Weekly Assignment 2

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090126/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_greenhouse_gases

It is interesting that the Obama administration has acted so swiftly on this issue considering the state of the economy.

It shows a proactive interest in air quality as well as efficient resource management by way of the delegation of authority to the States.

I remember feeling perplexed when I read about the EPA's denial of California's request because republican administrations traditionally favor delegation to the State

The article also stated, without actually saying which direction he would go, that President Obama will order new fuel economy guidelines. I expect the standard to either increase in MPG, or tighten the timeline.

The linking of a policy proposal to clean energy supplies and the word "green" was also a nice tough.

A policy issue of note to me has been the legal conflict of Prescott's plan to build a 36" transmission main for the purpose of importing water from the Big Chino Aquifer into their Active Management Area. This will allow them to achieve "safe yield" as required by the Groundwater Management Act of 1980.

Law:

Under current law, groundwater is open access and any user can pump from land they own. Surface water law established "senior vested rights" based who was there first.

Conflict:

Prescott says that, under open access law, they can move the water from Big Chino because they bought ranch land that sits on it. SRP states that Prescott cannot move the water because the exportation would reduce the headwaters of the Verde River by 86 percent. Under current law, SRP was "senior vested" surface water rights.

SRP plans to take Prescott to court over this matter.

Also, it is only fair to say the Center for Bio-diversity has weighed in on this issue in favor of the SRP position due to the threat that an 86 percent reduction to the headwaters would pose to the riparian habitat along the river.

Any thoughts on who will prevail and why...