal, all eyes will be on the Newsom administration to see if it makes good on the promise to schedule a special session for later this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Fifty-two Bay Area public schools sit so close to the bay’s high-tide line that they’re already at risk of being inundated with ocean and ground water, and their risk will grow as seas continue to rise, according to an analysis by KQED and Climate Central.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some schools already cope with routine floods, like Marin County’s Redwood High School, which has installed a pump to keep its parking lot dry during high tides, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1993783/schools-in-deep-water-bay-area-faces-uphill-battle-against-climate-change\">Mill Valley Middle School, where the drop-off zone floods multiple times a year\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The biggest risk to these schools is that they’re in areas with high groundwater, and they get flooding when it’s a combination of a high tide and a heavy rain,” said Kristina Hill, director of UC Berkeley’s Institute of Urban and Regional Development.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The high-tide line in the San Francisco Bay has risen by \u003ca href=\"https://oehha.ca.gov/climate-change/epic-2022/impacts-physical-systems/sea-level-rise#:~:text=Sea%20levels%20have%20increased%20over,mm%20or%200.03%E2%80%B3%20each%20year.\">8 inches\u003c/a> as heat trapped by pollution has melted ice and heated and expanded the world’s oceans over the last century. As that creep accelerates scientists expect floods to become more regular because about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11799297/large-parts-of-the-bay-area-are-built-on-fill-why-and-where\">250 square miles\u003c/a> of the Bay Area sits just above — and in some cases below — that line, on former wetlands that were drained and piled up with rocks, rubble and soil for development.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By 2050, moderate projections show seas rising \u003ca href=\"https://opc.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/SLR-Guidance-DRAFT-Jan-2024-508.pdf\">an additional 7 inches (PDF)\u003c/a>, at which point floods will become even more common at most of the schools, our analysis found. By 2100, the projections show the bay rising 3 feet above today’s levels, at which point the number of flood-risky schools will multiply.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We aimed to identify Bay Area schools with flood risk today, and those likely to have problems by the middle of the century. We looked at two types of floods, both of which will become more common with sea level rise: coastal floods, where high tides and storm surges push the ocean up onto dry land; and groundwater floods, where saltwater saturates the soil under the shore, driving up the layer of freshwater floating above it so much that it emerges and inundates properties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The KQED and Climate Central analysis found:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Fifty-two schools are already at risk of groundwater floods linked to sea level rise.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Seven of them also carry the risk of coastal floods, compounding the likelihood of inundation. By 2050, 16 will carry both risks.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>By 2050, another school — Design Tech High in Redwood City — will be at risk of flooding.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>The bulk of the flood-risky schools are located in San Mateo, Alameda and Marin counties.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://kqedsf.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/basic/index.html?appid=ba558582b94c47f3b683552282c70ef4\" width=\"1000\" height=\"700\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:0\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>(Map produced by Matthew Green/KQED) \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Data sources and methodology\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>To identify flood-risky schools, KQED and Climate Central pulled location data for more than 1,700 public schools in the Bay Area’s nine counties from the \u003ca href=\"https://gis.data.ca.gov/datasets/61a4260e68b14a5ab91daf27d4415e7d_0/explore?location=0.036826%2C-119.081787%2C0.00\">California State Geoportal\u003c/a>. Using QGIS, we mapped those schools onto flood risk data from the U.S. Geological Survey’s \u003ca href=\"https://ourcoastourfuture.org/hazard-map/\">Our Coast Our Future hazard map\u003c/a>, focusing on the risk as it stood in 2010, the model’s baseline, and with a moderate sea level rise \u003ca href=\"https://opc.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/SLR-Guidance-DRAFT-Jan-2024-508.pdf\">projected (PDF)\u003c/a> by 2050.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We added a radius of 150 meters for each school, to capture flooding impacts outside the single point location coordinates provided by the state. That’s about a 17.5 acre circle, about the size of the median school campus of 10 acres, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.californiaschoolcampusdatabase.org/\">database\u003c/a> of California school sizes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=science_1993783]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our analysis likely underestimates the real-life flood risk, according to flood experts we spoke with, because it doesn’t capture other factors, like intensifying rainfall and localized land subsidence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the coastal flood analysis, we considered the risk of inundation during a 100-year-storm, which state law requires all schools to be constructed to withstand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We did not include four schools in Foster City and seven schools in San Mateo from the results, because those cities have recently built flood-protective levees not accounted for by the database.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1993803\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1993803\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/20240604_FloodedSchool-17_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/20240604_FloodedSchool-17_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/20240604_FloodedSchool-17_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/20240604_FloodedSchool-17_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/20240604_FloodedSchool-17_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/20240604_FloodedSchool-17_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/20240604_FloodedSchool-17_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/20240604_FloodedSchool-17_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Flood warning signs are posted at the Mill Valley Middle School parking lot on Tuesday, June 4, 2024. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Groundwater floods\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Unlike coastal inundation, groundwater floods depend on underground, out-of-sight factors like topography, soil composition and the water table. In the absence of a detailed subsurface geology map for the region, the model uses a range of plausible geologies based on the research that does exist. We limited our results to campuses that the USGS model indicates already have emergent water, at or above the surface of the land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The model requires an assumption of soil permeability: In highly permeable soil, water drains quickly, limiting the likelihood of a flood. In the least permeable soil, groundwater drains slowly, increasing that likelihood. Research by UC Berkeley’s Hill on groundwater floods in the Bay Area has shown that the least-permeable assumption best matches up with real-life flood risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To zero in on schools whose groundwater flood risk is related to sea level rise, we consulted with Hill and Patrick Barnard, research director for USGS’ Climate Impacts and Coastal Processes Team. We constrained our results to campuses under 10 feet of elevation, which we determined with \u003ca href=\"https://www.usgs.gov/3d-elevation-program\">this USGS tool\u003c/a>, and within a half-mile of the bay or a tidally influenced river, which we determined using Google Maps’ \u003ca href=\"https://support.google.com/maps/answer/1628031?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop\">distance calculator\u003c/a> and by researching rivers’ head of tide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Barriers like levees don’t protect against rising groundwater, so in this case, we did not eliminate the schools in Foster City or San Mateo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was produced by KQED and Climate Central, a nonadvocacy science and news group.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Fifty-two Bay Area public schools sit so close to high-tide line that they’re already at risk of being inundated with ocean and groundwater. And the risk will grow as seas continue to rise, according to an analysis by KQED and Climate Central.",
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"nprByline": "Katie Worth, Climate Central; Sirui Zhu, Climate Central; \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/eromero\">Ezra David Romero\u003c/a>, KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Fifty-two Bay Area public schools sit so close to the bay’s high-tide line that they’re already at risk of being inundated with ocean and ground water, and their risk will grow as seas continue to rise, according to an analysis by KQED and Climate Central.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some schools already cope with routine floods, like Marin County’s Redwood High School, which has installed a pump to keep its parking lot dry during high tides, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1993783/schools-in-deep-water-bay-area-faces-uphill-battle-against-climate-change\">Mill Valley Middle School, where the drop-off zone floods multiple times a year\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The biggest risk to these schools is that they’re in areas with high groundwater, and they get flooding when it’s a combination of a high tide and a heavy rain,” said Kristina Hill, director of UC Berkeley’s Institute of Urban and Regional Development.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The high-tide line in the San Francisco Bay has risen by \u003ca href=\"https://oehha.ca.gov/climate-change/epic-2022/impacts-physical-systems/sea-level-rise#:~:text=Sea%20levels%20have%20increased%20over,mm%20or%200.03%E2%80%B3%20each%20year.\">8 inches\u003c/a> as heat trapped by pollution has melted ice and heated and expanded the world’s oceans over the last century. As that creep accelerates scientists expect floods to become more regular because about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11799297/large-parts-of-the-bay-area-are-built-on-fill-why-and-where\">250 square miles\u003c/a> of the Bay Area sits just above — and in some cases below — that line, on former wetlands that were drained and piled up with rocks, rubble and soil for development.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By 2050, moderate projections show seas rising \u003ca href=\"https://opc.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/SLR-Guidance-DRAFT-Jan-2024-508.pdf\">an additional 7 inches (PDF)\u003c/a>, at which point floods will become even more common at most of the schools, our analysis found. By 2100, the projections show the bay rising 3 feet above today’s levels, at which point the number of flood-risky schools will multiply.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We aimed to identify Bay Area schools with flood risk today, and those likely to have problems by the middle of the century. We looked at two types of floods, both of which will become more common with sea level rise: coastal floods, where high tides and storm surges push the ocean up onto dry land; and groundwater floods, where saltwater saturates the soil under the shore, driving up the layer of freshwater floating above it so much that it emerges and inundates properties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The KQED and Climate Central analysis found:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Fifty-two schools are already at risk of groundwater floods linked to sea level rise.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Seven of them also carry the risk of coastal floods, compounding the likelihood of inundation. By 2050, 16 will carry both risks.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>By 2050, another school — Design Tech High in Redwood City — will be at risk of flooding.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>The bulk of the flood-risky schools are located in San Mateo, Alameda and Marin counties.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://kqedsf.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/basic/index.html?appid=ba558582b94c47f3b683552282c70ef4\" width=\"1000\" height=\"700\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:0\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>(Map produced by Matthew Green/KQED) \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Data sources and methodology\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>To identify flood-risky schools, KQED and Climate Central pulled location data for more than 1,700 public schools in the Bay Area’s nine counties from the \u003ca href=\"https://gis.data.ca.gov/datasets/61a4260e68b14a5ab91daf27d4415e7d_0/explore?location=0.036826%2C-119.081787%2C0.00\">California State Geoportal\u003c/a>. Using QGIS, we mapped those schools onto flood risk data from the U.S. Geological Survey’s \u003ca href=\"https://ourcoastourfuture.org/hazard-map/\">Our Coast Our Future hazard map\u003c/a>, focusing on the risk as it stood in 2010, the model’s baseline, and with a moderate sea level rise \u003ca href=\"https://opc.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/SLR-Guidance-DRAFT-Jan-2024-508.pdf\">projected (PDF)\u003c/a> by 2050.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We added a radius of 150 meters for each school, to capture flooding impacts outside the single point location coordinates provided by the state. That’s about a 17.5 acre circle, about the size of the median school campus of 10 acres, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.californiaschoolcampusdatabase.org/\">database\u003c/a> of California school sizes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our analysis likely underestimates the real-life flood risk, according to flood experts we spoke with, because it doesn’t capture other factors, like intensifying rainfall and localized land subsidence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the coastal flood analysis, we considered the risk of inundation during a 100-year-storm, which state law requires all schools to be constructed to withstand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We did not include four schools in Foster City and seven schools in San Mateo from the results, because those cities have recently built flood-protective levees not accounted for by the database.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1993803\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1993803\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/20240604_FloodedSchool-17_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/20240604_FloodedSchool-17_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/20240604_FloodedSchool-17_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/20240604_FloodedSchool-17_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/20240604_FloodedSchool-17_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/20240604_FloodedSchool-17_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/20240604_FloodedSchool-17_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/08/20240604_FloodedSchool-17_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Flood warning signs are posted at the Mill Valley Middle School parking lot on Tuesday, June 4, 2024. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Groundwater floods\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Unlike coastal inundation, groundwater floods depend on underground, out-of-sight factors like topography, soil composition and the water table. In the absence of a detailed subsurface geology map for the region, the model uses a range of plausible geologies based on the research that does exist. We limited our results to campuses that the USGS model indicates already have emergent water, at or above the surface of the land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The model requires an assumption of soil permeability: In highly permeable soil, water drains quickly, limiting the likelihood of a flood. In the least permeable soil, groundwater drains slowly, increasing that likelihood. Research by UC Berkeley’s Hill on groundwater floods in the Bay Area has shown that the least-permeable assumption best matches up with real-life flood risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To zero in on schools whose groundwater flood risk is related to sea level rise, we consulted with Hill and Patrick Barnard, research director for USGS’ Climate Impacts and Coastal Processes Team. We constrained our results to campuses under 10 feet of elevation, which we determined with \u003ca href=\"https://www.usgs.gov/3d-elevation-program\">this USGS tool\u003c/a>, and within a half-mile of the bay or a tidally influenced river, which we determined using Google Maps’ \u003ca href=\"https://support.google.com/maps/answer/1628031?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop\">distance calculator\u003c/a> and by researching rivers’ head of tide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Barriers like levees don’t protect against rising groundwater, so in this case, we did not eliminate the schools in Foster City or San Mateo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was produced by KQED and Climate Central, a nonadvocacy science and news group.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "the-public-health-concern-over-californias-hydrogen-hubs-explained",
"title": "The Public Health Concern Over California’s Hydrogen Hubs Explained",
