California
California regulators vote to extend Diablo Canyon nuclear plant operations through 2030
![California regulators vote to extend Diablo Canyon nuclear plant operations through 2030](https://cdn.abcotvs.com/dip/images/12193942_090322-kabc-5am-ca-nuclear-plant-vid.jpg?w=1600)
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — California energy regulators voted Thursday to allow the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant to operate for an additional five years, despite calls from environmental groups to shut it down.
The California Public Utilities Commission agreed to extend the shutdown date for the state’s last functioning nuclear power facility through 2030 instead of closing it in 2025 as previously agreed.
Separately, the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission will consider whether to extend the plant’s operating licenses.
The twin reactors, located midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, began operating in the mid-1980s. They supply up to 9% of the state’s electricity on any given day.
The Public Utilities Commission’s decision marks the latest development in a long fight over the operation and safety of the plant, which sits on a bluff above the Pacific Ocean.
In August, a state judge rejected a lawsuit filed by Friends of the Earth that sought to block Pacific Gas & Electric, which operates the plant, from seeking to extend its operating life.
And in October, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission rejected a request from environmental groups to immediately shut down one of two reactors.
PG&E agreed in 2016 to shutter the plant by 2025, but at the direction of the state changed course and now intends to seek a longer operating run for the plant, which doesn’t produce greenhouse gases that can contribute to climate change.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who once was a leading voice to close the plant, said last year that Diablo Canyon’s power is needed beyond 2025 to ward off possible blackouts as California transitions to solar and other renewable energy sources.
Activists condemned the extension and noted that the projected costs of continuing to run the aging plant are expected to top $6 billion.
“This ill-conceived decision will further escalate financial strain on California ratepayers and extend the threat of a catastrophe at Diablo Canyon,” said Ken Cook, president of the nonprofit Environmental Working Group.
“With California’s annual renewable energy additions exceeding Diablo Canyon’s output, there is zero reason to keep it running,” he added in a statement.
Copyright © 2023 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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California
Over 100 horses at Southern California facility at risk of being displaced
![Over 100 horses at Southern California facility at risk of being displaced](https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/06/Lakewood-Equesterian-Center-5.png?w=1280)
More than 100 horses are in danger of being displaced, including some that are too old to be moved and would need to be euthanized, after the city of Lakewood announced it could no longer afford to run the beloved equestrian center.
The Lakewood Equestrian Center also houses miniature horses and some mules. Some of the horses are old and have been retired, while others are used for training and riding.
Taylor Cohen, who works as a first responder and boards her horse at the center, explained that horses provide people with the opportunity to relax and just love their animals.
Hearing news that the city plans to shutter the equestrian center, she said, was devastating.
“Having been a first responder [for] the last 18 years of my life, finding ways to manage the stress that you come into is huge,” Cohen explained. “There has to be other ways [to do that] besides going and seeing a therapist.”
Part of the land the equestrian center sits on is owned by the county. Another portion is owned by Southern California Edison.
The city has announced plans to wipe the equestrian center out and build a park with pickleball courts, though, according to Cohen and others, this comes with a huge problem.
“There’s nowhere for these horses to go,” she said. “Some of them won’t be able to be moved because of age or health issues. There’s actually no place around that will be able to board all these horses.”
Lakewood City Council halted their vote on the issue to give people more time to come up with a proposal for taking it over, but the facility needs at least $6 million in repairs and Edison is owed more than $40,000 on the lease, leaving some people who use the center at a loss.
“We have nowhere else to go,” Noah Grove, who boards his animals at the facility, told KTLA’s Jennifer McGraw. “Huntington Beach Equestrian Center, their full and have a 35-horse waitlist. I’m actually from Huntington Beach. I drive 18 to 30 minutes to get here, depending on traffic, and I’m up here sometimes twice a day.”
Riders like Makella Mahan are hoping someone can grab the reins of the facility and save this haven for her and the horses.
“Honestly, all these beautiful horses would be out of a home, and I think that would be very sad,” she said.
For its part, city officials have said they don’t necessarily want to close the facility and are hoping to come up with a plan, along with the equestrian community, for making the center profitable or even getting it to break even.
California
New law requiring California bars to offer drink spiking drug test kits takes effect July 1 | CNN
![New law requiring California bars to offer drink spiking drug test kits takes effect July 1 | CNN](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/gettyimages-980583384.jpg?c=16x9&q=w_800,c_fill)
CNN
—
A new law requiring many California bars and nightclubs to offer common date-rape drug test kits will take effect Tuesday, according to the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
The law, Assembly Bill 1013, requires approximately 2,400 establishments with a Type 48 license to have signage letting patrons know that drug testing kits are available.
Type 48 licenses are issued to bars and nightclubs and authorize the sale of beer, wine, and distilled spirits, according to the department.
The signage reads, “Don’t get roofied! Drink spiking drug test kits available here. Ask a staff member for details.”
The drug testing devices will either be offered for sale at a reasonable price or be given to customers for free, according to the department.
Devices could include test strips, stickers, or straws that can detect the presence of controlled substances in drinks.
California
California bars required to offer drug testing kits starting July 1
![California bars required to offer drug testing kits starting July 1](https://assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2024/06/30/7fb790a6-5c07-4ea0-b5b9-486a813e607f/thumbnail/1200x630/1b4a404b11be318e69d430a3e82eaa11/2618a4d0e77bc2a5874f3462d4d1abfe.jpg?v=a23cb4bdf4fa7f3cb72e5118085577f9)
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