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U.S. NEWS Saturday 23 March 2019

California to waive environmental rules for fire season prep

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE act. “Some of these proj-
Associated Press ects quite literally, not fig-
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) uratively, could take two
— California Gov. Gavin years to get done, or we
Newsom moved Friday could get them done in
to bypass environmental the next two months,” he
regulations to prepare for told an audience in Lake
the next wildfire season, a County, the site of several
move he said was neces- massive wildfires in recent
sary to prevent further loss years.
of life even as it frustrated The union representing
activists in a state viewed state firefighters praised
as a national environmen- Newsom’s plan.
tal leader. “These circumstances are
“The increasing wildfire risks unusual, unpredictable,
we face as a state mean unseen in our lifetime, and
we simply can’t wait until courageous decisions that
a fire starts in order to start sometimes go against the
deploying emergency re- political winds need to be
sources,” Newsom said in made,” said Tim Edwards,
a statement ahead of de- president of CAL Fire Local
claring a state of emergen- 2881.
cy. Republican state Sen. Pat
California experienced two Bates also praised Newsom
of its most destructive and for acting with urgency
deadly wildfire seasons in In this June 12, 2018 file photo, firefighters clear burned and unburned brush from a hillside above ahead of the wildfire sea-
2017 and 2018 and experts Portola Drive after a wildfire broke out in the Benedict Canyon area of Los Angeles. son.
say climate change in- Associated Press “I stand ready to assist the
creases the risks. Newsom by Trump. ronmental groups said fo- regulations. They include Governor with any legisla-
said clearing dead trees at “Gov. Newsom should re- cusing on retrofitting and provisions of the California tive action to eliminate bu-
a quick pace is essential to ject the Trump approach creating defensible space Environmental Quality Act, reaucratic roadblocks that
diminishing future threats. of logging and rolling back around homes is more ef- one of the nation’s strictest could slow these projects,”
President Donald Trump critical environmental pro- fective than thinning for- state-level regulations. Ad- she said in a statement.
has blamed California fires tections,” said Shaye Wolf, ests. Sierra Club California ministration officials would While environmental groups
on poor forest manage- climate science director for said clearing trees might need to give the go ahead bristled at Newsom’s plan,
ment, though experts say the Center for Biological Di- create more danger by to each individual project they still align with him on a
climate change caused by versity. loosening soil that could and it’s unclear exactly wide range of issues. New-
people is more of a factor. Newsom also pledged $50 lead to mudslides. which regulations each som’s predecessor, fellow
Newsom is taking recom- million for fire preparedness Newsom’s order will apply individual project would Democrat Jerry Brown, was
mendations from the Cali- in low-income communities only to 35 projects covering forego. known globally for his fight
fornia Department of For- and asked the private sec- nearly 141 square miles (365 Newsom said moving against climate change
estry and Fire Protection, tor to bring forward innova- square kilometers) of land, through the normal pro- but still clashed with envi-
but one environmental tive proposals. allowing state fire officials cess would drastically slow ronmental groups at home
group likened it to actions The center and other envi- to go around multiple state down the state’s ability to on some issues.q

Watchdog: FEMA wrongly released personal data of victims

By COLLEEN LONG issue, the agency was no statement. Some informa-
Associated Press longer sharing unnecessary tion, like names, last four
WASHINGTON (AP) — The data with the contractor digits of a Social Security
Federal Emergency Man- and has conducted a de- number and how many
agement Agency wrongly tailed review of the con- people live in a household
released to a contractor tractor’s information system are required to confirm eli-
the personal information of and has found no indica- gibility and locate housing
2.3 million survivors of dev- tion to suggest data has for victims. But FEMA also
astating 2017 hurricanes been compromised. provided the contractor
and wildfires, potentially The agency said in a state- with bank names electron-
exposing the victims to ment it is working with the ic funds transfer numbers
identity fraud and theft, a contractor to remove the and bank transit numbers
government watchdog re- data from its system and has that were not required by
ported Friday. instructed staff to complete the contractor.
The Homeland Security additional privacy training. The watchdog said that
Department’s Office of In- In this Oct. 5, 2017 file photo, Department of Homeland Security “FEMA’s goal remains pro- FEMA violated both fed-
spector General found the personnel deliver supplies to Santa Ana community residents in tecting and strengthening eral privacy laws and also
breach occurred when the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Guayama, Puerto Rico. the integrity, effectiveness, Homeland Security policy
FEMA was working with a Associated Press and security of our disaster by giving the extra data
contractor that helps pro- Security’s many agencies; forcement, and the U.S. programs that help people to the contractor, whose
vide temporary housing to the sprawling 240,000-per- Secret Service. before, during, and after name was redacted in
those affected by disasters. son department also in- FEMA officials said that disasters,” FEMA Press Sec- the report made public
FEMA is one of Homeland cludes immigration en- since the discovery of the retary Lizzie Litzow said in a Friday.q