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"headTitle": "The Public Health Concern Over California’s Hydrogen Hubs Explained | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was originally published by Public Health Watch, a nonprofit investigative news organization. Find out more at \u003ca href=\"http://publichealthwatch.org/\">publichealthwatch.org\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Billions of dollars in federal money are flowing to seven “hydrogen hubs” around the country — including in California. A public-private partnership called ARCHES recently negotiated a $1.2 billion agreement with the Department of Energy to build out hydrogen power plants, pipelines and other energy projects around the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal and state officials are celebrating the award, part of a risky and ambitious national bet on a potentially clean fuel that could someday rival renewables and cut carbon from the atmosphere. Backed by pots of money created by federal laws, California and six other hubs will serve as regional nerve centers, steering hydrogen-producing projects that can qualify for an uncapped federal tax credit – anticipated to be worth at least a hundred billion dollars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, producing hydrogen energy can be expensive and complicated, and if that process relies on fossil fuels, it could actually prolong climate pollution. When even clean hydrogen is blended with methane and burned, it can still dirty the air with toxic byproducts that contribute to lung-irritating smog.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Researchers and local advocates warn that unless the so-called hydrogen \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-releases-first-series-reports-highlighting-pathways-toward-clean-hydrogen-earthshot\">earthshot\u003c/a> has adequate safeguards, it could harm health and climate – even in California, a state that has declared a commitment not only to ambitious climate goals but also to environmental justice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The people got left behind in this conversation,” said Fatima Abdul-Khabir, the Energy Equity Program manager at Oakland-based Greenlining Institute, an advocacy group. “It’s a massive step backwards.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Founded by the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-BIZ), the University of California, the state building and trades unions and a nonprofit called Renewables 100, ARCHES says it aims to develop hydrogen sustainably. Federal funding, GO-BIZ’s Tyson Eckerle has said, is “the pebble that launches the avalanche.” Partners are working quickly: To qualify for the federal tax credit, shovels have to be in the ground by 2032.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=\"science_1993714\" label=\"Related coverage\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, little has been made public about ARCHES’ top projects, their locations, or their potential health impacts. To fully participate in the hub, partners – including utilities like PG&E, companies like Amazon, and fossil fuel giants like Chevron – had to sign a nondisclosure agreement. Environmental advocates call it an “iron wall” and say that, as projects pop up in marginalized or already-polluted communities around the state, they’re playing “Whac-A-Mole” trying to keep up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ARCHES also has rejected rules the federal government has proposed for the tax credit, a position directly contrary to that of experts who say the rules would guarantee that this huge investment leads to a sustainable hydrogen economy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clean hydrogen could be the angel of decarbonizing the energy sector, but Earthjustice analyst Sasan Saadat said poorly defined hydrogen could be the devil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The fossil fuel industry knows this, and they can blur the lines,” Saadat said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So far, the message from ARCHES is: Trust California to do what is right with the $1.2 billion it has been awarded for its hub.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s reason to trust California,” said Dan Kammen, an energy professor at the University of California, Berkeley. “But only if California continues to follow the rules that California created.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Read the full report here: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1993714/as-california-hydrogen-hubs-receive-billions-public-health-concerns-grow\">As California Hydrogen Hubs Receive Billions, Public Health Concerns Grow.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Billions of dollars are flowing to seven “hydrogen hubs” around the country — including in California. However, producing hydrogen energy can be expensive and complicated, and if that process relies on fossil fuels, it could actually prolong climate pollution.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was originally published by Public Health Watch, a nonprofit investigative news organization. Find out more at \u003ca href=\"http://publichealthwatch.org/\">publichealthwatch.org\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Billions of dollars in federal money are flowing to seven “hydrogen hubs” around the country — including in California. A public-private partnership called ARCHES recently negotiated a $1.2 billion agreement with the Department of Energy to build out hydrogen power plants, pipelines and other energy projects around the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal and state officials are celebrating the award, part of a risky and ambitious national bet on a potentially clean fuel that could someday rival renewables and cut carbon from the atmosphere. Backed by pots of money created by federal laws, California and six other hubs will serve as regional nerve centers, steering hydrogen-producing projects that can qualify for an uncapped federal tax credit – anticipated to be worth at least a hundred billion dollars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, producing hydrogen energy can be expensive and complicated, and if that process relies on fossil fuels, it could actually prolong climate pollution. When even clean hydrogen is blended with methane and burned, it can still dirty the air with toxic byproducts that contribute to lung-irritating smog.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Researchers and local advocates warn that unless the so-called hydrogen \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-releases-first-series-reports-highlighting-pathways-toward-clean-hydrogen-earthshot\">earthshot\u003c/a> has adequate safeguards, it could harm health and climate – even in California, a state that has declared a commitment not only to ambitious climate goals but also to environmental justice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The people got left behind in this conversation,” said Fatima Abdul-Khabir, the Energy Equity Program manager at Oakland-based Greenlining Institute, an advocacy group. “It’s a massive step backwards.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Founded by the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-BIZ), the University of California, the state building and trades unions and a nonprofit called Renewables 100, ARCHES says it aims to develop hydrogen sustainably. Federal funding, GO-BIZ’s Tyson Eckerle has said, is “the pebble that launches the avalanche.” Partners are working quickly: To qualify for the federal tax credit, shovels have to be in the ground by 2032.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, little has been made public about ARCHES’ top projects, their locations, or their potential health impacts. To fully participate in the hub, partners – including utilities like PG&E, companies like Amazon, and fossil fuel giants like Chevron – had to sign a nondisclosure agreement. Environmental advocates call it an “iron wall” and say that, as projects pop up in marginalized or already-polluted communities around the state, they’re playing “Whac-A-Mole” trying to keep up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ARCHES also has rejected rules the federal government has proposed for the tax credit, a position directly contrary to that of experts who say the rules would guarantee that this huge investment leads to a sustainable hydrogen economy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clean hydrogen could be the angel of decarbonizing the energy sector, but Earthjustice analyst Sasan Saadat said poorly defined hydrogen could be the devil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The fossil fuel industry knows this, and they can blur the lines,” Saadat said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So far, the message from ARCHES is: Trust California to do what is right with the $1.2 billion it has been awarded for its hub.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s reason to trust California,” said Dan Kammen, an energy professor at the University of California, Berkeley. “But only if California continues to follow the rules that California created.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Read the full report here: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1993714/as-california-hydrogen-hubs-receive-billions-public-health-concerns-grow\">As California Hydrogen Hubs Receive Billions, Public Health Concerns Grow.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was originally published by Public Health Watch, a nonprofit investigative news organization. Find out more at \u003ca class=\"c-link\" href=\"http://publichealthwatch.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"http://publichealthwatch.org\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">publichealthwatch.org\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Billions of dollars in public money are beginning to flow to seven “hydrogen hubs” around the country — regional nerve centers for a potentially clean fuel that could someday rival solar and wind and cut carbon from the atmosphere. Earlier this month, California’s hub, a public-private partnership called ARCHES, became the first to negotiate an agreement with the Department of Energy to build out hydrogen power plants, pipelines and other projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But researchers and community advocates warn that unless the federal government’s so-called hydrogen \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-releases-first-series-reports-highlighting-pathways-toward-clean-hydrogen-earthshot\">earthshot\u003c/a> has adequate safeguards, it could worsen air pollution in vulnerable communities and aggravate a warming climate. They’re also concerned that specifics of the emerging efforts remain stubbornly secret from people who live near shovel-ready projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s true even in California, a state that has declared a commitment not only to ambitious climate goals but also to environmental justice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The people got left behind in this conversation,” said Fatima Abdul-Khabir, the Energy Equity Program manager at Oakland-based Greenlining Institute, an advocacy group. “It’s a massive step backwards.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hydrogen, a colorless, odorless gas, is the world’s most abundant chemical element. When it’s used in fuel cells or burned for energy, it generates no atmosphere-warming carbon emissions. That means it could power trucks and airplanes without spewing soot from a tailpipe or exhaust from an engine. Hydrogen could help steel plants and other heavy industries lower their carbon footprints.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, stripping hydrogen molecules from water or methane to use as fuel can be expensive and complicated, and if that process relies on fossil fuels, it could actually prolong climate pollution. That’s not the only health risk: When even cleanly-produced hydrogen is blended with methane and burned, it can still dirty the air with toxic byproducts that contribute to lung-irritating smog.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The nation’s hydrogen earth shot is a risky and ambitious bet. Congress created an $8 billion pot of money for the hub system. It also tucked nearly $18 billion in grants and incentives into the Inflation Reduction Act and the infrastructure bill. An uncapped federal tax credit for companies that produce hydrogen energy could cost the public at least another $100 billion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s so much hype right now for hydrogen because everybody wants a piece of the pie,” said Dan Esposito, an electricity policy analyst at the nonprofit firm Energy Innovation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To bring clean hydrogen to market as quickly as possible, the U.S. Department of Energy selected regional hubs based in part on their ability to quickly produce and find uses for clean hydrogen. The chosen hubs also \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.gov/articles/biden-harris-administration-announces-7-billion-americas-first-clean-hydrogen-hubs-driving\">must\u003c/a> promise jobs and other community benefits that advance federal environmental justice \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/environmentaljustice/justice40/\">goals\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1993716\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2880px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1993716 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Angelina-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"2880\" height=\"1800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Angelina-2.png 2880w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Angelina-2-800x500.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Angelina-2-1020x638.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Angelina-2-160x100.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Angelina-2-768x480.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Angelina-2-1536x960.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Angelina-2-2048x1280.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Angelina-2-1920x1200.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2880px) 100vw, 2880px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Angelina Galiteva is CEO of California’s hydrogen hub, which is the first in the country to negotiate terms with the U.S. Department of Energy for a billion-dollar award. \u003ccite>(California Hydrogen Leadership Summit)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But California’s hub, a public-private partnership called ARCHES, is rejecting rules the federal government has proposed to help guard against the risk of rising pollution from incautious hydrogen projects. Along with the six other hubs, ARCHES signed a letter that warns of “far reaching negative consequences” if the rules are made permanent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The position held by ARCHES is directly contrary to that of experts, who say such rules are the only guarantee that this huge investment will lead to a sustainable hydrogen economy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What our research has shown is that if we do this wrong from the start, either the hydrogen industry will fall apart, it’s going to lose a bunch of public support, or it will really significantly delay our ability to clean up the power grid,” Esposito said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ethree.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/CPUC-Air-Quality-Report-FINAL.pdf\">Multiple\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://engineering.princeton.edu/news/2022/12/20/without-guidance-inflation-reduction-act-tax-credit-may-do-more-harm-good\"> analyses\u003c/a> based on public data and modeling, including \u003ca href=\"https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Smart-Design-Of-45V-Hydrogen-Production-Tax-Credit-Will-Reduce-Emissions-And-Grow-The-Industry.pdf?email=467cb6399cb7df64551775e431052b43a775c749&emaila=12a6d4d069cd56cfddaa391c24eb7042&emailb=054528e7403871c79f668e49dd3c44b1ec00c7f611bf9388f76bb2324d6ca5f3&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=07.18.23%20-%20Energy%20%26%20Environment%20%E2%80%94%20RF\">Esposito’s own\u003c/a>, have concluded that hydrogen produced under the wrong circumstances could worsen air pollution instead of improving it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So far, the message from ARCHES is: Trust us. Trust California to do what is right with the $1.2 billion it has been awarded for its hub. Trust the hub’s projects to cut carbon and lung-searing emissions from the air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s reason to trust California,” said Dan Kammen, an energy professor at the University of California, Berkeley. “But only if California continues to follow the rules that California created.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Pebble That Launches the Avalanche’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>California’s hub began as an agreement among the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, or GO-BIZ, the University of California, the state building and trades unions and a nonprofit called Renewables 100, founded by ARCHES CEO Angelina Galiteva. It has around 400 network partners, including Amazon, Cemex, Chevron and investor-owned utilities, including SoCal Gas and Edison International.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Building on the state’s development of the world’s first standard to cut the carbon intensity of fuel, ARCHES promises to develop zero-carbon hydrogen using solar, wind, biomass and other renewable sources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We came together to go after the federal funding, but that federal funding is just a start,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.verdexchange.org/news/unlocking-californias-hydrogen-future-insights-tyson-eckerles-arches-japan-california-hydrogen\">said\u003c/a> Tyson Eckerle, a senior adviser for GO BIZ, at an environmental think tank’s conference in the spring. “It’s the pebble that launches the avalanche.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But California argues that its progress will be slowed if hydrogen developers have to meet rules the U.S. Department of the Treasury has proposed for projects seeking the lucrative 45V tax credit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those rules are based on what energy experts refer to as the “three pillars” of clean hydrogen production. To make hydrogen clean and sustainable, it should be produced from a new source using carbon-neutral electricity. That electricity should be geographically close to where it’s needed, so delivering it isn’t costly. It should also be available when it’s needed, not traded or obtained through accounting from another time and place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s hydrogen leaders counter that the state already has a successful strategy — and numerous requirements — for getting clean energy on the grid. Complying with the federal rules would undermine that progress, ARCHES has said \u003ca href=\"https://archesh2.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/ARCHES-Letter.pdf\">in a public response\u003c/a>, making it “impossible” to integrate hydrogen “in a timely and cost-effect manner without disrupting our carefully calibrated energy system.