Baykeeper recently advocated for stronger Pesticide Action Plans in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties. Entities that use pesticides in and around waterways to control disease-carrying insects are required to submit a Pesticide Action Plan for approval by the State Water Board prior to any discharges. Larvicides and adulticides used to control mosquitoes, black flies and midges are harmful pollutants, therefore all dischargers must obtain a permit under the Clean Water Act prior to applying these pesticides.

Baykeeper is helping lead the Environmental Council, a coalition of more than thirty organizations, to ensure that the America's Cup leaves a positive environmental legacy for the Bay and our comunities. Along with the Dolphin Club and several coalition partners, Baykeeper voiced concerns at a recent Planning Commission meeting that the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) does not adequately address the impacts of the event.

Baykeeper is currently opposing a new proposal by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) that would severely limit environmental oversight of pesticide applications throughout the state.

The U.S. Senate is now considering a bill that would exempt pesticide protections from the Clean Water Act. The bill passed the Agricultural Committee two weeks ago, but several Democratic Senators have expressed opposition, and now California Senator Barbara Boxer has put a hold on the bill so that it can't go any further without her agreement or unless the bill is amended.

Baykeeper has secured stronger regulations on the Shell Oil marine terminal used for delivering oil to and from tanker ships. The terminal, located adjacent to the Shell Oil Refinery on the south side of the Carquinez Strait in Martinez, annually hosts 400 ships and processes 48 million barrels of oil each year.

Last week, the California State Lands Commission (CSLC) unanimously voted to renew the lease for Shell Oil's oil-receiving and exporting marine terminal, allowing the company to continue its operations there for the next 30 years.

Baykeeper recently voiced concerns to the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board over new storm water and wastewater discharge regulations for the USS-POSCO Industries steel finishing plant in Pittsburg, California. Based on our comments, the Regional Board has elected to strengthen some limitations on the plant’s discharges.

The State Water Resources Control Board has approved new management measures aimed at reducing methylmercury pollution in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary and the Yolo Bypass, with the ultimate goal of making fish caught in the Delta safe to eat.

The San José City Council recently declared that a full environmental impact report (EIR) is not required for a new energy production facility to be built on top of a closed landfill on the shore of San Francisco Bay. The project could have serious negative impacts on the health of the Bay, and Baykeeper is advocating for appropriate environmental review of the development.

Senate bill 718, which exempts pesticide applications from Clean Water Act protections, was approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee this week and now passes to consideration by the full Senate. Several Democratic Senators have already expressed opposition to the legislation, including California Senator Barbara Boxer, after Baykeeper helped lead a national coalition of 120 environmental groups to urge Senators not to support the bill.