Updates – Page 3 – Public Watchdogs: Because the Public has a right to know

What SANDAG doesn’t want you to know about the new “Vehicle Miles Traveled” tax

March 12, 2023April 27, 2023 Public Watchdogs Leave a comment

Fourteen questions and problems about the Vehicle Miles Traveled tax (VMT), which will violate your privacy, increase your energy costs, and expose you to identity theft and government surveillance. By Nina J. Babiarz, Public Watchdogs’ Director of Development Get Nina’s Testimony at SANDAG in mp4 format. SANDAG, the San Diego Association of Governments is planning to impose a county-wide tax on motorists, and this time, it’s…

The NRC has kowtowed to political pressure to keep PG&E’s Diablo Canyon open

March 3, 2023March 8, 2023 Public Watchdogs Leave a comment

Advocates at the nonprofit consumer group, Public Watchdogs say that today’s disastrous decision by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to keep the antiquated Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant open flies in the face of the NRC’s own Principles of Good Regulation. “The NRC has broken the public’s trust by betraying its own values and ‘Principles of Good Regulation’” said Public Watchdogs’ Director of Development, Nina Babiarz….

James Conca’s outrageous and deceptive statements

February 20, 2023June 27, 2023 Public Watchdogs 3 Comments

Is spent nuclear fuel really “harmless after four years?” In this video, James Conca, who styles himself as a “scientist,” is falsely claiming that the nuclear waste at the beachfront San Onofre Nuclear Waste Dump is harmless after four years. He then suggests that people who are concerned about it “don’t understand the science.” Both statements are outrageously deceptive. According to Scientific American, the USA’s oldest…

Yes, you are getting gouged on the price of gasoline

February 16, 2023February 17, 2023 Public Watchdogs Leave a comment

Oil prices are down, yet gas prices are up. Expect $5 a gallon or more throughout the summer, even if oil prices crash. Today, AAA has reported that the official average price for a gallon of gas in San Diego is $4.737, about a penny more than the price was last year on the same day. If there was ever proof that we are getting gouged,…

En banc natural gas hearing at CPUC spawned by Governor’s demand for lower gas prices

February 7, 2023February 7, 2023 Public Watchdogs Leave a comment

Yesterday, California Governor Gavin Newsom sent a demand letter to FERC, the Federal Energy and Regulatory Commission to initiate an investigation into natural gas price manipulation. In a separate press release, Newsom has claimed that “Natural Gas Price Relief is on the way!” According to Newsom, The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) recently accelerated the delivery of electricity bill credits of $90 to $120 to provide…

Questions about the so-called “Natural Gas Shortage” and why your utility bills are increasing

January 8, 2023August 4, 2023 Public Watchdogs 4 Comments

At this time, there is a global natural gas shortage due to harsh winters, the Ukraine crisis, and increased demand. However, the current prices hikes for customers of Southern California Gas, SDG&E, and ultimately, Sempra Energy, may be completely unjustified and should command the attention of energy regulators. SDG&E has claimed that it is unlawful for them to make a profit on natural gas sales to…

Why are my natural gas bills so high?

January 8, 2023 Public Watchdogs Leave a comment

QUESTION: Why are Compressed Natural Gas Prices SO high? ANSWER: The utility companies claim: elongated cold weather spell brought with the rain CNG reserves low due to national temperature spikes Short commodity purchasing period QUESTION: What can consumers do to decrease their bills? ANSWER: Consumers can: Turn down the thermostat Put on a sweater Fill any leaks that allow cold air to come inside…

PG&E’s Dirty Diablo Canyon Deal will spike your Utility Bill by 3%

December 30, 2022March 6, 2023 Public Watchdogs Leave a comment

MEDIA ADVISORY Friday, December 30, 2022 Click here for text of Senate Bill 846 San Diego, Calif. (December 30, 2022) – At the behest of Governor Newsom, the California legislature has voted to bail out Pacific Gas and Electric’s (PG&E’s) failing Diablo Canyon nuclear plant at your expense. The bailout will increase every ratepayer’s bill by 3%. The move will crush the competition…

Comments of Nina Babiarz’ testimony to the California Coastal Commission on the possibility of Diablo Canyon nuke waste storage at SONGS

October 17, 2022October 17, 2022 Public Watchdogs 1 Comment

The Coastal Commission’s strangely-worded “Restrictions” on nuclear waste could have created a legal loophole that would have allowed San Onofre to accept nuclear waste from other nuclear power plants! NINA BABIARZ’ PUBLIC COMMENTS at the 10-13-2022 CA COASTAL COMMISSION MEETING My name is Nina Babiarz, a founding Board Member with Public Watchdogs and a member of Congressman Levin’s San Onofre Task Force for approximately 3 years. …

Coastal Commission amends SONG nuke waste storage terms after hearing from Public Watchdogs’ public advocates

October 16, 2022November 14, 2022 Public Watchdogs Leave a comment

In early October of 2022, Public Watchdogs’ Director of Development noticed something peculiar about what should have been a very straight-forwarded licensing deal with Southern California Edison, the majority owners of the failed San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). What Nina noticed, buried deep within all the bureaucratic double-talk in the Commission Agenda, was a clause that would have given Edison permission to bury waste from…

MEDIA ALERT: Does the Coastal Commission intend to store Diablo Canyon’s nuclear waste at San Onofre?

October 11, 2022October 18, 2022 Public Watchdogs Leave a comment

Will Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) get a Coastal Commission amendment to send its nuclear waste to Southern California? After the year 2025, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) will run out of storage space for its deadly nuclear waste. This questionable proposed amendment by the California Coastal Commission staff was tacked on signals a direct connection to the last vote of the last legislative session of…

Mexican quake causes four foot waves in California desert

October 4, 2022October 4, 2022 Public Watchdogs Leave a comment

The recent September 19th earthquake in Mexico measured 7.6 on the Richter magnitude scale. The earthquake was so powerful that it not only rocked Mexico’s West Coast, it also created four foot high waves in Death Valley. The waves (get video) occurred in a geothermal pool inside a massive limestone cave in Devil’s Hole Nevada, just a few miles from the California border. The cave, which…

Public Watchdogs Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

September 7, 2022September 7, 2022 Public Watchdogs Leave a comment

FOIA REQUEST: Under the Freedom of Information Act, please provide a copy of all referenced attachments and meeting notes contained within the NRC’s recent response to FOIA 2022–000142 previously submitted by Mr. Paul Blanch (see the original Blanch FOIA request at this NRC page: https://bit.ly/3TO5Swu ). A fee waiver and expedited processing are requested. Details: Please provide copies of all calendar attachments and notes for The…

These Leaders Deserve Your Vote of Thanks

September 1, 2022September 2, 2022 Public Watchdogs Leave a comment

Your utility bills are going to increase because of a reckless vote cast by your elected officials to keep Diablo Canyon open. Last night your representatives under cloak of darkness, in a secret midnight vote, opted to put their political aspirations above the public safety. How? By voting to keep the dangerously decrepit Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant open for business past its prime. Even if…

Letter in opposition to keeping Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant open

August 19, 2022August 24, 2022 Public Watchdogs Leave a comment

Today, the LA Times published this letter from Public Watchdogs’ Board Member and Director of Development, Nina Babiarz. Photo: Tracy Adams, Wikimedia While it’s somewhat surprising that Newsom would hang his political aspirations on the coattails of PG&E, which just emerged from a criminal probation during which it pleaded guilty to 85 counts of manslaughter, at least he’s revealing his true colors. It’s also…