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re at almost 60%, 24/7 renewables across the board, which is a huge, huge step forward. We’re ahead of our goals in terms of meeting those obligations,” Galiteva told Public Health Watch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If these federal conditions “had been required for the nascent solar or battery or any other industry, those industries would never have taken off,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Julie McNamara, a senior energy analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists, called California’s position contradictory. Even if the state’s renewables-rich grid deserves freedom from constraining rules, why would California support a free-for-all that gives states that continue to depend on fossil fuels a pass?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ARCHES is trying to have it both ways,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fossil fuel-focused energy companies, including BP and Shell, have also argued for more leeway in qualifying for the federal money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clean hydrogen could be the angel of decarbonizing the energy sector, but Earthjustice senior research and policy analyst Sasan Saadat said that poorly defined hydrogen could be the devil because it might prolong the use of fossil fuels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’ve taken this thing that is really dangerous and muddled it up with the world of climate solutions and clean energy and that’s why it’s so risky,” Saadat said. “The fossil fuel industry knows this and they can blur the lines.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A ‘Black Box’ Begins to Open\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>ARCHES has prioritized 37 projects to spend its federal money, according to CEO Galiteva. This “tier one” investment reflects the hub’s vision for bringing clean hydrogen to California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have another 33-plus projects … that can actually slide into a tier one project if a tier one project hits a bump on the road for any reason,” she said at a recent hydrogen trade conference in Sacramento. “So the economy and the scale is going to be pretty big once we start moving.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s an incentive to move quickly: To qualify for the federal tax credit, shovels have to be in the ground by 2032.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1993721\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1993721 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/ARCHES_Supported_Element_Resources_Project.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1189\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/ARCHES_Supported_Element_Resources_Project.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/ARCHES_Supported_Element_Resources_Project-800x495.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/ARCHES_Supported_Element_Resources_Project-1020x632.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/ARCHES_Supported_Element_Resources_Project-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/ARCHES_Supported_Element_Resources_Project-768x476.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/ARCHES_Supported_Element_Resources_Project-1536x951.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In Los Angeles County, the Element Resources Project could be one of 37 projects granted money by California’s hub, ARCHES. The city of Lancaster’s project promises to produce hydrogen fuel with solar power. \u003ccite>(City of Lancaster)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>However, the criteria for what qualifies as tier one status aren’t public. Nor are the locations of most of ARCHES’ projects or their potential health and environmental impacts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To fully participate in the hub, partners had to sign a nondisclosure agreement. Environmental advocates call the NDA an “iron wall” that makes ARCHES a black box.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This huge hydrogen thing is happening, and all anybody knows is that there’s a ton of money coming for it,” said Shana Lazerow, a lawyer with the nonprofit Communities for a Better Environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even where hydrogen is produced without fossil fuels, enormous questions remain about where to prioritize its production and use so it doesn’t pollute or cost more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“No one has found the killer app for green hydrogen yet,” UC Berkeley’s Dan Kammen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1993720\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1993720 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Valley-Generating-IMG_0745-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Valley-Generating-IMG_0745-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Valley-Generating-IMG_0745-800x600.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Valley-Generating-IMG_0745-1020x765.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Valley-Generating-IMG_0745-160x120.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Valley-Generating-IMG_0745-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Valley-Generating-IMG_0745-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Valley-Generating-IMG_0745-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Valley-Generating-IMG_0745-1920x1440.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">At Valley Generating Station in Sun Valley, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is demolishing four red-and-white striped stacks to make way for what it says will be renewable and possibly hydrogen projects. But the facility has a history of methane leaks, and neighbors are wary of the utility’s promises. \u003ccite>(Molly Peterson/Public Health Watch)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Projects that might scoop up the federal money are beginning to emerge from the shadows. In eastern Contra Costa County, where land along the Suisun Bay once served as a stopover for boats supplying gold miners, a company called H Cycle is proposing to heat municipal organic waste to transform it into hydrogen. Diverting waste from a landfill is a particularly attractive idea since overstuffed landfills release methane into the atmosphere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, the draft environmental impact report for the project in the small city of Pittsburg is light on details. It’s not clear exactly what will be heated or what technology will be used to unlock the hydrogen. Under California’s regulations, organic waste can include some percentage of plastic and metal, which would emit toxins when burned. The report also references slag, a waste product that comes from burning material, not just heating it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All of that is troubling to a neighborhood \u003ca href=\"https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/11d2f52282a54ceebcac7428e6184203/page/CalEnviroScreen-4_0/\">whose residents are in the 93rd percentile statewide\u003c/a> for asthma risk. Charles Davidson, a Contra Costa resident and member of the Sunflower Alliance, points out that 25,000 people live near H Cycle. “It’s burning plastics and construction materials and other things with no limit, no specifications on what’s being incinerated next to people’s homes,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A news release says H Cycle “\u003ca href=\"https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/h-cycle-positioned-for-funds-from-doe-hydrogen-hub-program-as-part-of-californias-arches-partnership-301956757.html\">is positioned\u003c/a>” for a piece of ARCHES’ billion-dollar pie. But whether it’s a tier-one project for the hub isn’t clear. H Cycle, as a partner in ARCHES, has signed the hub’s non-disclosure agreement, and the company did not respond to requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A letter local air regulators sent to Pittsburg’s planners warns of health risks from the project.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This thermal conversion process represents a novel renewable hydrogen production strategy,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/planning-and-research/ceqa-letters/2024/h-cycle-pitts-hydro-project-deir-air-district-ltr-pdf.pdf?rev=5a05cdb4b3804645b566cf9a68769bc0&sc_lang=en\">wrote\u003c/a> the Bay Area Air Quality Management District in March. “However, it will introduce additional air pollution into a community that is already overburdened.” The district recommended more consideration of residents – and more transparency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>H Cycle’s engagement with vulnerable communities is limited at best, said Amelia Keyes, a lawyer with Communities for a Better Environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s no coincidence that a polluting facility like this is being built here,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Playing Whac-A-Mole Around the State\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>At launch, ARCHES \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2024-07/H2Hubs%20ARCHES_Award%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf\">highlighted\u003c/a> 10 unnamed hydrogen production projects, “with most in the Central Valley.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Projects are popping up in marginalized or already-polluted communities around the state. Some involve producing the fuel; others will transport or use it. Keyes said advocates usually hear about these projects by word of mouth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it really illustrates the kind of Whac-a-mole that environmental justice groups have to play with these kinds of facilities,” Keyes said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the port of Stockton, there’s talk of a facility that would produce hydrogen by steaming it out of methane but could claim to be carbon neutral by using credits for reductions of pollution elsewhere. In a farmworker community in western Fresno County, a pilot project will blend hydrogen into gas lines that go directly into homes for 10,000 people. Southern California Gas is floating the idea of \u003ca href=\"https://www.socalgas.com/sustainability/hydrogen/angeles-link\">AngelesLink\u003c/a>. It’s billed as the nation’s largest clean hydrogen pipeline and could pipe the stuff into the Los Angeles basin. But little information is available yet about where clean fuel will come from in the first place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Major environmental groups, including Communities for a Better Environment, complain they don’t know much about these projects because they didn’t sign the ARCHES NDA, fearing that the secrecy required would compromise their advocacy in public processes. They worry that health risks and the influence of fossil fuel companies are being waved away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a letter to federal energy officials, the California Environmental Justice Association called the NDA a “delay tactic that allowed ARCHES to move forward without needing to account for and include impacted communities in decision-making.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Why should we as the public be living in this poverty of information about a massive taxpayer-funded climate program?” Earthjustice’s Saadat said. “It’s really galling.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Is Green Hydrogen’s Promise Real?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>People in environmental justice communities are exactly who the California hub claims will benefit from the hydrogen boom. ARCHES says its overall proposal could help the state save nearly $3 billion by increasing “the economic value of health-related benefits” and creating 220,000 new jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a brief on its website, ARCHES attributes the potential health savings to cleaner air, based on \u003ca href=\"https://www.ethree.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/CPUC-Air-Quality-Report-FINAL.pdf\">a research paper\u003c/a> commissioned by the California Public Utilities Commission. That paper projects reductions in air pollution through the electrification of cars and trucks, ending the use of natural gas in buildings, and removing all emissions from natural gas power generation. It then models the anticipated public health benefits from each. But hydrogen is only glancingly mentioned.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the jobs estimate, the independent think tank Rhodium Group \u003ca href=\"https://rhg.com/research/the-economic-benefits-of-hydrogen-hubs/\">offers a stark counter-estimate\u003c/a>. It suggests that California’s hub will create just 6,000 to 8,000 jobs during the construction phase and only several hundred long term.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Neighborhoods that might be affected by hydrogen development tend to be wary of promises of jobs or cleaner air. That’s particularly true in the Los Angeles basin, where people have long breathed fossil-fuel-driven pollution from refineries and natural gas plants. Now the L.A. Department of Water and Power plans to retrofit one of those plants, the Scattergood Generating Station, so it can run on methane mixed with hydrogen. The plant would produce power to serve the region when demand peaks, as it does on hot days. The estimated cost to \u003ca href=\"https://www.ladwp.com/sites/default/files/2023-10/Scattergood%20Modernization%20Project%20-%20IS.pdf\">retrofit\u003c/a> two of the plant’s three turbines is at least $800 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But hydrogen burned at high temperatures where oxygen is present, as in a gas plant, can create nitrogen oxides; those, in turn, contribute to ground-level ozone or smog. Emerging science \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360319917319791\">suggests\u003c/a> that blending hydrogen into fossil gas could even increase those emissions unless pollution controls are added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We should not be shooting for extending the life of combustion technology,” Earthjustice analyst Saadat said. “We know that we need to stop burning fuel at the tailpipe and the smokestack.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ARCHES and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power plan to transition Scattergood to 100% hydrogen — “as soon as it is technically and practically feasible to do so.” In the meantime, state officials have acknowledged that the continuing transformation of California’s energy economy comes with tradeoffs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Not everything is going to be zero all of the time in terms of emissions,” Rajinder Sahota, deputy executive officer for climate change at the California Air Resources Board, said at the hydrogen summit in Sacramento. “But making sure that, cumulatively, the exposure to harmful pollution is reduced is going to be important.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1993722\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1993722 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Miguel-Miguel-IMG_0759-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Miguel-Miguel-IMG_0759-scaled.jpeg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Miguel-Miguel-IMG_0759-800x1067.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Miguel-Miguel-IMG_0759-1020x1360.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Miguel-Miguel-IMG_0759-160x213.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Miguel-Miguel-IMG_0759-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Miguel-Miguel-IMG_0759-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Miguel-Miguel-IMG_0759-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Miguel Miguel, a policy adviser for Pacoima Beautiful, says neighbors to Valley Generating Station are wary of potential hydrogen projects in Los Angeles. \u003ccite>(Molly Peterson/Public Health Watch)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The L.A. Department of Water and Power, or LADWP, is also “actively exploring” what happens next at its Valley Generating Station in Sun Valley. Valley notoriously leaked methane, which contributes to smog, for at least three years before officials notified anyone living nearby. The leak prompted a campaign by residents of the largely Latino neighborhood to shut Valley down, and water and power officials say demolition will soon begin. But the 12-acre property remains connected to gas infrastructure, and LADWP emphasizes that having dependable energy generated near where it’s needed in the L.A. basin is essential to a cleaner energy future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An LADWP spokeswoman said the utility “is actively evaluating hydrogen as well as other emerging technologies [at Valley] that will maximize environmental and equity benefits. We have consistently engaged the community and will continue to do so.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But residents aren’t reassured.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So far it’s been hard to understand, Why this? Why this technology?” said Miguel Miguel, a policy adviser for the community advocacy group Pacoima Beautiful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Miguel says the opaqueness about Valley’s future helped push California environmental justice advocates to \u003ca href=\"https://caleja.org/2023/10/environmental-justice-equity-principles-green-hydrogen-california/\">circulate principles\u003c/a> for an equitable energy transition to hydrogen last year. By their definition, green hydrogen relies on surplus water and renewable energy and doesn’t keep fossil fuels online. It also means communities are consulted respectfully from the start.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a possibility of green hydrogen as long as it doesn’t exacerbate problems,” Miguel said. “But for us, at Valley … in our opinion, it’s the natural gas industry’s last-ditch effort to say, ‘You still need us.’ And that’s the hardest pill to swallow.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advocates like Miguel acknowledge that balancing Southern California’s energy sources responsibly to avoid brownouts or skyrocketing costs isn’t easy. That’s why they oppose dirty hydrogen — not all hydrogen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Martha Dina Arguello, the executive director of Physicians for Social Responsibility-Los Angeles, says talk of green hydrogen has left her frustrated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You realize that nobody wants to make green hydrogen, right? There’s no profit in making green hydrogen,” she said. “The political reality is that nobody’s building that right now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>California’s Confidence, Confirmed\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In the coming months, federal agencies will set policies that clarify the direction ARCHES and the other hydrogen hubs will take.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the Energy Department ARCHES funding, it also finalized the hub’s operating rules. The Treasury Department, too, must finalize guidelines for companies wishing to access hydrogen tax credits. The two agencies don’t always agree; Politico has \u003ca href=\"https://www.eenews.net/articles/doe-sides-with-industry-on-hydrogen-tax-rules/\">reported\u003c/a> that some in the DOE were advocating internally for weaker rules, as many industry leaders have sought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, California lawmakers \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240sb1420\">are considering legislation\u003c/a> that would streamline the state’s environmental review process for hydrogen projects. And some Democratic members of California’s congressional delegation \u003ca href=\"https://subscriber.politicopro.com/eenews/f/eenews/?id=00000190-989d-d892-a3db-bffd27970000\">are lobbying Treasury\u003c/a> for weaker rules.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s hydrogen boosters seem confident about their strategy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Frankly, if you want green hydrogen to succeed, you need California,” ARCHES CEO Galiteva said at the Sacramento summit. She told a story about how Gov. Gavin Newsom sold federal officials on the state’s capacity to advance clean fuel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Galiteva said the governor emphasized California’s strong climate goals and its robust marketplace for clean energy. And his pitch didn’t stop there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You need us more than we need you,” Newsom, by her account, told the DOE. “So you’d better give us a hub.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Laughter erupted in a ballroom of industry representatives and public officials as Galiteva smiled. “I guess they listened,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Molly Peterson is a Los Angeles-based staff writer for \u003ca href=\"https://publichealthwatch.org/\">Public Health Watch\u003c/a>, a nonprofit investigative news organization that covers environmental health and health inequities. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "California gets a big pot of federal funding for hydrogen projects. But community advocates worry some of the 'clean' energy projects could actually harm public health. \r\n",
