Today on AirTalk, we look into the state's findings of PG&E's mismanagement and investigation of the Camp Fire. Also on the show, we look ahead to tomorrow's impeachment hearing led by the House Judiciary Committee; discuss how warehousing is affecting public health in the Inland Empire' and more.
Impeachment Watch: Dueling Reports And Tomorrow’s Public Hearing
The House is poised to release a landmark impeachment report outlining evidence of what it calls Donald Trump’s wrongdoing toward Ukraine, findings that will push Congress toward a debate over whether the 45th president should be removed from office.
Meanwhile, on Monday, House Republicans released their own report, rebutting Democratic points about impeachment.
We dive into the dueling reports. Plus, we preview tomorrow’s public House Judiciary Committee hearing.
With files from the Associated Press.
Guest:
Kevin Whitelaw, deputy managing editor for U.S. government at Bloomberg; he tweets
Sean T. Walsh, Republican political analyst and partner at Wilson Walsh Consulting in San Francisco; he is a former adviser to California Governors Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger and a former White House staffer for Presidents Reagan and H.W. Bush
Pratheepan Gulasekaram, professor of law at Santa Clara Law, where he specializes in constitutional and immigration law
History, Law And Environmental Concerns Converge In Case About Makah Tribe’s Whaling Rights
The Makah tribe in the Northwest of Washington State hasn’t hunted whales for two decades, but that might change as early as next year.
The Makah are asking the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for an exemption from the Marine Mammal Protection Act, in a case that pits certain environmentalists against tribal communities; whale protections against tribal sovereignty.
The Makah have argued that, in addition to being deeply culturally and spiritually significant, whaling is a right that was specifically granted in an 1855 treaty in which they ceded 300,000 acres of land to the U.S. They have proposed a plan in which they will hunt two to three Eastern Gray Whales a year, a type of whale that’s in high supply, at specific times during which this whale migrates past the coast.
However, some environmental voices are concerned that endangered whales will inevitably be killed in the hunt, arguing that whale fishing should not be allowed in the modern day and age. The issue is being taken up in an administrative trial, after which the judge will submit a non-binding opinion to NOAA, who will then decide on the exemption.
Today on AirTalk, we hear from the stakeholders.
Guests:
Patrick Finedays DePoe, councilmember and treasurer of the Makah Tribal Council; the Makah Indian tribe has a population of 2,000 in Neah Bay, in the Pacific Northwest Coast in Washington State
Catherine Pruett, executive director and co-founder Sea Shepherd Legal, a public interest environmental law firm focusing on the protection of marine wildlife and habitat
Should A Drug-Addicted Mother Be Held Legally Responsible For The Death Of Her Baby?
Should drug-addicted mothers be legally accountable for the deaths of their babies? That’s a question that’s been swirling around after a couple recent California cases have come to light, both in Kings County.
One woman is now serving an 11-year prison sentence after county prosecutors there led the prosecution against her, according to a recent L.A. Times piece that digs in to the controversy. The district attorneys there say they’re simply upholding the law. But many legal experts argue California’s murder statute was never intended to be used as a way to criminalize pregnant women in this way, and that it could set a dangerous precedent moving forward. The law defines "murder" as "the unlawful killing of a human being or fetus with malice aforethought." It added the word “fetus” in 1970. Experts say criminalizing women for continuing drug use while they’re pregnant could deter women from seeking help and treatment. Today on AirTalk, we discuss the legal issue.
Guests:
Alex Wigglesworth, staff writer at the Los Angeles Times; she tweets
State Investigation: Lax PG&E Maintenance Behind Behind Deadly Camp Fire
A state investigation found that PG&E failed to adequately maintain and inspect transmission lines, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The report by the California Public Utilities Commission found that PG&E failed to follow not only state maintenance and inspection guidelines, but it’s own. The incident tower on the Caribou-Palermo line that sparked the 153,000 acre Camp Fire had not received a climbing inspection in more than two decades. Had it been thus inspected, a worn out c-hook support system could have been repaired and potentially prevented the fire. Tower #27/222 was not the only place where such a faulty connection was discovered though, the CPUC report found. The Caribou-Palermo line had been slated for upgrades for federal compliance, but never followed through. It remains unclear whether a judge will find the utility in violation of the federal probation it was placed under after a 2010 gas explosion in San Bruno.
PG&E declined our request to be interviewed but provided the following statement:
“PG&E accepts SED’s conclusion that PG&E electrical transmission lines near Pulga were a cause of the Camp Fire, reaffirming CAL FIRE’s earlier determination. Without question, the loss of life, homes and businesses is heartbreaking. The tragedy in Butte County on Nov. 8, 2018, will never be forgotten. We remain deeply sorry about the role our equipment had in this tragedy, and we apologize to all those impacted by the devastating Camp Fire. PG&E’s most important responsibility must always be public and employee safety, and we remain focused on helping affected communities recover and rebuild, resolving wildfire victims’ claims fairly and expeditiously, and further reducing wildfire risks.
As part of our enhanced wildfire safety efforts, we conducted accelerated safety inspections of electric infrastructure in areas of higher wildfire risk. We implemented these inspections following the 2017 and 2018 wildfires as additional precautionary measures intended to further reduce wildfire risks and keeping our customers and communities safe, given the growing wildfire threat across the state. These enhanced inspections are one part of our Community Wildfire Safety Program and are in addition to our routine inspections and maintenance programs.
We have inspected almost 730,000 transmission, distribution and substation structures and over 25 million electrical components in those areas. We climbed them, we used drones and we performed 18 months of inspections in only 4 months. Throughout the inspection process, we have addressed and repaired conditions that pose an immediate safety risk, while completing other high-priority repairs on an accelerated basis. Repairs for other conditions will be completed as part of our routine work execution plan.”
Guests:
Katherine Blunt, Reporter for the Wall Street Journal covering utilities and renewable energy; she tweets
Michael Wara, director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program and senior research scholar at the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University; he tweets
Loretta Lynch, former president of the California Public Utilities Commission and Board Member with the Protect Our Communities Foundation, an environmental advocacy organization for clean energy in San Diego County, Imperial County, and Northern Baja California
Profit vs Pollution: the Inland Empire’s Logistics Quandary
Since the Great Recession, the Inland Empire has become the site of massive growth for the logistics industry and warehousing.
It’s brought an estimated 84,000 jobs to the region in the last ten years, and with that toxic diesel fumes that some physicians say can increase the onset of asthma, as well as bringing steady, disruptive noise that has activists calling for sound barriers and subsidized double pane windows.
To mitigate the community impact in Riverside, the Chairman of the Board of County Supervisors Kevin Jeffries spent two years crafting a “Good Neighbor Policy” that required new warehouses to be built at least 1,000 feet from homes, but when the policy made it to vote last month, where it passed, the required distance was knocked down to 300 feet and included an opt out policy for each district. Jeffries ended up voting no and opting out, hoping to pursue larger buffers in his district.
How might a balance be struck between allowing new logistics companies to keep joining the IE economy, while reducing health and safety risks for residents? Today on AirTalk, we look into the debate between warehousing and public health that is facing the Inland Empire.
Guests:
Paloma Esquivel, LA Times reporter covering the Inland Empire; she tweets
Kevin Jeffries, Riverside County District 1 Supervisor, representing Lake Elsinore, Wildomar, and Canyon Lake, and much of Riverside; he tweets
John Husing, owner of Economics and Politics, Inc., and publisher of Inland Empire Quarterly Economic Report