California is suing Exxon Mobil over plastic waste

Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Tuesday, September 24th.

>>>>

California is suing Exxon Mobil over plastic waste. More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….

######

Unionized C-V-S workers have until tomorrow (Wednesday) to vote to strike.

In the county, there are about 50 stores with about 900 employees.

The union wants better healthcare and higher wages, saying the company still wants to pay associates less than 20 dollars per hour.

"Our members of CVS have been without a contract for over two months now and bargaining has been really slow and so we're kind of kicking up the actions now, trying to push the bargaining along by doing actions outside stores and hopefully get a better deal at the table by doing so."

C-V-S sent our media partner KG-TV a statement saying they’re in active discussion with the union and are confident they can reach an agreement.

If the union votes to strike, union leadership will decide on when that would happen.

Regardless, the union plans to go back to the bargaining table sometime next month.

########

The Padres are just one win away from clinching a spot in the playoffs.

They head into a three-game series in L-A tonight (Tuesday) against the Dodgers.

The teams will go head to head again tomorrow (Wednesday) and Thursday.

If the Padres sweep L-A, they’ll take the lead in the National League West standings.

########

Today (Tuesday) is going to be the warmest day of the week.

In the inland areas, temps will be in the mid 80s, by the coast and in the mountains, it’ll be in the high 70s, and in the deserts, it’s expected to reach up to 106 degrees.

The National Weather Service says that after today (Tuesday) temperatures will drop a couple degrees each day.

#########

From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now. Stay with me for more of the local news you need.

##########

The state is suing an oil conglomerate for producing massive amounts of plastics and then lying about their impact on the environment.

Sci-tech reporter Thomas Fudge tells us about the lawsuit against Exxon-mobil, and a new law aimed at eliminating plastic grocery bags.

The lawsuit filed by State Attorney General Rob Bonta says Exxon-Mobile has boosted the supply of plastic while also claiming for decades that it could be recycled. Bonta says the corporate giant surely knew the recycling of plastic was not a viable practice and that only five percent of plastic waste in the US is recycled. “Meaning 95 percent of plastics in the US are never recycled. They go to the landfill. They go to the incinerator. They are released into the environment.” A call to Exxon-Mobile for comment on the suit was not returned. The state took another step toward reducing plastic waste by targeting plastic grocery bags.  Governor Newsom signed a bill on Sunday that prevents stores from giving shoppers plastic bags at the point of sale. The bill was authored by State Senator Catherine Blakespeare. The Encinitas Democrat spoke on the topic last month. “So on average people use a plastic bag for 12 minutes to take their groceries home, and then it remains in our environment for hundreds of years. Breaking down into microplastics, polluting our soils and our waterways and our own human bodies The ban on plastic grocery checkout bags takes effect the first day of 2026. Soq.

##########

County officials lifted some beach closures in Imperial Beach this weekend.

Reporter Katie Anastas went to the I-B Pier yesterday (Monday) and says residents are excited to jump in.

For the first time in more than 1,000 days, officials say water quality here meets state health standards. Imperial Beach resident Liz Yamoto went for a swim. YAMOTO There was no brown scum. There was no smell. So it looks clean and beautiful, like the IB that we love. Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre says a new pump station on the other side of the border is diverting some wastewater away from the Tijuana River and discharging it into the ocean. But she says that won’t eliminate the problem. AGUIRRE I, for one, don't feel comfortable enough depending on Mexico turning it on or off and our entire livelihood, well-being, health, public health, being dependent on whether the river is flowing or not and whether they turn on the pump station or not. Aguirre says a change in weather, like a south swell or south winds, could push contaminated water back up to the reopened beaches. Those south of the end of Seacoast Drive remain closed as of Monday. Katie Anastas, KPBS News.

##########

Fentanyl use in the county has skyrocketed in recent years.

However, the number of fentanyl overdose deaths has begun to inch downward.

Border reporter Gustavo Solis has the story behind these trends.