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"title": "As California Hydrogen Hubs Receive Billions, Public Health Concerns Grow | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was originally published by Public Health Watch, a nonprofit investigative news organization. Find out more at \u003ca class=\"c-link\" href=\"http://publichealthwatch.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"http://publichealthwatch.org\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">publichealthwatch.org\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Billions of dollars in public money are beginning to flow to seven “hydrogen hubs” around the country — regional nerve centers for a potentially clean fuel that could someday rival solar and wind and cut carbon from the atmosphere. Earlier this month, California’s hub, a public-private partnership called ARCHES, became the first to negotiate an agreement with the Department of Energy to build out hydrogen power plants, pipelines and other projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But researchers and community advocates warn that unless the federal government’s so-called hydrogen \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-releases-first-series-reports-highlighting-pathways-toward-clean-hydrogen-earthshot\">earthshot\u003c/a> has adequate safeguards, it could worsen air pollution in vulnerable communities and aggravate a warming climate. They’re also concerned that specifics of the emerging efforts remain stubbornly secret from people who live near shovel-ready projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s true even in California, a state that has declared a commitment not only to ambitious climate goals but also to environmental justice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The people got left behind in this conversation,” said Fatima Abdul-Khabir, the Energy Equity Program manager at Oakland-based Greenlining Institute, an advocacy group. “It’s a massive step backwards.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hydrogen, a colorless, odorless gas, is the world’s most abundant chemical element. When it’s used in fuel cells or burned for energy, it generates no atmosphere-warming carbon emissions. That means it could power trucks and airplanes without spewing soot from a tailpipe or exhaust from an engine. Hydrogen could help steel plants and other heavy industries lower their carbon footprints.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, stripping hydrogen molecules from water or methane to use as fuel can be expensive and complicated, and if that process relies on fossil fuels, it could actually prolong climate pollution. That’s not the only health risk: When even cleanly-produced hydrogen is blended with methane and burned, it can still dirty the air with toxic byproducts that contribute to lung-irritating smog.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The nation’s hydrogen earth shot is a risky and ambitious bet. Congress created an $8 billion pot of money for the hub system. It also tucked nearly $18 billion in grants and incentives into the Inflation Reduction Act and the infrastructure bill. An uncapped federal tax credit for companies that produce hydrogen energy could cost the public at least another $100 billion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s so much hype right now for hydrogen because everybody wants a piece of the pie,” said Dan Esposito, an electricity policy analyst at the nonprofit firm Energy Innovation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To bring clean hydrogen to market as quickly as possible, the U.S. Department of Energy selected regional hubs based in part on their ability to quickly produce and find uses for clean hydrogen. The chosen hubs also \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.gov/articles/biden-harris-administration-announces-7-billion-americas-first-clean-hydrogen-hubs-driving\">must\u003c/a> promise jobs and other community benefits that advance federal environmental justice \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/environmentaljustice/justice40/\">goals\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1993716\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2880px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1993716 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Angelina-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"2880\" height=\"1800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Angelina-2.png 2880w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Angelina-2-800x500.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Angelina-2-1020x638.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Angelina-2-160x100.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Angelina-2-768x480.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Angelina-2-1536x960.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Angelina-2-2048x1280.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Angelina-2-1920x1200.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2880px) 100vw, 2880px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Angelina Galiteva is CEO of California’s hydrogen hub, which is the first in the country to negotiate terms with the U.S. Department of Energy for a billion-dollar award. \u003ccite>(California Hydrogen Leadership Summit)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But California’s hub, a public-private partnership called ARCHES, is rejecting rules the federal government has proposed to help guard against the risk of rising pollution from incautious hydrogen projects. Along with the six other hubs, ARCHES signed a letter that warns of “far reaching negative consequences” if the rules are made permanent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The position held by ARCHES is directly contrary to that of experts, who say such rules are the only guarantee that this huge investment will lead to a sustainable hydrogen economy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What our research has shown is that if we do this wrong from the start, either the hydrogen industry will fall apart, it’s going to lose a bunch of public support, or it will really significantly delay our ability to clean up the power grid,” Esposito said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ethree.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/CPUC-Air-Quality-Report-FINAL.pdf\">Multiple\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://engineering.princeton.edu/news/2022/12/20/without-guidance-inflation-reduction-act-tax-credit-may-do-more-harm-good\"> analyses\u003c/a> based on public data and modeling, including \u003ca href=\"https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Smart-Design-Of-45V-Hydrogen-Production-Tax-Credit-Will-Reduce-Emissions-And-Grow-The-Industry.pdf?email=467cb6399cb7df64551775e431052b43a775c749&emaila=12a6d4d069cd56cfddaa391c24eb7042&emailb=054528e7403871c79f668e49dd3c44b1ec00c7f611bf9388f76bb2324d6ca5f3&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=07.18.23%20-%20Energy%20%26%20Environment%20%E2%80%94%20RF\">Esposito’s own\u003c/a>, have concluded that hydrogen produced under the wrong circumstances could worsen air pollution instead of improving it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So far, the message from ARCHES is: Trust us. Trust California to do what is right with the $1.2 billion it has been awarded for its hub. Trust the hub’s projects to cut carbon and lung-searing emissions from the air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s reason to trust California,” said Dan Kammen, an energy professor at the University of California, Berkeley. “But only if California continues to follow the rules that California created.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Pebble That Launches the Avalanche’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>California’s hub began as an agreement among the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, or GO-BIZ, the University of California, the state building and trades unions and a nonprofit called Renewables 100, founded by ARCHES CEO Angelina Galiteva. It has around 400 network partners, including Amazon, Cemex, Chevron and investor-owned utilities, including SoCal Gas and Edison International.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Building on the state’s development of the world’s first standard to cut the carbon intensity of fuel, ARCHES promises to develop zero-carbon hydrogen using solar, wind, biomass and other renewable sources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We came together to go after the federal funding, but that federal funding is just a start,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.verdexchange.org/news/unlocking-californias-hydrogen-future-insights-tyson-eckerles-arches-japan-california-hydrogen\">said\u003c/a> Tyson Eckerle, a senior adviser for GO BIZ, at an environmental think tank’s conference in the spring. “It’s the pebble that launches the avalanche.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But California argues that its progress will be slowed if hydrogen developers have to meet rules the U.S. Department of the Treasury has proposed for projects seeking the lucrative 45V tax credit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those rules are based on what energy experts refer to as the “three pillars” of clean hydrogen production. To make hydrogen clean and sustainable, it should be produced from a new source using carbon-neutral electricity. That electricity should be geographically close to where it’s needed, so delivering it isn’t costly. It should also be available when it’s needed, not traded or obtained through accounting from another time and place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s hydrogen leaders counter that the state already has a successful strategy — and numerous requirements — for getting clean energy on the grid. Complying with the federal rules would undermine that progress, ARCHES has said \u003ca href=\"https://archesh2.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/ARCHES-Letter.pdf\">in a public response\u003c/a>, making it “impossible” to integrate hydrogen “in a timely and cost-effect manner without disrupting our carefully calibrated energy system.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re at almost 60%, 24/7 renewables across the board, which is a huge, huge step forward. We’re ahead of our goals in terms of meeting those obligations,” Galiteva told Public Health Watch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If these federal conditions “had been required for the nascent solar or battery or any other industry, those industries would never have taken off,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Julie McNamara, a senior energy analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists, called California’s position contradictory. Even if the state’s renewables-rich grid deserves freedom from constraining rules, why would California support a free-for-all that gives states that continue to depend on fossil fuels a pass?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ARCHES is trying to have it both ways,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fossil fuel-focused energy companies, including BP and Shell, have also argued for more leeway in qualifying for the federal money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clean hydrogen could be the angel of decarbonizing the energy sector, but Earthjustice senior research and policy analyst Sasan Saadat said that poorly defined hydrogen could be the devil because it might prolong the use of fossil fuels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’ve taken this thing that is really dangerous and muddled it up with the world of climate solutions and clean energy and that’s why it’s so risky,” Saadat said. “The fossil fuel industry knows this and they can blur the lines.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A ‘Black Box’ Begins to Open\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>ARCHES has prioritized 37 projects to spend its federal money, according to CEO Galiteva. This “tier one” investment reflects the hub’s vision for bringing clean hydrogen to California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have another 33-plus projects … that can actually slide into a tier one project if a tier one project hits a bump on the road for any reason,” she said at a recent hydrogen trade conference in Sacramento. “So the economy and the scale is going to be pretty big once we start moving.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s an incentive to move quickly: To qualify for the federal tax credit, shovels have to be in the ground by 2032.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1993721\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1993721 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/ARCHES_Supported_Element_Resources_Project.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1189\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/ARCHES_Supported_Element_Resources_Project.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/ARCHES_Supported_Element_Resources_Project-800x495.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/ARCHES_Supported_Element_Resources_Project-1020x632.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/ARCHES_Supported_Element_Resources_Project-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/ARCHES_Supported_Element_Resources_Project-768x476.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/ARCHES_Supported_Element_Resources_Project-1536x951.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In Los Angeles County, the Element Resources Project could be one of 37 projects granted money by California’s hub, ARCHES. The city of Lancaster’s project promises to produce hydrogen fuel with solar power. \u003ccite>(City of Lancaster)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>However, the criteria for what qualifies as tier one status aren’t public. Nor are the locations of most of ARCHES’ projects or their potential health and environmental impacts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To fully participate in the hub, partners had to sign a nondisclosure agreement. Environmental advocates call the NDA an “iron wall” that makes ARCHES a black box.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This huge hydrogen thing is happening, and all anybody knows is that there’s a ton of money coming for it,” said Shana Lazerow, a lawyer with the nonprofit Communities for a Better Environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even where hydrogen is produced without fossil fuels, enormous questions remain about where to prioritize its production and use so it doesn’t pollute or cost more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“No one has found the killer app for green hydrogen yet,” UC Berkeley’s Dan Kammen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1993720\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1993720 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Valley-Generating-IMG_0745-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Valley-Generating-IMG_0745-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Valley-Generating-IMG_0745-800x600.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Valley-Generating-IMG_0745-1020x765.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Valley-Generating-IMG_0745-160x120.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Valley-Generating-IMG_0745-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Valley-Generating-IMG_0745-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Valley-Generating-IMG_0745-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Valley-Generating-IMG_0745-1920x1440.