skip to main content

Thursday, June 8, 2023

play newscast audioPlay

Alabama must redraw its Congressional maps, CNN reports a former official told the feds Trump knew the process for declassifying documents, and Canadian wildfires affect the health of humans and wildlife.

play newscast audioPlay

The Supreme Court upholds a key provision of the Voting Rights Act over Alabama redistricting, smoky skies could spell EPA trouble for some states, and President Biden calls on Congress to pass LGBTQ+ protections.

play newscast audioPlay

Rural communities launch projects with funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, a study says rural transgender adults feel less supported than those in urban areas, and a summer road trip could mean majestic scenic byways or a sprinkling of donut shops.

California Readies Application to Become a Hydrogen Hub

play audio
Play

Tuesday, March 28, 2023   

Environmental groups are seeking greater input as California puts the finishing touches on its application to become a hub for hydrogen fuel production. This is billed as a big step toward a zero-carbon emission future. The project is being managed by a public-private partnership called the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems, known as ARCHES.

Monica Embrey, energy director for the California Sierra Club, called this a good opportunity to advance climate progress but only if certain guardrails are put in place.

"If they use existing pipelines, they would have to really upgrade them quite a lot. And we want to make sure that those have safety mechanisms in place so that communities get to say whether or not a pipeline near them actually gets used for hydrogen. We want leakage monitoring, we want really strict standards," she said.

Hydrogen is extremely explosive and is a major greenhouse-gas pollutant if it leaks or is burned and will not be used for homes or commercial buildings, but instead will be targeted to medium and heavy-duty vehicles, ports and power plants, which are especially difficult to decarbonize, ARCHES said.

In addition, ARCHES said hydrogen will be produced using renewable power and will not be blended with natural gas within pipelines.

SoCal Gas and Chevron have been consulting on the application. The ARCHES website calls for meaningful engagement with community groups and environmental justice advocates.

Bahram Fazeli, director of research and policy with the nonprofit Communities for a Better Environment, said the planning process has been vague to date.

"They have done a very poor job of prioritizing environmental justice or public health in their process. They're not open to California's open-meeting laws and public participation. They only have one environmental-justice representative on the 11-member board, " Fazeli said.

The application to the Department of Energy is due April 7th. New hydrogen hubs could bring more than $1-billion in federal investment to California, supporters said.

Disclosure: National Association of Community Health Centers contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy & Priorities, Health Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
A case before the California State Supreme Court looks at whether a person who has been named a health care agent in an advance directive has the legal standing to sign an arbitration agreement requested by a skilled nursing facility. (Shishkin137/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

This week, four advocacy groups have filed an amicus brief in a case before the California Supreme Court involving allegations of elder abuse and the …


Environment

play sound

The New York State Senate has passed the HEAT Act, which now goes to the Assembly. The legislation aims to phase out gas-line extension allowances…

Social Issues

play sound

As hostility toward Jewish people continues to spike in Arizona and nationally, the Biden administration has issued a National Strategy to Counter …


George Floyd's murder brought such issues as generational wealth disparities to the forefront. Even prior to his death, awareness was growing in Midwestern states about a host of racial disparities, including economic. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

The upcoming Juneteenth holiday marks the kickoff of a new wealth building grant program for Black residents who are decedents of slavery in a few nor…

Environment

play sound

As more research emerges about the chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, government agencies are faced with the task of figuring …

Portland Police will move forward initiatives including Portland Ceasefire and Cure Violence to tackle gun violence. (4kclips/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Portland has nixed plans to bring gunshot detection technology to the city. The technology - designed by a company formerly known as ShotSpotter…

Health and Wellness

play sound

This week, Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoed Senate Bill 239, which would have allowed medical aid in dying in Nevada. The bill would have given mentally …

Environment

play sound

An experimental nuclear technology project slated for testing in Idaho is raising concerns about the potential for nuclear weapons proliferation…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021