San Diego’s proximity to the border makes it a key part of the fentanyl supply chain. And it's likely to stay that way - according to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California Tara McGrath. Tera “We are a transition point for the arrival of fentanyl. And what I mean by that is that we are a transportation hub. The fentanyl comes in through the Mexican border and then transfers up to distribution hubs like Los Angeles and Las Vegas and then gets distributed to the rest of the county.” It’s inevitable that some of that supply stays in San Diego. Feeding local demand for fentanyl - with tragic consequences. Overdose deaths in the county skyrocketed from less than 100 to more than 800 in recent years. It’s a grim reality that San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan is all too familiar with. Summer “We’ve made fighting fentanyl a priority because we are ground zero for it.” But there are signs of hope. For the first time since the fentanyl crisis began, the number of overdose deaths has leveled off and even begun to trend downward.  “San Diego sort of uniquely has shown a 7% reduction in the number of fentanyl overdoses in 2023 as compared to 2022 and 2021.” Yet, with 749 fentanyl deaths countywide in 2023, Stephan is hardly celebrating. Instead, her office and public health experts are studying a shift in how people use the drug … and what that might mean for the future. Summer “So while in 2019, 2020 we never saw cases where somebody was seeking or asking for fentanyl. Now in 2024 we have many cases where the victims ask specifically to get fentanyl.” April Ella is the director of operations for a New PATH – a drug treatment organization based in San Diego. She says there’s been an evolution in how people use fentanyl. A few years ago, most people took it by accident. “People who are searching for fentanyl. Where they start maybe trying to get a Xanax that was laced with fentanyl they realize fentanyl is in it. They might get a little bit more addicted to it. Drop the whole Xanax portion. And go toward fentanyl.” Experts tell KPBS that fentanyl is now much easier and cheaper to get than heroin. Advocates credit the drop in deaths to the overdose reversal drug naloxone, which goes by the brand name Narcan. But fewer overdoses deaths doesn’t necessarily mean fewer overdoses. Ella says non-fatal overdoses are extremely difficult to track. “If they didn’t go to the hospital, or they didn’t get arrested, or they didn’t get some sort of care of some sort even call a helpline. There’s no way to track how many people are overdosing every single day.”Despite the lack of reliable data, a New PATH has seen more demand for naloxone – which suggests more people are overdosing or at least worried about the risk of overdosing.“When we’re out in the field people will report, oh I used three of those kits. I used three of those kits on my brother, whoever, my roommate. But that doesn’t mean that gets reported anywhere.” Posecutors agree that Naloxone is making a difference. But they also credit  increased collaboration among law enforcement agencies. McGrath’s office works closely with the FBI, DEA and Border Patrol to go after large drug smuggling operations. “Identify and dismantle the cartels, that’s what the U.S. Attorney’s office does. That’s our unique piece of the puzzle in fighting fentanyl and other narcotics.” District Attorney Stephan says tougher drug sentencing laws are also needed. Meanwhile, advocates like Ella say that would be a return to failed policies of the war on drugs. Gustavo Solis, KPBS News.

TAG: This is another in a series of stories focused on separating facts from myths regarding migrant crime and border security.

##########

A contract between Ace Parking and the city of San Diego has expired amid scrutiny of the company's hiring practices.

Metro reporter Andrew Bowen says the lapse was unexpected.

AB: Ace Parking has operated the garage at the city's downtown Central Library since at least 2019. But its contract expired in January. City staff say the lapse was an oversight due to chronic understaffing. On Monday, staff asked the City Council for a 5-year renewal of the contract with Ace. And Councilmember Henry Foster III voted "no." He cited an equal opportunity contractor report showing underrepresentation at the company among women, Asians, Latinos and Native Americans.HF: We see these types of deficiencies coming with just about every single contract that comes before us. And if we are going to take this seriously, then our actions need to show that this is serious.AB: The contract needed six votes to pass. With Foster's "no" and three councilmembers absent, the motion to extend the contract failed. Ace Parking is headquartered in San Diego, but has operations across the country. Owner Keith Jones told Foster he's proud of his company's record on equal opportunity hiring.KJ: So I welcome working with the city, I welcome any sort of EEOC audit, and I am committed to those things, sir. So I want to do business with the city for another 70 years. AB: The council will take up the contract extension again on November 12. Andrew Bowen, KPBS news.

##########

That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. I’m Debbie Cruz. Join us again tomorrow for the day’s top stories. Thanks for listening and have a great Tuesday.