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">At Valley Generating Station in Sun Valley, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is demolishing four red-and-white striped stacks to make way for what it says will be renewable and possibly hydrogen projects. But the facility has a history of methane leaks, and neighbors are wary of the utility’s promises. \u003ccite>(Molly Peterson/Public Health Watch)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Projects that might scoop up the federal money are beginning to emerge from the shadows. In eastern Contra Costa County, where land along the Suisun Bay once served as a stopover for boats supplying gold miners, a company called H Cycle is proposing to heat municipal organic waste to transform it into hydrogen. Diverting waste from a landfill is a particularly attractive idea since overstuffed landfills release methane into the atmosphere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, the draft environmental impact report for the project in the small city of Pittsburg is light on details. It’s not clear exactly what will be heated or what technology will be used to unlock the hydrogen. Under California’s regulations, organic waste can include some percentage of plastic and metal, which would emit toxins when burned. The report also references slag, a waste product that comes from burning material, not just heating it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All of that is troubling to a neighborhood \u003ca href=\"https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/11d2f52282a54ceebcac7428e6184203/page/CalEnviroScreen-4_0/\">whose residents are in the 93rd percentile statewide\u003c/a> for asthma risk. Charles Davidson, a Contra Costa resident and member of the Sunflower Alliance, points out that 25,000 people live near H Cycle. “It’s burning plastics and construction materials and other things with no limit, no specifications on what’s being incinerated next to people’s homes,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A news release says H Cycle “\u003ca href=\"https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/h-cycle-positioned-for-funds-from-doe-hydrogen-hub-program-as-part-of-californias-arches-partnership-301956757.html\">is positioned\u003c/a>” for a piece of ARCHES’ billion-dollar pie. But whether it’s a tier-one project for the hub isn’t clear. H Cycle, as a partner in ARCHES, has signed the hub’s non-disclosure agreement, and the company did not respond to requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A letter local air regulators sent to Pittsburg’s planners warns of health risks from the project.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This thermal conversion process represents a novel renewable hydrogen production strategy,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/planning-and-research/ceqa-letters/2024/h-cycle-pitts-hydro-project-deir-air-district-ltr-pdf.pdf?rev=5a05cdb4b3804645b566cf9a68769bc0&sc_lang=en\">wrote\u003c/a> the Bay Area Air Quality Management District in March. “However, it will introduce additional air pollution into a community that is already overburdened.” The district recommended more consideration of residents – and more transparency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>H Cycle’s engagement with vulnerable communities is limited at best, said Amelia Keyes, a lawyer with Communities for a Better Environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s no coincidence that a polluting facility like this is being built here,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Playing Whac-A-Mole Around the State\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>At launch, ARCHES \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2024-07/H2Hubs%20ARCHES_Award%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf\">highlighted\u003c/a> 10 unnamed hydrogen production projects, “with most in the Central Valley.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Projects are popping up in marginalized or already-polluted communities around the state. Some involve producing the fuel; others will transport or use it. Keyes said advocates usually hear about these projects by word of mouth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it really illustrates the kind of Whac-a-mole that environmental justice groups have to play with these kinds of facilities,” Keyes said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the port of Stockton, there’s talk of a facility that would produce hydrogen by steaming it out of methane but could claim to be carbon neutral by using credits for reductions of pollution elsewhere. In a farmworker community in western Fresno County, a pilot project will blend hydrogen into gas lines that go directly into homes for 10,000 people. Southern California Gas is floating the idea of \u003ca href=\"https://www.socalgas.com/sustainability/hydrogen/angeles-link\">AngelesLink\u003c/a>. It’s billed as the nation’s largest clean hydrogen pipeline and could pipe the stuff into the Los Angeles basin. But little information is available yet about where clean fuel will come from in the first place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Major environmental groups, including Communities for a Better Environment, complain they don’t know much about these projects because they didn’t sign the ARCHES NDA, fearing that the secrecy required would compromise their advocacy in public processes. They worry that health risks and the influence of fossil fuel companies are being waved away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a letter to federal energy officials, the California Environmental Justice Association called the NDA a “delay tactic that allowed ARCHES to move forward without needing to account for and include impacted communities in decision-making.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Why should we as the public be living in this poverty of information about a massive taxpayer-funded climate program?” Earthjustice’s Saadat said. “It’s really galling.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Is Green Hydrogen’s Promise Real?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>People in environmental justice communities are exactly who the California hub claims will benefit from the hydrogen boom. ARCHES says its overall proposal could help the state save nearly $3 billion by increasing “the economic value of health-related benefits” and creating 220,000 new jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a brief on its website, ARCHES attributes the potential health savings to cleaner air, based on \u003ca href=\"https://www.ethree.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/CPUC-Air-Quality-Report-FINAL.pdf\">a research paper\u003c/a> commissioned by the California Public Utilities Commission. That paper projects reductions in air pollution through the electrification of cars and trucks, ending the use of natural gas in buildings, and removing all emissions from natural gas power generation. It then models the anticipated public health benefits from each. But hydrogen is only glancingly mentioned.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the jobs estimate, the independent think tank Rhodium Group \u003ca href=\"https://rhg.com/research/the-economic-benefits-of-hydrogen-hubs/\">offers a stark counter-estimate\u003c/a>. It suggests that California’s hub will create just 6,000 to 8,000 jobs during the construction phase and only several hundred long term.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Neighborhoods that might be affected by hydrogen development tend to be wary of promises of jobs or cleaner air. That’s particularly true in the Los Angeles basin, where people have long breathed fossil-fuel-driven pollution from refineries and natural gas plants. Now the L.A. Department of Water and Power plans to retrofit one of those plants, the Scattergood Generating Station, so it can run on methane mixed with hydrogen. The plant would produce power to serve the region when demand peaks, as it does on hot days. The estimated cost to \u003ca href=\"https://www.ladwp.com/sites/default/files/2023-10/Scattergood%20Modernization%20Project%20-%20IS.pdf\">retrofit\u003c/a> two of the plant’s three turbines is at least $800 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But hydrogen burned at high temperatures where oxygen is present, as in a gas plant, can create nitrogen oxides; those, in turn, contribute to ground-level ozone or smog. Emerging science \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360319917319791\">suggests\u003c/a> that blending hydrogen into fossil gas could even increase those emissions unless pollution controls are added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We should not be shooting for extending the life of combustion technology,” Earthjustice analyst Saadat said. “We know that we need to stop burning fuel at the tailpipe and the smokestack.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ARCHES and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power plan to transition Scattergood to 100% hydrogen — “as soon as it is technically and practically feasible to do so.” In the meantime, state officials have acknowledged that the continuing transformation of California’s energy economy comes with tradeoffs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Not everything is going to be zero all of the time in terms of emissions,” Rajinder Sahota, deputy executive officer for climate change at the California Air Resources Board, said at the hydrogen summit in Sacramento. “But making sure that, cumulatively, the exposure to harmful pollution is reduced is going to be important.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1993722\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1993722 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Miguel-Miguel-IMG_0759-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Miguel-Miguel-IMG_0759-scaled.jpeg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Miguel-Miguel-IMG_0759-800x1067.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Miguel-Miguel-IMG_0759-1020x1360.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Miguel-Miguel-IMG_0759-160x213.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Miguel-Miguel-IMG_0759-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Miguel-Miguel-IMG_0759-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/Miguel-Miguel-IMG_0759-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Miguel Miguel, a policy adviser for Pacoima Beautiful, says neighbors to Valley Generating Station are wary of potential hydrogen projects in Los Angeles. \u003ccite>(Molly Peterson/Public Health Watch)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The L.A. Department of Water and Power, or LADWP, is also “actively exploring” what happens next at its Valley Generating Station in Sun Valley. Valley notoriously leaked methane, which contributes to smog, for at least three years before officials notified anyone living nearby. The leak prompted a campaign by residents of the largely Latino neighborhood to shut Valley down, and water and power officials say demolition will soon begin. But the 12-acre property remains connected to gas infrastructure, and LADWP emphasizes that having dependable energy generated near where it’s needed in the L.A. basin is essential to a cleaner energy future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An LADWP spokeswoman said the utility “is actively evaluating hydrogen as well as other emerging technologies [at Valley] that will maximize environmental and equity benefits. We have consistently engaged the community and will continue to do so.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But residents aren’t reassured.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So far it’s been hard to understand, Why this? Why this technology?” said Miguel Miguel, a policy adviser for the community advocacy group Pacoima Beautiful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Miguel says the opaqueness about Valley’s future helped push California environmental justice advocates to \u003ca href=\"https://caleja.org/2023/10/environmental-justice-equity-principles-green-hydrogen-california/\">circulate principles\u003c/a> for an equitable energy transition to hydrogen last year. By their definition, green hydrogen relies on surplus water and renewable energy and doesn’t keep fossil fuels online. It also means communities are consulted respectfully from the start.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a possibility of green hydrogen as long as it doesn’t exacerbate problems,” Miguel said. “But for us, at Valley … in our opinion, it’s the natural gas industry’s last-ditch effort to say, ‘You still need us.’ And that’s the hardest pill to swallow.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advocates like Miguel acknowledge that balancing Southern California’s energy sources responsibly to avoid brownouts or skyrocketing costs isn’t easy. That’s why they oppose dirty hydrogen — not all hydrogen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Martha Dina Arguello, the executive director of Physicians for Social Responsibility-Los Angeles, says talk of green hydrogen has left her frustrated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You realize that nobody wants to make green hydrogen, right? There’s no profit in making green hydrogen,” she said. “The political reality is that nobody’s building that right now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>California’s Confidence, Confirmed\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In the coming months, federal agencies will set policies that clarify the direction ARCHES and the other hydrogen hubs will take.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the Energy Department ARCHES funding, it also finalized the hub’s operating rules. The Treasury Department, too, must finalize guidelines for companies wishing to access hydrogen tax credits. The two agencies don’t always agree; Politico has \u003ca href=\"https://www.eenews.net/articles/doe-sides-with-industry-on-hydrogen-tax-rules/\">reported\u003c/a> that some in the DOE were advocating internally for weaker rules, as many industry leaders have sought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, California lawmakers \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240sb1420\">are considering legislation\u003c/a> that would streamline the state’s environmental review process for hydrogen projects. And some Democratic members of California’s congressional delegation \u003ca href=\"https://subscriber.politicopro.com/eenews/f/eenews/?id=00000190-989d-d892-a3db-bffd27970000\">are lobbying Treasury\u003c/a> for weaker rules.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s hydrogen boosters seem confident about their strategy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Frankly, if you want green hydrogen to succeed, you need California,” ARCHES CEO Galiteva said at the Sacramento summit. She told a story about how Gov. Gavin Newsom sold federal officials on the state’s capacity to advance clean fuel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Galiteva said the governor emphasized California’s strong climate goals and its robust marketplace for clean energy. And his pitch didn’t stop there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You need us more than we need you,” Newsom, by her account, told the DOE. “So you’d better give us a hub.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Laughter erupted in a ballroom of industry representatives and public officials as Galiteva smiled. “I guess they listened,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Molly Peterson is a Los Angeles-based staff writer for \u003ca href=\"https://publichealthwatch.org/\">Public Health Watch\u003c/a>, a nonprofit investigative news organization that covers environmental health and health inequities. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "How Can These Flies Live in Oily Black Tar Pits?",
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"headTitle": "How Can These Flies Live in Oily Black Tar Pits? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Within the sprawling metropolis of Los Angeles, not far from West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, paleontologists are hard at work sorting through one of the richest collections of ice age fossils in the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, the La Brea Tar Pits, a public park and museum, lie between shopping centers and apartment buildings. But the sticky, black asphalt that fills the pits was oozing up from the ground long before people turned this land into a bustling city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across millenia, the tar pits captured over ten thousand mammals, creating a remarkably detailed record of the area’s natural history. But not every creature present in the asphalt is stuck in the past.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1993664\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1993664\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_18-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_18-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_18-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_18-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_18-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_18-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_18-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_18-1920x1080.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Paleontologist Sean Campbell examines the asphalt of Pit 91, where he and his team are still uncovering fossils left behind by ice age plants and animals. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Any tourist who goes to watch scientists dig up the bones of saber-toothed cats and dire wolves should also keep an eye out for the plucky survivor whose ancestors likely watched those big mammals die: the petroleum fly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s still a lot of mystery surrounding the petroleum fly, but one thing is clear: It has figured out how to make the most of a bad situation. Pools of asphalt are hell for most animals, but petroleum flies have turned them into a bountiful habitat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s their personal paradise,” says entomologist Martin Hauser, with the California Department of Food and Agriculture. “They have no competition in there because no one else can deal with it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adult petroleum flies are fairly unassuming. They’re small and flecked like fruit flies. Though scientists don’t know exactly how, they are able to skate – and mate – on the asphalt pools. Their feet don’t get stuck, but if any other body part touches the sticky liquid, they’re out of luck.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1993665\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1993665\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_10-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_10-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_10-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_10-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_10-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_10-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_10-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_10-1920x1080.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An adult petroleum fly walks on top of the sticky tar pits without getting stuck. