Turning Out the Environmental Vote in 2010

Clean Water Action builds grassroots strength in key states and communities to change politics and environmental policy in states, local communities and Washington, DC. We run muscular and effective grassroots campaigns to defeat anti-environment candidates, and support candidates who are committed to protecting our waters, our health, and our future. Our political program is non partisan.

In 2001, Texas energy companies created an energy crisis in California for their own financial gain. In 2010, they're doing it again. Now they've paid to place an initiative, Proposition 23, on the November ballot that threatens the implementation of our landmark climate change law (AB 32, passed in 2006). Don't let them do it - tell your friends to vote no on Proposition 23!!!

California has long been a national leader in promoting energy efficiency and clean air. The state is also a leader in the fight against climate change, thanks to 2006 legislation, AB 32, that set goals for reducing the state's greenhouse gas emissions. With the support for renewable energy that AB 32 provides, California attracts more investment capital for clean energy than all other 49 states combined.

That will all change if Proposition 23 passes this November. Sponsored by a group of Texas-based oil companies, this proposition would indefinitely delay implementation of AB 32.

Late Monday evening August 9, 2010, the Legislature voted to pull Proposition 18 from the November 2010 ballot and move it to 2012.  This was the same bond measure that they voted to place on this ballot last November.

What happened?   Every poll showed that the bond failing in November. Newspapers around the state, both liberal and conservative, lambasted the bond for its runaway spending in an era of deep cuts in state spending. Polls showed that a majority of Californians were not going to vote for this stinker of a bond that costs too much money and funds the wrong priorities for California water. 

As the November election season gets underway, don't be fooled by the lies and rhetoric you are going to hear about Proposition 18. Clean Water Action strongly opposes this bond placed on this November's ballot by the Governor and Legislature. This measure will only worsen California's precarious financial position while failing to address California's most urgent water needs.

Join Clean Water Action California at a Fundraiser at Elixir Saloon on July 21, 2010

Toxic and untested chemicals aren't mixed into your drinks. Why should they go into our everyday products?

Join Clean Water Action on Wednesday, July 21st for our charity guest bartender event at Elixir Saloon, 3200 16th Street at Guerrero - the nation's first green certified bar.

From 9 p.m. - 2 a.m. a portion of your tips will support Clean Water Action's California-wide legislative work to improve testing and disclosure of chemicals in everyday products such as cleaners, children's toys, and food and drink containers.

Come for drinks and stop by our "Take Action" table. Join thousands of Clean Water Action members who are making their voices heard! Demand that regulators make our products safe!

With your help, we'll work to ensure that the only toxins that go into our glasses are the ones we've ordered.

Find an event in Florida, New Jersey, or where you live.

It's clear from the disaster in the Gulf that oil is risky, dirty, and dangerous.

Join Clean Water Action members and supporters in Florida on Saturday, June 26th for a national day of action to help clean up America's energy and to call on President Obama to move us off oil.

Find a Hand Across the Sand event in Florida, New Jersey, or in other parts of the U.S. or around the world.

For local organizing or attendance information in Florida, please contact Kathy Aterno.

Where: El Concilio, 1314 H Street, Modesto
When: Tuesday, May 4, 10AM

Communities across the San Joaquin County today joined together to demand that elected officials take action to address the drinking water crisis in the Central Valley. At rallies and press conferences in Seville (Tulare County) and Modesto, communities came together to call for immediate solutions to the Valley's severe and growing problem of contaminated groundwater.

This was a "hot" year for water in California. In the midst of a fiscal and water drought, we fought to protect environmental programs in the state budget and advocated for sound water policy in the package of Delta water bills. We pushed for "upstream" action, like strong chemicals regulations and bans on bad chemicals, and worked on "downstream" solutions, like cleaning up the SF Bay and Delta. With the help of our fabulous California members, we pushed the envelope in so many ways. Our members responded repeatedly to our calls for action with letters and emails that helped us "rock the boat" when we needed to put pressure on a legislator or regulatory body.

Erin Brockovich and Clean Water Action staff speak out in support of new Public Health Goal for chrome VI; public comment now accepted until November 2, 2009

Better late than never: Fifteen years after the Academy Award-nominated movie Erin Brockovich brought the dangers of hexavelent chromium exposure to the attention of the public, and five years after a legislature-mandated deadline for the state to set a drinking water standard, the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) finally began to take action. It's probably not a coincidence that the state finally began the process of setting a standard after Clean Water Action and other allies notified them of our intent to initiate legal action for the state's failure to meet its statutory obligation to set a drinking water standard for hexavalent chromium (chromium VI).

On October 19, 2009, OEHHA held a workshop giving an overview of their draft Public Health Goal (PHG) for chromium VI. The proposed PHG specifies a maximum level of 0.06 parts per billion level (ppb) of chromium VI in drinking water (read the draft here). Clean Water Action believes this is a health protective level and supports the proposed goal. At the workshop and at a press conference that preceded it, speakers Erin Brockovich (Brockovich Research & Consulting), Virginia Madueno (Clean Water Action California, Central Valley Organizer), and Renee Sharp (Environmental Working Group California, Executive Director) urged OEHHA to expedite the finalization of this standard. Scott Davis, a resident of the impacted community of Merced, California, also spoke at the press conference. At the workshop, former State Senator Deborah Ortiz (author of SB 351, which mandates the drinking water standard) underscored the real-world impacts of chromium VI and called for the process to move forward quickly

OEHHA has set a deadline of November 2, 2009, for accepting public comment. You can help urge speedy finalization of this PHG by sending a letter to OEHHA; click here for a sample letter: Sample Letter Cal OEHA Chromium VI PHG.

Clean Water Action California Director Miriam Gordon testifies successfully for Natural Resources Committee

On April 27, Clean Water Action helped make significant progress towards banning polystyrene in food packaging when the State Assembly Committee on Natural Resources (NRC) voted to refer AB 1358 (Hill, Nava, Brownley, Monning) to the Committee on Appropriations, after which it will be brought to the floor for a vote. The NRC, chaired by Nancy Skinner (D), voted 6-3 along party lines to pass the bill. As sponsor of the bill, CWA was key to its moving out of the committee as Miriam Gordon, Director of CWA/California, gave supporting testimony to the NRC, underscoring the devastating environmental impact of polystyrene and countering industry testimony that the passage of AB 1358 will result in the loss of jobs.