In the News
House Democrats double down on claims of reconnaissance tours following Loudermilk video release
by Mychael Schnell
House Democrats are doubling down on claims that lawmakers may have led reconnaissance tours before the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, citing newly released footage of Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) giving a tour the day before the riot to a man who took photos of Capitol complex hallways before attending the rally the next day. "With what that person had been looking for, the pictures he was taking, and then certainly what he did the next day, it certainly seems as if he was preparing … Continue Reading
June 14, 2022
Greens urge Biden admin to block offshore pipeline restart
by Heather Richards
Twelve environmental groups are urging the Biden administration to block the restart of an offshore oil pipeline that spilled nearly 600 barrels of crude into the San Pedro Bay last year. The oil spill, caused by a large ship dragging the pipeline, which then split, prior to the spill discovery in October, was the largest in decades off the coast of California. Amplify Energy Corp., the pipeline's owner, is working to repair and restore the pipeline to service but needs permission from the … Continue Reading
June 13, 2022
Aging Lake Hennessey Spillway, other local water needs sail through House, await Senate
by Marc Albert
Dozens of local water-related projects moved a step closer to reality late last week, as the House of Representatives approved a nation-wide bill to upgrade water infrastructure. Much of the local initiatives that made the cut involve dredging and using spoils to shore up areas against sea level rise and to protect, restore and create wetlands, including in Petaluma. The Water Resources Development Act of 2022 also authorizes a study to reduce potential flood damage from a … Continue Reading
June 09, 2022
Jared Huffman Backs New Gun Bills
by Gideon Rubin
June 07, 2022
Humboldt County education, cultural institutions get $140K in COVID-19 relief
by Sonia Waraich
A handful of educational and cultural institutions in Humboldt County are set to receive $140,000 to revive programs that were disrupted by the pandemic. On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) announced several tribes and cultural institutions along the North Coast had been awarded funds through the National Endowment for the Humanities’ American Rescue Plan humanities grants program. In Humboldt County, specifically, the Hoopa Tribal Museum received $40,000, the Northern … Continue Reading
June 03, 2022
Huffman, Graves want Biden to make “strong statement” against IUU
by Steve Bittenbender
Two U.S. lawmakers pushing the federal government to take broader action against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing are asking U.S. President Joe Biden to take action ahead of a key international conference. U.S. Representatives Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) and Garret Graves (R-La.) sent the letter on 2 June 2022, saying the country has the opportunity to demonstrate leadership in the fight against IUU ahead of the United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, which starts … Continue Reading
June 03, 2022
North Coast rail dispute intensifies with competing bids from Skunk Train and coal export company
by Andrew Graham
A mysterious Wyoming-based firm believed to be pushing a controversial coal-by-rail export proposal along the Northern California coast has made a new filing with a powerful federal board to advance its bid to seize control over the defunct lines running between Willits and Eureka. The June 1 filing indicated the so-named North Coast Railroad Company, which wants to ship Rocky Mountain coal out of the port at Humboldt Bay, had at least $15 million in the bank — enough to clear an … Continue Reading
June 02, 2022
Symposium and Learning Festival outline opportunities for Fort Bragg
by MEGAN WUTZKE
FORT BRAGG, CA — On May 19 and 20, the City of Fort Bragg held the Blue Economy Symposium, with a Learning Festival taking place on May 21 and 22. During the symposium, attendees filled the town hall to listen to speakers discuss Fort Bragg’s future blue economy. The symposium was also live-streamed via Zoom, and locations such as the West Business Development Center held watch parties for the public to attend. “How do we diversify industry while positioning a rural … Continue Reading
June 02, 2022
Bipartisan lawmakers urge Biden to lead on illegal fishing
by Jack Forrest
House lawmakers from both parties are asking President Joe Biden for the U.S. to take a leading role in fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated international fishing. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), chair of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife, and Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.) urged the president to introduce new regulations to stop illegal fishing and human trafficking operations that account for up to a third of annual seafood around the world. They sent Biden … Continue Reading
June 01, 2022
North Coast Almost beats back ‘toxic coal train’, but company submits late filing
by Sonia Wariach
It appeared the North Coast no longer had to worry about a shadowy corporation’s proposal to poach rail line fated to be converted into the Great Redwood Trail in order to use the tracks to transport coal to Asia via Humboldt Bay. However, the company filed a late offer to do just that. North Coast State Sen. Mike McGuire announced at a virtual town hall Wednesday night that the North Coast Railroad Company failed to submit an offer for financial assistance by the Surface … Continue Reading
May 27, 2022
Are high energy prices displacing climate action in Congress?