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The translucent maggots, on the other hand, are truly in their element – they can fully submerge in the dark, viscous liquid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is something that kills everything else,” says Kenneth Nickerson, a microbiologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, who has studied petroleum flies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pools of natural asphalt form when petroleum from subterranean reservoirs seeps out of the ground. Most of the small molecules that make petroleum toxic to us quickly evaporate, but the asphalt that’s left behind is incredibly sticky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Few animals that wade into a pool of asphalt manage to extricate themselves from it. In fact, the thick liquid keeps holding on even after an animal has succumbed to exhaustion or exposure, and its body has wasted away to bones. That’s why asphalt deposits around the world are particularly interesting to paleontologists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It just so happens that this extremophile organism lives in the medium that I dig fossils out of,” says Sean Campbell, a paleontologist with the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County, which include the La Brea Tar Pits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote]\u003cbr>\nADDITIONAL RESOURCES\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Discover more about the \u003ca href=\"https://https://tarpits.org//\">La Brea Tar Pits and Museum\u003c/a>, where plants and animals from the last 50,000 years are discovered every day. The museum is located right in the heart of Los Angeles.\u003cbr>\n[/pullquote] \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientists have also found petroleum flies in oil fields in Santa Paula and Ojai, south of Santa Barbara, as well as in seeps in Cuba and Trinidad, in the Caribbean.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By studying the flies in the La Brea Tar Pits, researchers are beginning to understand how their maggots are able to survive in this environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They have multiple tricks,” says Hauser.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Hauser examined petroleum fly maggots under a microscope, he noticed they’re a little more prickly than other fly larvae. He believes their rough skin keeps the asphalt away from their bodies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Surprisingly, the maggots actually need a bit of asphalt on their backside to survive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They would dry out if they can’t get in contact with oil,” says Hauser.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As it turns out, the asphalt is also an essential moisturizer. While most insects are covered in a waxy layer that keeps moisture in, petroleum flies seem to lack this protection – likely because wax dissolves in asphalt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As they swim in the asphalt, maggots breathe through snorkel-like tubes on their rear ends, ringed with hairs that keep them afloat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When the snorkel breaks the surface, the hairs just fold out,” says Hauser. “It’s a little bit like an umbrella.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1993667\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1993667\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_9.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A crane fly gets stuck in the tar pits. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Maggots feed on insects that have been caught in the asphalt. Dragonflies and other insects that spend their lives near ponds often mistake shiny pools of asphalt for water. When they try to skim the surface or land on it, the sticky substance pulls them down, into the maggots’ domain. Without snorkels like the ones petroleum fly larvae breathe through, those other insects quickly drown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Petroleum fly larvae aren’t picky: They’ll turn any dying insect into a meal. When the maggots sense an insect sinking into their home, they wriggle over to it. Then, they scrape at its hard exoskeleton with their two black mouth hooks, probing for an exposed bit of soft tissue. When they find one, they make a hole and crawl inside the dying insect’s body.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1993666\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1993666\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_4.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A hungry petroleum fly larva inspects and eats an adult petroleum fly that got stuck in the tar pits. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As they eat, petroleum fly maggots incidentally consume some asphalt. You can see it darkening their digestive tract through their translucent skin. It looks like their guts are filled with the black substance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s one of the big mysteries,” says Hauser. “How they can deal with this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Humans can handle eating a little bit of asphalt – medieval Persian doctors used to prescribe it for stomach ulcers. But the stuff would overwhelm our systems if we ate as much as a petroleum fly maggot. And even a little bit would expose us to carcinogens that short-lived insects don’t have to worry about.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Petroleum fly larvae eat asphalt regularly enough that scientists once thought they derived nourishment from it. Now, they know that’s not the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it’s apparent that something happens to the asphalt as it passes through a maggot’s digestive tract. Between the mouth and the anus, the dark, viscous substance thins out and clears up. Whatever is responsible for that process could point to a better method for cleaning up oil spills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That possibility piqued the interest of University of Nebraska-Lincoln microbiologist Nickerson. He had a hunch that bacteria inside the maggots might be breaking the asphalt down. So, he asked a paleontologist to collect some petroleum fly larvae from the La Brea Tar Pits and ship them to his lab in Lincoln.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First, Nickerson’s team identified the types of bacteria growing inside the maggots’ guts. Then, they tried growing the microorganisms in Petri dishes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our goal at the time was to find microbes that would be good at degrading some of these complex hydrocarbons that you would find in the tar,” says Nickerson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>None of the bacteria that grew on Petri dishes proved capable of that feat. But Nickerson’s team found plenty of microbes that they couldn’t grow at the time, and he hopes more scientists will investigate them in the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Until then, the petroleum fly larva will continue to live in the present, swimming contentedly in its asphalt paradise.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "In the sticky oil seeps known as the La Brea Tar Pits, tiny petroleum flies and their larvae thrive in the natural asphalt that oozes up to the surface. The larvae hunt among the fossilized bones of dire wolves, mammoths and saber-toothed cats.",
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"title": "How Can These Flies Live in Oily Black Tar Pits? | KQED",
"description": "In the sticky oil seeps known as the La Brea Tar Pits, tiny petroleum flies and their larvae thrive in the natural asphalt that oozes up to the surface. The larvae hunt among the fossilized bones of dire wolves, mammoths and saber-toothed cats.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Within the sprawling metropolis of Los Angeles, not far from West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, paleontologists are hard at work sorting through one of the richest collections of ice age fossils in the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, the La Brea Tar Pits, a public park and museum, lie between shopping centers and apartment buildings. But the sticky, black asphalt that fills the pits was oozing up from the ground long before people turned this land into a bustling city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across millenia, the tar pits captured over ten thousand mammals, creating a remarkably detailed record of the area’s natural history. But not every creature present in the asphalt is stuck in the past.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1993664\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1993664\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_18-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_18-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_18-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_18-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_18-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_18-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_18-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_18-1920x1080.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Paleontologist Sean Campbell examines the asphalt of Pit 91, where he and his team are still uncovering fossils left behind by ice age plants and animals. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Any tourist who goes to watch scientists dig up the bones of saber-toothed cats and dire wolves should also keep an eye out for the plucky survivor whose ancestors likely watched those big mammals die: the petroleum fly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s still a lot of mystery surrounding the petroleum fly, but one thing is clear: It has figured out how to make the most of a bad situation. Pools of asphalt are hell for most animals, but petroleum flies have turned them into a bountiful habitat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s their personal paradise,” says entomologist Martin Hauser, with the California Department of Food and Agriculture. “They have no competition in there because no one else can deal with it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adult petroleum flies are fairly unassuming. They’re small and flecked like fruit flies. Though scientists don’t know exactly how, they are able to skate – and mate – on the asphalt pools. Their feet don’t get stuck, but if any other body part touches the sticky liquid, they’re out of luck.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1993665\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1993665\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_10-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_10-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_10-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_10-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_10-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_10-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_10-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_10-1920x1080.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An adult petroleum fly walks on top of the sticky tar pits without getting stuck. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The translucent maggots, on the other hand, are truly in their element – they can fully submerge in the dark, viscous liquid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is something that kills everything else,” says Kenneth Nickerson, a microbiologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, who has studied petroleum flies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pools of natural asphalt form when petroleum from subterranean reservoirs seeps out of the ground. Most of the small molecules that make petroleum toxic to us quickly evaporate, but the asphalt that’s left behind is incredibly sticky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Few animals that wade into a pool of asphalt manage to extricate themselves from it. In fact, the thick liquid keeps holding on even after an animal has succumbed to exhaustion or exposure, and its body has wasted away to bones. That’s why asphalt deposits around the world are particularly interesting to paleontologists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It just so happens that this extremophile organism lives in the medium that I dig fossils out of,” says Sean Campbell, a paleontologist with the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County, which include the La Brea Tar Pits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cbr>\nADDITIONAL RESOURCES\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Discover more about the \u003ca href=\"https://https://tarpits.org//\">La Brea Tar Pits and Museum\u003c/a>, where plants and animals from the last 50,000 years are discovered every day. The museum is located right in the heart of Los Angeles.\u003cbr>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientists have also found petroleum flies in oil fields in Santa Paula and Ojai, south of Santa Barbara, as well as in seeps in Cuba and Trinidad, in the Caribbean.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By studying the flies in the La Brea Tar Pits, researchers are beginning to understand how their maggots are able to survive in this environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They have multiple tricks,” says Hauser.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Hauser examined petroleum fly maggots under a microscope, he noticed they’re a little more prickly than other fly larvae. He believes their rough skin keeps the asphalt away from their bodies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Surprisingly, the maggots actually need a bit of asphalt on their backside to survive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They would dry out if they can’t get in contact with oil,” says Hauser.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As it turns out, the asphalt is also an essential moisturizer. While most insects are covered in a waxy layer that keeps moisture in, petroleum flies seem to lack this protection – likely because wax dissolves in asphalt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As they swim in the asphalt, maggots breathe through snorkel-like tubes on their rear ends, ringed with hairs that keep them afloat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When the snorkel breaks the surface, the hairs just fold out,” says Hauser. “It’s a little bit like an umbrella.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1993667\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1993667\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_9.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A crane fly gets stuck in the tar pits. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Maggots feed on insects that have been caught in the asphalt. Dragonflies and other insects that spend their lives near ponds often mistake shiny pools of asphalt for water. When they try to skim the surface or land on it, the sticky substance pulls them down, into the maggots’ domain. Without snorkels like the ones petroleum fly larvae breathe through, those other insects quickly drown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Petroleum fly larvae aren’t picky: They’ll turn any dying insect into a meal. When the maggots sense an insect sinking into their home, they wriggle over to it. Then, they scrape at its hard exoskeleton with their two black mouth hooks, probing for an exposed bit of soft tissue. When they find one, they make a hole and crawl inside the dying insect’s body.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1993666\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1993666\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/DL1110_Petroleum_Fly_4.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A hungry petroleum fly larva inspects and eats an adult petroleum fly that got stuck in the tar pits. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As they eat, petroleum fly maggots incidentally consume some asphalt. You can see it darkening their digestive tract through their translucent skin. It looks like their guts are filled with the black substance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s one of the big mysteries,” says Hauser. “How they can deal with this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Humans can handle eating a little bit of asphalt – medieval Persian doctors used to prescribe it for stomach ulcers. But the stuff would overwhelm our systems if we ate as much as a petroleum fly maggot. And even a little bit would expose us to carcinogens that short-lived insects don’t have to worry about.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Petroleum fly larvae eat asphalt regularly enough that scientists once thought they derived nourishment from it. Now, they know that’s not the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it’s apparent that something happens to the asphalt as it passes through a maggot’s digestive tract. Between the mouth and the anus, the dark, viscous substance thins out and clears up. Whatever is responsible for that process could point to a better method for cleaning up oil spills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That possibility piqued the interest of University of Nebraska-Lincoln microbiologist Nickerson. He had a hunch that bacteria inside the maggots might be breaking the asphalt down. So, he asked a paleontologist to collect some petroleum fly larvae from the La Brea Tar Pits and ship them to his lab in Lincoln.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First, Nickerson’s team identified the types of bacteria growing inside the maggots’ guts. Then, they tried growing the microorganisms in Petri dishes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our goal at the time was to find microbes that would be good at degrading some of these complex hydrocarbons that you would find in the tar,” says Nickerson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>None of the bacteria that grew on Petri dishes proved capable of that feat. But Nickerson’s team found plenty of microbes that they couldn’t grow at the time, and he hopes more scientists will investigate them in the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Until then, the petroleum fly larva will continue to live in the present, swimming contentedly in its asphalt paradise.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "arson-suspect-arrested-park-fire-near-chico-californias-largest-this-year",
"title": "Arson Suspect Arrested in Park Fire Near Chico, California's Largest This Year",
