Environment

Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. sued the Tulare County Board of Supervisors on Thursday to overturn the board's approval of two mega-dairies housing more than 12,000 cattle near Allensworth State Park, a nationally registered historic site honoring a pioneering black settlement founded by a former slave.

The California Department of Justice lawsuit alleges the Tulare County Board of Supervisors on March 20 violated the California Environmental Quality Act when it approved the cow pens located about a mile away from the historic site. The suit says the dairy will produce 20 tons of manure and other contaminants each day.

"Allensworth State Park will be compromised by the odors, flies and air and water pollution generated by these large dairies in such close proximity,' the Tulare County Superior Court lawsuit said. 'By bringing a large industrial dairy operation into the immediate surroundings of the park, the dairy project threatens the park's historic integrity and its function to convey a historically accurate picture of the way of life of the Allensworth pioneers.'

The park preserves a town founded by Allen Allensworth, which was an agricultural haven for former slaves and sharecroppers in the Central Valley of California. Allensworth, a slave born in 1842, served in the U.S. military during the Civil War and was the first African American to receive the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.

The lawsuit claims the Tulare County Board of Supervisors violated California environmental regulations for, among other things, approving the project 'without meaningfully evaluating and identifying the impact on the unique historical resources and setting of Allensworth State Park.'

The suit also alleges that the Tulare County Board of Supervisors did not adequately address the project's environmental impacts on the adjacent Pixley National Wildlife Refuge and the Allensworth Ecological Reserve.

A copy of the lawsuit is attached.

SAN FRANCISCO--In response to Supreme Court's decision today in the landmark case Massachusetts v. EPA, California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. issued the following statement:

“Today’s Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts v. EPA, is a resounding affirmation of California’s actions to address global warming,” stated Attorney General Brown, who represents California as a party in that case.

In finding that the Clean Air Act applies to emission of greenhouse gases, the Supreme Court upheld California’s right to promulgate its landmark regulations limiting those emissions.

“This is an historic moment for California and the country,” said Brown. “The Supreme Court recognized the key role for states in protecting their citizens and their environment.”

The automakers have sued California, challenging the state’s authority to regulate greenhouse case emissions from cars and trucks, and they have challenged ten other states’ actions in adopting the California rules.

Attorney General Brown described today’s ruling as vindication of the state’s regulations, its legal position in support of those regulations, and in pursuing legal remedies in the courts on behalf of the state’s citizens and environment.

“The Supreme Court today has dealt a defeat to General Motors and other auto companies that are attempting to sabotage California’s pioneering controls on greenhouse gas emissions,” Brown said. “It is time for the automakers, the electric power industry, and other large greenhouse gas emitters to join California in leading the world to global warming solutions.”

In addition to Massachusetts v. EPA, Brown represents California in Central Valley Chrysler-Jeep v. Witherspoon, an automaker challenge to California’s regulations; Connecticut v. AEP, challenging power plant emissions; California v. GM, challenging automaker emissions; and California v. NHTSA, challenging fuel economy standards for light trucks and SUVs.

(SAN FRANCISCO) Six of the nation's largest auotmakers have tried to dismiss California's lawsuit against them on technical grounds but in a brief filed today by Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. the State of California affirms it's commitment to hold automakers accountable. Brown also requested a personal meeting with each of the automakers to discuss ways to fight global warming without conflict.

In September 2006, the Attorney Generals Office filed suit in San Francisco federal court against leading U.S. and Japanese auto manufacturers for creating vehicles whose emissions are the largest single source of greenhouse gasses in California. The manufacturers automobiles have contributed to an international global warming threat that has damaged Californias resources, jeopardized environmental health and cost millions of dollars to address current and future negative effects.