Ah-nold's "Efficiency" Plan Will Streamline Refinery, Logging Permits

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"Logging of California's forests and construction of new oil refineries could proceed more swiftly under two new recommendations growing out of a five-month review of cost and efficiency initiated by the governor. The two proposals in the California Performance Review -- "streamlining permitting to reduce petroleum infrastructure bottlenecks'' and "improving the timber harvest plan development and review process'' -- mirror changes long sought by the timber and oil industries, environmentalists say.

Currently, approval for construction of new oil refineries lies with regional air-quality management districts or with local jurisdictions. The plan would move the authority to a single centralized energy division within a new Department of Infrastructure. Western States Petroleum Association, a trade group, favors the proposal, and environmentalists oppose it, saying it cuts out community comment. Communities for a Better Environment and three other groups filed a letter last month with the California Energy Commission before the review team's report came out, opposing what it called "one-stop permitting.''

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The state Board of Forestry now approves logging plans, with the state Department of Fish and Game and the regional water-quality boards overseeing potential damage to wildlife and water. The proposal would deem parcels of land up to 10,000 acres "non-industrial timber'' and exempt them from the permitting process.

A new forestry division within a new Department of Natural Resources would approve logging plans and have a greater say in reviewing possible water- quality degradation. The regional water-quality boards would be abolished."

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Surprised? I'm not. Time for Kah-lee-foh-nya to pay to price for star-fucking.