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"headTitle": "Arson Suspect Arrested in Park Fire Near Chico, California’s Largest This Year | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated 6:15 p.m. Thursday\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A man was arrested early Thursday on suspicion of starting a rapidly growing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/wildfires\">wildfire\u003c/a> in Butte and Tehama counties that has forced more than 3,500 people to evacuate their homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey identified the suspect on Thursday afternoon as Ronnie Dean Stout II, 42, of Chico. Ramsey said Stout has two prior strikes. The first one was a felony conviction in 2001 for child molestation in Butte County. The second one was a 2002 felony conviction for robbery with great bodily injury. This was out of Kern County, Ramsey said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since igniting Wednesday afternoon off Upper Park Road in Bidwell Park near Chico, the Park Fire has already burned nearly 124,949 acres — 190 square miles — as of 6 p.m. Thursday to become California’s largest wildfire of the year. Containment is listed at 3%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly before 3 p.m. Wednesday, Stout was seen pushing a burning car into a gully in upper Bidwell Park, according to the Butte County district attorney’s office. After the car went 60 feet down an embankment, Stout was seen leaving the area of the quickly spreading fire by trying to blend in with other people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cal Fire arson investigators arrested Stout on Thursday morning and held him without bail in Butte County Jail.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fire started in an area of dry grass and oak woodland, where it spread quickly amid winds and high overnight temperatures. Recent weather has left grass and brush extraordinarily dry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s exhibiting extreme and exotic fire behavior, very rapid rates of spread among moderate winds, but record dry vegetation conditions following this record heat wave that we’ve experienced in this part of the state,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA, on Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Winds from the south have pushed the fire to the north, moving away from Chico and so far avoiding heavily populated areas. Swain predicts the fire could burn for weeks — or even months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s looking pretty bad, to be quite honest. The only good news is that as you go north and east from here, it’s a while before you hit any population centers,” Swain said. “But it is possible that this thing becomes so big that it does start to hit some of the population centers later on.”\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is burning in an area where fires like the Camp and Dixie fires have already impacted people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/ezraromero/status/1816609233082941799\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is sort of filling in the gaps up in northeastern California in places that have not burned in recent years,” Swain said. “So this thing is going full-steam ahead. It’s still moving as fast as it ever was.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fire plume is creating its own weather and acting like a thunderstorm, Swain added, with radar showing possible fire whirls, an erratic and dangerous type of fire behavior.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a fire that is likely going to become several times larger than it currently is, at least, meaning that it will likely be a several hundred-thousand-acre fire,” Swain said. “I don’t really see how that won’t happen.”[aside postID=science_1965575 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/07/230809-SOLDOUTPARADISE-45-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg']Cal Fire is leading the response to the blaze, which has prompted a large call for resources due to its size and intensity. Already, 1,153 personnel and more than 150 engines have been assigned to the fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that California has secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which will help cover the costs of the fire response.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Fire personnel are currently focusing on evacuations and structure defense while concurrently building direct containment lines utilizing bulldozers, fire crews and fire engines,” Cal Fire said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The National Weather Service in Sacramento said the peak intensity of the fire appeared to come in the early hours of Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Unfortunately, any respite is likely to be brief [through early this morning] as southerly winds will increase again by mid/late morning as daytime heating leads to increased mixing,” the weather service said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Evacuations have been ordered in both \u003ca href=\"https://buttecountygis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9c92e0a2d2e0415fa5248d70cd644a82\">Butte\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://protect.genasys.com/fullscreenMap?z=9.392912515882836&latlon=39.980082819440895%2C-121.75831542150576\">Tehama\u003c/a> counties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Officials have established Neighborhood Church as an evacuation shelter at 2801 Notre Dame Blvd., in Chico, and animal shelters in Oroville at 2279 Del Oro and Camelot Equestrian Park at 1985 Clark Road. A spokesperson at the shelter said about 40 people have checked in and are being cared for by American Red Cross staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The location of the fire start is less than 10 miles west of the town of Paradise, the site of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11785247/a-year-after-the-camp-fire-locals-are-rebuilding-paradise\">deadliest fire in California history\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/jservantez\">Jared Servantez\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/calam\">Christopher Alam\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The man was seen pushing a burning car into a gully in upper Bidwell Park, where the fire started, according to the Butte County district attorney’s office.",
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"title": "Arson Suspect Arrested in Park Fire Near Chico, California's Largest This Year | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated 6:15 p.m. Thursday\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A man was arrested early Thursday on suspicion of starting a rapidly growing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/wildfires\">wildfire\u003c/a> in Butte and Tehama counties that has forced more than 3,500 people to evacuate their homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey identified the suspect on Thursday afternoon as Ronnie Dean Stout II, 42, of Chico. Ramsey said Stout has two prior strikes. The first one was a felony conviction in 2001 for child molestation in Butte County. The second one was a 2002 felony conviction for robbery with great bodily injury. This was out of Kern County, Ramsey said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since igniting Wednesday afternoon off Upper Park Road in Bidwell Park near Chico, the Park Fire has already burned nearly 124,949 acres — 190 square miles — as of 6 p.m. Thursday to become California’s largest wildfire of the year. Containment is listed at 3%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly before 3 p.m. Wednesday, Stout was seen pushing a burning car into a gully in upper Bidwell Park, according to the Butte County district attorney’s office. After the car went 60 feet down an embankment, Stout was seen leaving the area of the quickly spreading fire by trying to blend in with other people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cal Fire arson investigators arrested Stout on Thursday morning and held him without bail in Butte County Jail.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fire started in an area of dry grass and oak woodland, where it spread quickly amid winds and high overnight temperatures. Recent weather has left grass and brush extraordinarily dry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s exhibiting extreme and exotic fire behavior, very rapid rates of spread among moderate winds, but record dry vegetation conditions following this record heat wave that we’ve experienced in this part of the state,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA, on Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Winds from the south have pushed the fire to the north, moving away from Chico and so far avoiding heavily populated areas. Swain predicts the fire could burn for weeks — or even months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s looking pretty bad, to be quite honest. The only good news is that as you go north and east from here, it’s a while before you hit any population centers,” Swain said. “But it is possible that this thing becomes so big that it does start to hit some of the population centers later on.”\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is burning in an area where fires like the Camp and Dixie fires have already impacted people.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>“This is sort of filling in the gaps up in northeastern California in places that have not burned in recent years,” Swain said. “So this thing is going full-steam ahead. It’s still moving as fast as it ever was.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fire plume is creating its own weather and acting like a thunderstorm, Swain added, with radar showing possible fire whirls, an erratic and dangerous type of fire behavior.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a fire that is likely going to become several times larger than it currently is, at least, meaning that it will likely be a several hundred-thousand-acre fire,” Swain said. “I don’t really see how that won’t happen.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Cal Fire is leading the response to the blaze, which has prompted a large call for resources due to its size and intensity. Already, 1,153 personnel and more than 150 engines have been assigned to the fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that California has secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which will help cover the costs of the fire response.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Fire personnel are currently focusing on evacuations and structure defense while concurrently building direct containment lines utilizing bulldozers, fire crews and fire engines,” Cal Fire said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The National Weather Service in Sacramento said the peak intensity of the fire appeared to come in the early hours of Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Unfortunately, any respite is likely to be brief [through early this morning] as southerly winds will increase again by mid/late morning as daytime heating leads to increased mixing,” the weather service said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Evacuations have been ordered in both \u003ca href=\"https://buttecountygis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9c92e0a2d2e0415fa5248d70cd644a82\">Butte\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://protect.genasys.com/fullscreenMap?z=9.392912515882836&latlon=39.980082819440895%2C-121.75831542150576\">Tehama\u003c/a> counties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Officials have established Neighborhood Church as an evacuation shelter at 2801 Notre Dame Blvd., in Chico, and animal shelters in Oroville at 2279 Del Oro and Camelot Equestrian Park at 1985 Clark Road. A spokesperson at the shelter said about 40 people have checked in and are being cared for by American Red Cross staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The location of the fire start is less than 10 miles west of the town of Paradise, the site of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11785247/a-year-after-the-camp-fire-locals-are-rebuilding-paradise\">deadliest fire in California history\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/jservantez\">Jared Servantez\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/calam\">Christopher Alam\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "algal-blooms-love-heat-waves-when-is-bay-area-swimming-dangerous-for-humans-and-pets",
"title": "Stay Safe: When to Avoid Swimming During Algal Blooms in the Bay Area",
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"content": "\u003cp>As\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11878134/bay-area-heat-wave-how-to-stay-safe-during-dangerously-hot-weather\"> California continues to experience sweltering heat waves this summer\u003c/a>, many of us might be tempted to seek out the nearest body of water for some refreshing respite from the high temperatures when they arrive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unfortunately, this weather can also bring potential danger to those waters in the form of algae blooms that discolor our lakes and bays and pose serious health hazards for humans and animals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One such algae bloom in Discovery Bay, in eastern Contra Costa County, has already prompted the California State Water Resources Control Board to issue \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/press_room/press_releases/2024/pr20240709-hab-discovery-bay.pdf\">a danger advisory last week, warning of harmful algal blooms\u003c/a>. The agency warns that these blooms, which thrive in warming water, “can pose a threat to people and pets” and urges visitors “to avoid swimming, boating and other activities and to keep pets out of the water until further notice.” The public is also warned not to eat fish or shellfish from this water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Down in Monterey County, officials also closed \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/climate/article/fish-die-off-closes-monterey-county-lake-19565933.php\">Lake San Antonio to the public\u003c/a> on the heels of a massive fish die-off. While they are still waiting on the results of water testing, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said that oxygen depletion due to warm water may be to blame.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, during warm weather, how can you know if the water you — or your pets — want to swim in is safe? Keep reading about what to know about swimming in the Bay Area when the water gets warmer.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Why can algae pose a danger to humans and animals?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Broadly speaking, an algal bloom happens when microscopic plant-like organisms discolor a body of water to the point visible to the human eye. The types of organisms can vary — along with the color they turn the water — but it takes millions (if not billions or trillions) of these little creatures for this kind of bloom to be visible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not every algal bloom is toxic to humans and animals, but the bright green bloom currently floating on the surface of Discovery Bay definitely could be, said Raphael Kudela, a phytoplankton ecologist at UC Santa Cruz. This bloom is caused by \u003ca href=\"https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/bacteria/cyanointro.html\">cyanobacteria\u003c/a>, which Kudela describes as “harmful algae that produces really nasty toxins.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state water boards warn that \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/press_room/press_releases/2024/pr20240709-hab-discovery-bay.pdf\">these toxins can harm your skin upon contact\u003c/a>, causing itching and rashes — and if they’re swallowed, they can have effects like gastrointestinal issues and headaches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What’s more, the particular compound this bacteria produces — \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/national-aquatic-resource-surveys/indicators-cyanotoxins-microcystin#:~:text=Microcystin%20is%20a%20potent%20liver,bodies%20with%20persistent%20cyanobacteria%20blooms.\">microcystin \u003c/a>— also does specific damage to the liver when ingested. “Like many toxins, it’s dependent on how big the person is,” said Kudela, so children are particularly at risk because of their smaller size.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The specific type of bloom in Discovery Bay poses a special risk to dogs — not just because of their size, Kudela said, but because “they get it on their fur, and they are cleaning themselves and licking it off, and then they happen to ingest it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for why these blooms have set up shop in Discovery Bay right now, Kudela noted that it’s actually a fairly regular annual occurrence for this human-created waterway on account of the hospitable environment it provides. “There’s not a lot of water circulation, and these blooms love those conditions,” he said. “They really like lots of nutrients, which comes from humans and agriculture, really warm water and not much turbulence.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All the same, this year’s bloom is “a pretty intense one,” he remarked.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Are all algal blooms dangerous for swimming?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Despite their sometimes-alarming appearance, algal blooms are “pretty common,” Kudela said — which is why the state’s water boards will test them once they’ve appeared to find out whether they’re producing toxins that could be harmful to humans or animals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The “red tide” that appeared in San Francisco Bay in 2022 and again in 2023 was a bloom caused by a very different organism to the one currently producing toxins in Discovery Bay: A species called Heterosigma akashiwo. This microscopic organism looks like a swimming potato chip with a tail, Kudela said, and it thrived in the Bay’s shallow, quick-to-warm waters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That red tide proved particularly dangerous for fish, killing a huge number of them — although scientists still aren’t exactly sure whether that was down to the decomposing cells sucking the oxygen out of the water or if the organism itself produced a toxin. It’s still “a little bit of a mystery,” Kudela said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Regardless, even though the red tide wasn’t proven to pose health hazards to humans or animals, the general expert advice was still to stay away from the discolored waters. Even though contact with that particular bloom “is probably not going to do much to you,” Kudela said, “you don’t want to be swimming around in really mucky sort of red water.” \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1983775/as-algal-bloom-returns-to-the-bay-is-swimming-safe-for-humans-and-pets\">Read more about the science behind the Bay Area’s red tide in 2022 and 2023.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>So if I’m unsure what kind of algal bloom is in the water, is the general advice just ‘stay away regardless’?