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At first California officials were pushing a proposal that would force ships to use cleaner fuels and emission-control measures when 230 miles from the coast. The shipping industry said such a law would have to be mandated federally, not by a state. Courts sided with the shipping industry. Now the Environmental Protection Agency is on board, reports the Press Telegram: "EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson believes the proposed rule could prevent the premature deaths of at least 8,000 U.S. and Canadian residents - primarily those in urban areas near busy ports. U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, who battled the Bush administration for years on efforts to tighten environmental standards around the nation's seaports, called the proposal 'music to my ears.'" Even if the federal government approves it, the final ruling has to come from the International Maritime Organization. Random Fact: Did you know that our state's coast is basically a national monument? Meet the very unique California Coastal National Monument that is managed by the Bureau of Land Management under the Department of the Interior.