by Nick Sobczyk
Progressives and environmental advocates made huge gains in the 2020 campaign by pushing climate change to the forefront, but they are increasingly concerned that high energy prices and calls for greater fossil fuel production could destroy those hard-fought wins. And there’s good reason for that concern, they say. “If you’re paying attention, you should be worried,” Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) said in an interview. “All of that progress is at stake, and … Continue Reading
May 26, 2022
Alaska Republicans open to EPA Pebble mine veto
by Hannah Northey, Nick Sobczyk
The Biden administration’s move to veto the contentious Pebble gold and copper mine in Alaska's Bristol Bay watershed may soothe the state's Republican senators who in the past have pushed back against federal intervention. GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan said he and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, both staunch supporters of mining in Alaska, are still digesting the agency’s proposal to impose a Clean Water Act veto against mining in the watershed (Greenwire, May 25). Sullivan suggested his … Continue Reading
May 22, 2022
North Coast trail plan complicated by US rail ruling
by Sonia Wariach
A ruling by federal regulators has put a damper on plans to turn 300 miles of rail line from Humboldt County to Marin County into the Great Redwood Trail. The Surface Transportation Board issued a decision Tuesday that it will not prioritize trail use and, in so doing, cast aside the established process for considering offers from the North Coast Railroad Co. and the Mendocino Railway to acquire or subsidize rail service along either the entire corridor or a stretch of the line. The ruling … Continue Reading
May 20, 2022
Congressional progressives warn Biden, EU natural gas reliance may hurt climate goals
by Zack Budryk
Twenty-two congressional Democrats on Thursday urged caution over the European Union’s plan to replace fossil fuel imports from Russia with liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure. In a letter to President Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the members warned that the transition must incorporate the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. The letter came shortly after the EU announced a plan to replace the energy that it would … Continue Reading
May 20, 2022
House Democrats seek crackdown on microplastics
by E.A. CRUNDEN
House Democrats want to crack down on small plastic pellets that have grown notorious for their links to environmental contamination. Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.) unveiled legislation yesterday targeting the discharge of the pellets, often called "nurdles," into the environment. The "Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act" would direct EPA to draft regulations prohibiting the discharge of that material into vulnerable water systems. "For too long, the plastics industry has been allowed … Continue Reading
May 20, 2022
Progressives warn Europe against rush to LNG reliance
by Jeremy Dillon
Democratic lawmakers raised alarms yesterday about the climate consequences of the rush to replace Russian energy in Europe with liquefied natural gas. The warning from both Senate and House Democrats comes as the European Union released a sweeping plan earlier this week to end imports of fossil fuels from Russia and rapidly scale up its use of renewable power. That plan acknowledges a need to import gas from other sources. In a letter sent to the White House and E.U. leadership, … Continue Reading
May 16, 2022
Rep. Jared Huffman reveals 2022 Congressional Art Competition winners and finalists
by Sergio Berrueta
WASHINGTON D.C. — Congressman Jared Huffman announced Zexuan Wu of San Anselmo as the winner of the 2022 Congressional Art Competition, "An Artistic Discovery," for California's Second District. Wu's piece titled "We are the Keeper of Tomorrow" will hang in the U. S Capitol for one year along with other art pieces from each congressional district across the country. “Every year, the Congressional Art Competition serves as a testament to our students’ creative … Continue Reading
May 13, 2022
House lawmakers paw over bill inspired by 'Tiger King'
by Michael Doyle
While the self-styled “Tiger King” seeks a new trial from his federal prison cell, legislation propelled by his television notoriety is prowling forward one paw at a time. In a hearing yesterday, House members lent an ear to a bill that the author, Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) says will stop the "exploitative, dangerous and inhumane" treatment of tigers and other wild animals. "Five-hundred-pound carnivores pose a serious and very real threat to first responders, law enforcement … Continue Reading
May 11, 2022
Huffman demands EPA move faster to veto Pebble mine
by Jael Holzman
California Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman today stood outside the Capitol to call on President Joe Biden’s EPA to quickly veto the Pebble mine in Alaska. This morning, Huffman, chair of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife, joined environmental activists, tribal members and fishing advocates in urging EPA to move faster on vetoing the Pebble mine in southwest Alaska's Bristol Bay. EPA wants to veto Pebble, a decision the agency first reached in 2014 … Continue Reading
May 06, 2022
Bipartisan forces taking aim at 1872 mining law
by Jael Holzman, Nick Sobczyk
Democrats and Republicans alike say now could be the time to overhaul the 150-year-old federal law governing mining, but finding enough common ground to strike a deal will prove challenging. Bipartisan interest in mining policy has grown as mineral supply chain bottlenecks threaten the pace of U.S. climate action. Some Democrats have said they are open to an accord that would expand extraction at home, if partnered with updates to the nation’s primary mining law, the General Mining Act … Continue Reading