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Absolutely — the safest thing when encountering discolored water of any kind is just to stay the heck away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The reason for that, Kudela said, is that even if a particular algae bloom \u003ci>isn’t \u003c/i>actively harmful to humans or pets because it’s producing toxins, it’s still “this rich organic matrix that’s loaded with bacteria and other things,” he said — and even if it’s not producing toxins, “you’re still getting a big dose of organic material” by swimming in it or swallowing it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This can, Kudela said, cause allergic reactions, the skin irritation known as “swimmer’s itch” and also nasty sinus infections if you inhale this matter into your nose. “If the water looks kind of nasty, you don’t want to be touching it,” he said. “You don’t want to be playing in it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>David Senn, senior scientist at the San Francisco Estuary Institute, echoed this advice to KQED in 2023: Even if an algal bloom in your area hasn’t been proven harmful to humans or pets, “it makes sense to avoid discolored water in general,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How do I know if a body of water is safe to swim in generally?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you’re headed to your local lake, river or stream this summer, the California Water Quality Monitoring Council recommends you do the following:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Look for posted advisories in the form of signs by the water and read them carefully\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Watch for all algae and scum in the water and on the shore, and avoid it\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep an eye on children and pets, who won’t necessarily understand the dangers, and make sure they don’t go into the water or put any algae in their mouths\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don’t drink the water or use it for cooking\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rinse yourself, your family and your pets well with clean water after playing in any body of water generally.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>For fishing, the water boards recommend throwing away the guts of any fish you catch and cleaning the fillets with tap or bottled water before cooking them. You should also avoid eating shellfish if you think a harmful algal bloom is present.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://mywaterquality.ca.gov/habs/do/\">Read more safety tips for protecting yourself against potentially harmful algal blooms.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Why do heat waves mean I’m more likely to encounter an algal bloom?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Algae just love warm water, Kudela said, and “they tend to grow faster when the temperature is warmer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition, higher temperatures don’t just heat the water — they calm it and prevent it from mixing. And since the algal blooms “don’t like a lot of mixing,” warm and stagnant water provides “perfect conditions to get one of these blooms going,” Kudela said — and “once they get going, it’ll continue until something disrupts it, or they run out of nutrients.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The impact of climate change and increased warming is something that makes Kudela and his colleagues “very concerned,” he said. “We’re seeing this trend even over the last decade. We’re seeing more blooms, more intense blooms.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s hard to say that’s directly related to climate change,” Kudela acknowledged. “But climate is certainly one of the factors that’s influencing it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>What should I do if I spot an algal bloom?\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>First off, stay away and keep yourself, your children and your pets safe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To report an algae bloom, you can reach SF Baykeeper’s pollution hotline by:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Calling 1-800-KEEP-Bay.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Emailing hotline@baykeeper.org.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003ca href=\"https://baykeeper.org/content/report-pollution\">Filling out a form online\u003c/a> to submit a confidential pollution tip.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Algal blooms can also be reported to the California State Water Resources Control Board’s Freshwater and Estuarine Harmful Algal Bloom Program. You can reach the agency hotline by:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Calling 1-844-729-6466.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Emailing CyanoHAB.Reports@waterboards.ca.gov.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Filling out\u003ca href=\"https://mywaterquality.ca.gov/habs/do/bloomreport.html\"> a digital form to submit an algal bloom report\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Be sure to include the time, date, location and a description of what you saw.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Spotted a dead fish near an algal bloom?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To report a dead fish in an area with a bloom present, you can\u003ca href=\"https://www.inaturalist.org/\"> download the app iNaturalist\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2023/08/03/harmful-algae-bloom-red-tide-bay-area-lake-merritt-inaturalist-project-research/\">Read more about how to report dead fish using iNaturalist from The Oaklandside\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11878134/bay-area-heat-wave-how-to-stay-safe-during-dangerously-hot-weather\"> California continues to experience sweltering heat waves this summer\u003c/a>, many of us might be tempted to seek out the nearest body of water for some refreshing respite from the high temperatures when they arrive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unfortunately, this weather can also bring potential danger to those waters in the form of algae blooms that discolor our lakes and bays and pose serious health hazards for humans and animals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One such algae bloom in Discovery Bay, in eastern Contra Costa County, has already prompted the California State Water Resources Control Board to issue \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/press_room/press_releases/2024/pr20240709-hab-discovery-bay.pdf\">a danger advisory last week, warning of harmful algal blooms\u003c/a>. The agency warns that these blooms, which thrive in warming water, “can pose a threat to people and pets” and urges visitors “to avoid swimming, boating and other activities and to keep pets out of the water until further notice.” The public is also warned not to eat fish or shellfish from this water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Down in Monterey County, officials also closed \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/climate/article/fish-die-off-closes-monterey-county-lake-19565933.php\">Lake San Antonio to the public\u003c/a> on the heels of a massive fish die-off. While they are still waiting on the results of water testing, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said that oxygen depletion due to warm water may be to blame.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, during warm weather, how can you know if the water you — or your pets — want to swim in is safe? Keep reading about what to know about swimming in the Bay Area when the water gets warmer.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Why can algae pose a danger to humans and animals?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Broadly speaking, an algal bloom happens when microscopic plant-like organisms discolor a body of water to the point visible to the human eye. The types of organisms can vary — along with the color they turn the water — but it takes millions (if not billions or trillions) of these little creatures for this kind of bloom to be visible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not every algal bloom is toxic to humans and animals, but the bright green bloom currently floating on the surface of Discovery Bay definitely could be, said Raphael Kudela, a phytoplankton ecologist at UC Santa Cruz. This bloom is caused by \u003ca href=\"https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/bacteria/cyanointro.html\">cyanobacteria\u003c/a>, which Kudela describes as “harmful algae that produces really nasty toxins.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state water boards warn that \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/press_room/press_releases/2024/pr20240709-hab-discovery-bay.pdf\">these toxins can harm your skin upon contact\u003c/a>, causing itching and rashes — and if they’re swallowed, they can have effects like gastrointestinal issues and headaches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What’s more, the particular compound this bacteria produces — \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/national-aquatic-resource-surveys/indicators-cyanotoxins-microcystin#:~:text=Microcystin%20is%20a%20potent%20liver,bodies%20with%20persistent%20cyanobacteria%20blooms.\">microcystin \u003c/a>— also does specific damage to the liver when ingested. “Like many toxins, it’s dependent on how big the person is,” said Kudela, so children are particularly at risk because of their smaller size.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The specific type of bloom in Discovery Bay poses a special risk to dogs — not just because of their size, Kudela said, but because “they get it on their fur, and they are cleaning themselves and licking it off, and then they happen to ingest it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for why these blooms have set up shop in Discovery Bay right now, Kudela noted that it’s actually a fairly regular annual occurrence for this human-created waterway on account of the hospitable environment it provides. “There’s not a lot of water circulation, and these blooms love those conditions,” he said. “They really like lots of nutrients, which comes from humans and agriculture, really warm water and not much turbulence.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All the same, this year’s bloom is “a pretty intense one,” he remarked.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Are all algal blooms dangerous for swimming?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Despite their sometimes-alarming appearance, algal blooms are “pretty common,” Kudela said — which is why the state’s water boards will test them once they’ve appeared to find out whether they’re producing toxins that could be harmful to humans or animals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The “red tide” that appeared in San Francisco Bay in 2022 and again in 2023 was a bloom caused by a very different organism to the one currently producing toxins in Discovery Bay: A species called Heterosigma akashiwo. This microscopic organism looks like a swimming potato chip with a tail, Kudela said, and it thrived in the Bay’s shallow, quick-to-warm waters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That red tide proved particularly dangerous for fish, killing a huge number of them — although scientists still aren’t exactly sure whether that was down to the decomposing cells sucking the oxygen out of the water or if the organism itself produced a toxin. It’s still “a little bit of a mystery,” Kudela said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Regardless, even though the red tide wasn’t proven to pose health hazards to humans or animals, the general expert advice was still to stay away from the discolored waters. Even though contact with that particular bloom “is probably not going to do much to you,” Kudela said, “you don’t want to be swimming around in really mucky sort of red water.” \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1983775/as-algal-bloom-returns-to-the-bay-is-swimming-safe-for-humans-and-pets\">Read more about the science behind the Bay Area’s red tide in 2022 and 2023.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>So if I’m unsure what kind of algal bloom is in the water, is the general advice just ‘stay away regardless’?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Absolutely — the safest thing when encountering discolored water of any kind is just to stay the heck away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The reason for that, Kudela said, is that even if a particular algae bloom \u003ci>isn’t \u003c/i>actively harmful to humans or pets because it’s producing toxins, it’s still “this rich organic matrix that’s loaded with bacteria and other things,” he said — and even if it’s not producing toxins, “you’re still getting a big dose of organic material” by swimming in it or swallowing it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This can, Kudela said, cause allergic reactions, the skin irritation known as “swimmer’s itch” and also nasty sinus infections if you inhale this matter into your nose. “If the water looks kind of nasty, you don’t want to be touching it,” he said. “You don’t want to be playing in it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>David Senn, senior scientist at the San Francisco Estuary Institute, echoed this advice to KQED in 2023: Even if an algal bloom in your area hasn’t been proven harmful to humans or pets, “it makes sense to avoid discolored water in general,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How do I know if a body of water is safe to swim in generally?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you’re headed to your local lake, river or stream this summer, the California Water Quality Monitoring Council recommends you do the following:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Look for posted advisories in the form of signs by the water and read them carefully\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Watch for all algae and scum in the water and on the shore, and avoid it\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep an eye on children and pets, who won’t necessarily understand the dangers, and make sure they don’t go into the water or put any algae in their mouths\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don’t drink the water or use it for cooking\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rinse yourself, your family and your pets well with clean water after playing in any body of water generally.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>For fishing, the water boards recommend throwing away the guts of any fish you catch and cleaning the fillets with tap or bottled water before cooking them. You should also avoid eating shellfish if you think a harmful algal bloom is present.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://mywaterquality.ca.gov/habs/do/\">Read more safety tips for protecting yourself against potentially harmful algal blooms.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Why do heat waves mean I’m more likely to encounter an algal bloom?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Algae just love warm water, Kudela said, and “they tend to grow faster when the temperature is warmer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition, higher temperatures don’t just heat the water — they calm it and prevent it from mixing. And since the algal blooms “don’t like a lot of mixing,” warm and stagnant water provides “perfect conditions to get one of these blooms going,” Kudela said — and “once they get going, it’ll continue until something disrupts it, or they run out of nutrients.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The impact of climate change and increased warming is something that makes Kudela and his colleagues “very concerned,” he said. “We’re seeing this trend even over the last decade. We’re seeing more blooms, more intense blooms.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s hard to say that’s directly related to climate change,” Kudela acknowledged. “But climate is certainly one of the factors that’s influencing it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>What should I do if I spot an algal bloom?\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>First off, stay away and keep yourself, your children and your pets safe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To report an algae bloom, you can reach SF Baykeeper’s pollution hotline by:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Calling 1-800-KEEP-Bay.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Emailing hotline@baykeeper.org.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003ca href=\"https://baykeeper.org/content/report-pollution\">Filling out a form online\u003c/a> to submit a confidential pollution tip.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Algal blooms can also be reported to the California State Water Resources Control Board’s Freshwater and Estuarine Harmful Algal Bloom Program. You can reach the agency hotline by:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Calling 1-844-729-6466.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Emailing CyanoHAB.Reports@waterboards.ca.gov.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Filling out\u003ca href=\"https://mywaterquality.ca.gov/habs/do/bloomreport.html\"> a digital form to submit an algal bloom report\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Be sure to include the time, date, location and a description of what you saw.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Spotted a dead fish near an algal bloom?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To report a dead fish in an area with a bloom present, you can\u003ca href=\"https://www.inaturalist.org/\"> download the app iNaturalist\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2023/08/03/harmful-algae-bloom-red-tide-bay-area-lake-merritt-inaturalist-project-research/\">Read more about how to report dead fish using iNaturalist from The Oaklandside\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
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"masters-of-scale": {
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},
"mindshift": {
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"order": 12
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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"on-the-media": {
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"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
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},
"pbs-newshour": {
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},
"perspectives": {
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"order": 14
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"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
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"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
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},
"politicalbreakdown": {
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"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"order": 5
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"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
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"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
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},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
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},
"radiolab": {
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