Jerry Brown signs gun control bill

Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a gun control measure eliminating an exemption for certain semiautomatic pistols from California’s unsafe handgun law, Brown’s office announced Friday.

Assembly Bill 1964, by Assemblyman Roger Dickinson, D-Sacramento, is designed to limit the exemption for single-shot pistols from the state’s unsafe handgun roster, excluding semiautomatic pistols altered to not fire in semiautomatic mode.

Gun control advocates argued the exemption allowed gun dealers to sell temporarily altered single-shot pistols to people who could convert them back into semiautomatic weapons that do not comply with state safety requirements.

The California Association of Federal Firearms Licensees, which opposed the bill, said it will “further narrow California’s already onerous and overly burdensome ‘not unsafe’ handgun roster and eliminate more firearms from the non-peace officer marketplace,” according to a legislative analysis.

The bill was passed in the Legislature largely on partisan lines, with Democrats in support and Republicans opposed. Brown, a Democrat, signed the measure without comment.

The measure was one of 15 bills Brown announced signing Friday. In another gun measure, Brown signed legislation requiring local courts to notify the Department of Justice more quickly when actions are taken that would result in a person being prohibited from owning guns, such as being found mentally incompetent to stand trial.

Assembly Bill 1591, by Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian, R-San Luis Obispo, shortens from two court days to one the time in which courts must make such a notification.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/07/18/6566434/jerry-brown-signs-gun-control.html#mi_rss=Capitol%20Alert#storylink=cpy

A state audit last year found California courts did not file at least 2,300 prohibited person reports to the Department of Justice from 2010 through 2012.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/07/18/6566434/jerry-brown-signs-gun-control.html#mi_rss=Capitol%20Alert#storylink=cpy

via: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/07/18/6566434/jerry-brown-signs-gun-control.html#mi_rss=Capitol%20Alert

Waterless Fracking Moves Into The Market, With Its Own Set Of Safety Issues

In this July 27, 2011 file photo, the sun shines over a Range Resources well site in Washington, Pa. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)

As debate rages on over the health impacts associated with petroleum companies’ practice of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, the industry is coming up with a new but equally controversial technique to get at oil and natural gas deposits thousands of feet below the surface of the earth.

Californians are bracing for a new form of fracking that uses pressurized gas to break up formations where oil is hidden instead of the usual combination of water, silica sand and chemicals.

It’s called dry-fracking, and it’s expected to make its way to California communities soon if the oil industry has its way.

California is home to the Monterey shale, a geologic formation that stretches from northern California to the Los Angeles area. According to the U.S. Energy Department, the formation holds 15 billion barrels of untapped oil, accounting for more than is held in North Dakota’s Bakken oil region.

While the oil industry has long eyed the formation as a source of big bucks, it has been met with opposition from the agricultural community, vineyard owners included, as each fracking well uses roughly 4 million gallons of water.

This new form of dry-fracking takes that argument off the table, but it also brings along a new set of concerns for those working to maintain the land of the Monterey shale region.

“(What) really scares me, first of all about the safety during production because somebody could light a cigarette and there you go, the whole town blows up,” Patricia Lerman, of the local advocacy group Aromas Cares For Our Environment, told Central Coast News, a Fox affiliate station.

That’s not the only argument against dry-fracking. The Center for Biological Diversity, based in San Francisco, has also come out swinging against the emergence of the technique, claiming it’s too early to know what the impacts could be if used in California.

Dry-fracking is already being practiced by at least two Texas-based companies, according to Central Coast News.

Gasfrac Energy Services Inc., a company based in Calgary, Alberta, has an office in Houston and touts the new form of fracking as one the company operates in a safe and reliable manner. According to the company’s website, Gasfrac patented its own waterless “Liquid Petroleum Gas” gel, which it claims “yields higher reservoir production while eliminating concerns over water use in fracturing.”

“While GASFRAC’s process inherently has different risks from conventional fracture stimulation — our strong safety focus means we’ve improved upon, and even advanced, certain safety features and protocols, allowing for increased safety in oilfield operations,” Gasfrac’s website says.

There’s no indication at this point that Gasfrac is planning on moving into California’s Monterey shale formation, but residents and environmental organizations are moving ahead now to warn that its self-bestowed reputation as an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional fracking might not be what it’s cracked up to be.

via mintpressnews.com

Southern California wildfires raise concerns for community safety

May 5, 2013 – The recent Springs Fire in Ventura County near Malibu, on the Pacific Coast, highlights the threats to homes and property from wildfire in communities across California. Driven by windy, dry conditions, the fire has burned close to 8,000 acres and many homes and commercial properties remain under threat.

East of Los Angeles, the Summit Fire near the towns of Banning and Beaumont, has burned nearly 3,000 acres, while other areas across the state continue to experience red-flag warnings. In 2012, California experienced nearly 8,000 fires that scorched more than 800,000 acres, but California officials warn a more difficult fire season is ahead and predict the number of fires in the state should increase this year.

Many local residents, however, have already taken steps to reduce their wildfire risk. Using proven principles for wildfire safety, 61 communities in California have participated for several years in the national Firewise Communities/USA® Recognition Program, which emphasizes community involvement and helps residents learn how to do their part to keep their homes and property safer from wildfire.

Participating Firewise communities near Los Angeles include Beverly Hills and Carbon Canyon in Chino Hills. Two communities, East Orange County Canyons in Silverado and the Foothill Communities Association in Santa Ana, closest to the Summit Fire, became official Firewise sites in 2012. A list of all California Firewise-recognized sites can be found on the Firewise website.

Wildfire doesn’t have to burn everything in its path. In fact, cleaning your property of debris and maintaining your landscaping are important first steps. Below are actions residents can take to reduce the risk of homes and property becoming fuel for a wildfire:

• Clear leaves and other debris from gutters, eaves, porches and decks. This prevents embers from igniting your home.
• Keep lawns hydrated and maintained. Dry grass and shrubs are fuel for wildfire.
• Remove flammable materials within 3-5 feet of the home’s foundation and outbuildings, including garages and sheds. If it can catch fire, don’t let it touch the house, deck or porch.
• Limit vegetation surrounding the home’s perimeter, at least 30-100 feet, depending on the area’s wildfire risk. The Firewise Guide to Landscaping can help distinguish the best vegetation based on distance to the home or structure. Firewise landscaping and plants list are also available on the Firewise website.

A comprehensive Firewise tips checklist for homeowners is available.
Those interested in making a lasting change to their home can consider a Firewise construction approach, which means building with less-flammable materials for homes, decks, porches and fences. This includes using Class-A roofing materials such as asphalt shingles and metal, cement and concrete products. Double-paned or tempered glass windows also make a home more resistant to heat and flames.

Learn more about how to keep families safe and reduce homeowners’ risk for wildfire damage at www.Firewise.org. Additionally, complimentary brochures, booklets, pamphlets, videos and much more can be found on the information and resources page of the website and ordered online through NFPA’s online wildfire safety catalog.

About FirewiseThe Firewise Communities Program encourages local solutions for safety by involving homeowners in taking individual responsibility for preparing their homes from the risk of wildfire. Firewise is one element of the Fire Adapted Communities initiative – a national effort that engages homeowners, firefighters, civic leaders and land managers to reduce wildfire risk in communities throughout the United States. The Firewise Communities Program and Fire Adapted Communities are sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association and USDA Forest Service.

About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
NFPA is a worldwide leader in fire, electrical, building, and life safety. The mission of the international nonprofit organization founded in 1896 is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education. NFPA develops more than 300 codes and standards to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other hazards. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed at no cost at www.nfpa.org/freeaccess.

via Firerescue1.com