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“Staggering” Health Benefits from Replacing Lead Water Pipes Could Save as Much as $6 Billion in California from Avoided Health Impacts

October 25, 2023 Press ReleaseSacramento

Replacing every lead pipe that delivers drinking water to homes in California would yield as much as $6 billion dollars in avoided health costs, according to a new state-by-state analysis released today from NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). “Getting the…

California Could Lose Hundreds of Millions of Dollars for Lead Contamination Protections (Again)

September 29, 2023 Press ReleaseSacramento

Public health and environmental organizations urged stronger State leadership in efforts to remove lead from drinking water infrastructure throughout California. In a support letter, the organizations called on the California State Water Resources Control Board to address the state’s disturbing…

Report: An Estimated One in Five New Yorkers May Be Drinking Water from Lead Service Lines

July 18, 2023 Press ReleaseNew York City

According to a new report, No Excuses, NYC: Replace Lead Drinking Water Pipes Now, an estimated one in five New Yorkers, or 21% of the City’s residents, may be drinking water transported through lead service lines.

Buffalo Community Groups Join Map Project To Find and Replace Lead Water Pipes

July 20, 2022 Press ReleaseBuffalo

Community advocates, the water utility, and mapping experts collaborate to document where Buffalo’s lead pipes are located, as records are incomplete or inaccurate

New Report Finds Harmful PFAS Chemicals in Drinking Water Throughout California

August 18, 2021 Press ReleaseCalifornia

SAN FRANCISCO – A new report out today finds that drinking water throughout California is contaminated with harmful PFAS chemicals, particularly in already heavily polluted communities. The report is titled “Dirty Water: Toxic ‘Forever’ PFAS Chemical Are Prevalent in the…

360,000 Lead Pipes May Deliver Water to Homes in New York

July 19, 2021 Press ReleaseNew York

New York, NY – New York has 360,000 lead pipes delivering water to people’s homes statewide, the fourth highest number of any state in the nation, according to a new survey from NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). New York State has committed, although not entirely allocated, $5 billion in…

Governor Newsom Declares Drought Emergency in Two California Counties

April 21, 2021 Press ReleaseCalifornia

SACRAMENTO – California Governor Gavin Newsom today proclaimed a State of Emergency in Sonoma and Mendocino counties as California and much of the West face drought and near-drought conditions that threaten the economy, public health, and ecosystems. The declaration allows…

Assemblymember Kalra Introduces Bill to Make California a Leader in Ending Deforestation Through Sustainable Government Purchasing

February 4, 2021 Press ReleaseCalifornia

SACRAMENTO – Following a year of a record-breaking number of devastating fires in tropical forests around the world and the continued degradation of boreal forests in North America, Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) and bill co-sponsors, Friends of the Earth…

Groups Support Legal Action Calling for Oversight of Metal Shredding Facilities

January 8, 2021 Press ReleaseCalifornia

OAKLAND – Environmental justice and conservation groups filed an amicus brief today in calling on the California Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) to regulate metal shredding facilities throughout the state.

Gov. Cuomo Blocks Williams Pipeline for Third Time

May 15, 2020 Press ReleaseNew York

ALBANY, N.Y. – Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today blocked the Williams Pipeline from moving forward. This decision comes after nearly three years of unrelenting grassroots advocacy in opposition to the fossil…

Court Derails Trump Administration’s Efforts to Take More Water from Bay-Delta

May 12, 2020 Press ReleaseCalifornia

SACRAMENTO – The Federal Court for the Eastern District of California granted in part a preliminary injunction yesterday against the Trump Administration’s efforts to increase water diversions from California’s Bay-Delta, which threaten endangered species including winter-run Chinook salmon, Delta Smelt…

California Delivers Blow to Trump Administration’s Plan for Extinction in Bay-Delta

April 21, 2020 Press ReleaseCalifornia

SACRAMENTO – The California Attorney General, representing Governor Newsom and the State of California, filed a motion today in federal court for a preliminary injunction to stop the implementation of the Trump Administration’s biological opinions (permits under the Endangered Species…

L.A. City Council Members Aim to Prevent Amazon Deforestation

February 26, 2020 Press ReleaseCalifornia

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles City Councilmembers Paul Koretz (5th District) and David Ryu (4th District) presented a motion today to put an end to City purchases of products derived from the deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest. The Councilmembers further…

State Water Board proposes plan to provide relief for Californians struggling to pay water bills

February 26, 2020 Press ReleaseCalifornia

SACRAMENTO - California residents and clean water advocates commend the State Water Board for releasing its proposed plan for a statewide water affordability program on Tuesday.

Trump Rolls Back Endangered Species Act Protections During Trip to California

February 19, 2020 Press ReleaseCalifornia

SACRAMENTO – During a visit to California today, President Trump moved forward with implementing Endangered Species Act permits (known as biological opinions) that dramatically weaken environmental protections for salmon and other imperiled species in California’s Bay-Delta Watershed. The State of…

New York State Adopts Paint Recycling Program

December 18, 2019 Press ReleaseNew York

ALBANY, N.Y. – Governor Andrew Cuomo yesterday signed the paint recycling legislation, a bill designed to tackle a long-standing solid waste disposal problem by making it possible for business and residents to recycle leftover paint at hundreds of convenient locations…

NRDC’s 100th Suit Against the Trump Administration Seeks to Protect California Salmon and Endangered Species

December 3, 2019 Press ReleaseCalifornia

SACRAMENTO – Today a coalition of fishing and conservation groups including the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s Endangered Species Act permits (known as biological opinions) for the operations of the Central Valley…

Governor Newsom Vetoes Trump Defense Bill

September 30, 2019 Press ReleaseCalifornia

Sacramento – California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Senate Bill 1 the California Environmental, Public Health, and Workers Defense Act of 2019 today, after the bill passed by wide margins in both the State Senate and Assembly.

Trump Administration California Water Letter is Galling

September 26, 2019 Press ReleaseCalifornia

SAN FRANCISCO – The Trump Administration sent a letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom with claims that California is failing to live up to its Clean Water obligations. The letter comes a week after the Trump Administration threatened to withdraw…

Fishing and Conservation Groups Sue Country’s Largest Agricultural Water District Over Illegal Plot to Raise Shasta Dam

May 14, 2019 Press ReleaseCalifornia

SACRAMENTO – Yesterday, a coalition of fishing and conservation groups filed a lawsuit against Westlands Water District for unlawfully aiding efforts by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to raise Shasta Dam. The destructive project would flood critical parts of the…