San Francisco

December 10, 2007 -- CONTRA COSTA — California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced a $42.2 million dollar settlement agreement with Hanson Building Materials, a multi-national mining corporation. This settlement resolves allegations that the company improperly mined over two million cubic yards of sand from Suisun Bay and defrauded the state out of million of dollars in royalty payments for sand mined in San Francisco and Suisun Bays.    » read more »

December 4, 2007 -- Washington, D.C. -- Today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Coast Guard & Maritime Transportation, sent the following letter to the Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General requesting an immediate investigation of the Coast Guard’s response to the November 7 oil spill in San Francisco Bay, as well as the Coast Guard’s emergency response capabilities in San Francisco Bay.    » read more »

Bonds' indictment also includes charge of obstruction of justice

November 14, 2007 -- "I want to thank the Commerce Committee and Senator Cantwell for working with us to arrange this Members’ briefing on the oil spill that occurred last Wednesday in San Francisco Bay.

As most of you know, the container ship Cosco Busan hit the Bay Bridge on the morning of November 7, spilling some 53,000 to 58,000 gallons of toxic bunker fuel into San Francisco Bay.

For all of us who love the Bay, this oil spill has been nothing short of heartbreaking.    » read more »

11/15/2007 -- In response to the 58,000 gallon oil spill into the San Francisco Bay on Nov. 7, California Governor Schwarzenegger today launched a full state investigation into the causes of the spill.

U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer and Governor Schwarzenegger committed to work together in this investigation and find ways to prevent this from happening again. Yesterday, U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein convened a briefing in the U.S. Senate where they raised questions into federal response to the oil spill.    » read more »

11/14/2007 -- California Governor Schwarzenegger today issued the following statement to be read at a briefing hosted by Senator Barbara Boxer in the Senate Commerce Committee to examine last week’s oil spill in the San Francisco Bay:

“I regret that my schedule does not allow me to join you today in Washington, D.C., but I applaud Senator Boxer for holding this briefing on last week’s oil spill.    » read more »

11/13/2007 -- California Governor Schwarzenegger today issued the following executive order to suspend all fishing for human consumption including the start of crab season in the San Francisco Bay in response to last week’s oil spill. Additionally, the Governor directed the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment in consultation with the California Department of Public Health to expeditiously review the available scientific information on whether a significant human health risk is posed by the consumption of marine life caught in the threatened area.    » read more »

12 November 2007 -- U.S. prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into a cargo ship crash that caused a massive oil spill in San Francisco last week.

The head of the U.S. Coast Guard, Admiral Thad Allen, told reporters in San Francisco, California, Sunday his agency is working with the U.S. Attorney's office to determine the cause of the crash.

A preliminary Coast Guard investigation found that human error, not mechanical failure, caused the ship to hit a bridge last Wednesday.    » read more »

November 8, 2007 -- UC Davis wildlife experts are leading the rescue of oiled birds in San Francisco today after a container ship spilled nearly 60,000 gallons of heavy bunker fuel oil into the bay.

Three veterinarians and a veterinary technician arrived at Fort Mason Wednesday to organize the rescue effort and begin treating injured birds.

At 1 p.m. today, there were 21 seabirds being treated, all of them surf scoters, according to UC Davis veterinarian Michael Ziccardi, director of the California Oiled Wildlife Care Network.    » read more »

Nov. 10, 2007 -- WASHINGTON - Coast Guard Commandant Thad W. Allen will visit San Francisco tomorrow to review progress in cleanup efforts in the Cosco Busan oil spill in San Francisco Bay. He will tour affected areas, review progress of the cleanup and meet with local leaders.    » read more »

12 November 2007 -- U.S. Coard Guard investigators say they are looking at human error as the cause of a Chinese cargo ship's collision with a bridge in San Francisco.

Last week's accident did not damage the bridge, but the impact opened a 30-meter gash in the vessel's hull, puncturing two fuel tanks and spilling more than 200,000 liters of thick bunker oil into San Francisco Bay.

California has ordered an emergency cleanup of the bay and its oil-coated shoreline, and nearly 800 people are working to rescue birds, fish and other wildlife from potentially deadly pollution.    » read more »

November 8, 2007 -- Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today regarding the oil spill that resulted when a container ship struck the Bay Bridge yesterday:

“This is truly an historic day. Today, the House of Representatives will consider and hopefully pass – for the first time – the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or ENDA. As someone who has looked forward to this day for the 20 years that I have served in Congress, it is a joyous occasion.    » read more »

11/08/2007 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today highlighted what the state is doing to clean up the 58,000 gallons of oil that spilled into the San Francisco Bay yesterday as the result of a container vessel grazing the footings of the western span of the Bay Bridge.    » read more »

October 23, 2007 -- Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement in response to today’s Senate vote in support of an amendment to the fiscal year 2008 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill that reinstates severe, destabilizing HIV/AIDS funding cuts in 11 jurisdictions, including San Francisco:    » read more »

10/15/2007 -- Joined by local leaders, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today outlined legislation he recently signed to protect vital San Francisco Bay Area transportation should an emergency or disaster disrupt service.

SB 976 by Senator Tom Torlakson (D-Antioch) consolidates ferry services in the San Francisco Bay Area through the new San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA). The legislation also allocates $250 million of voter-approved Proposition 1B transportation bonds to WETA.    » read more »