This news just in through Manufacturing.net:
Judge Suspends California Cap-And-Trade Program
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A judge has temporarily halted California's ambitious program to provide financial incentives for the state's largest polluters to cut their greenhouse gas emissions.
San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ernest Goldsmith ruled Friday that the state failed to properly consider alternatives to its so-called cap-and-trade program.
Goldsmith says the failure to consider alternatives violated state environmental law, so the California Air Resources Board must conduct further review before implementing the key piece of AB32, the state's landmark global warming law.
The judge wrote that the board should not have adopted its cap-and-trade plan before completing a more extensive environmental review required by the California Environmental Quality Act.
Therefore, the board cannot certify a document known as the "scoping plan" for AB 32 - which seeks to reduce the state's greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 - until it completes the analysis.
Of course, the astroturf groups are hailing this decision.
"ARB was dogmatic in its focus on cap-and-trade even though it is not effective in reducing greenhouse gases, increases pollution in heavily polluted low-income communities and communities of color," said Bill Gallegos, executive director of Communities for a Better Environment, a plaintiff in the case.
"Now the ARB has a chance to do it right and consider real alternatives to pollution trading," he said.
Here is the only relevant information I can find about Judge Goldsmith.
Ratethecourts.com
This is not good news, of course, but may only be a temporary setback.
A spokesman for the Air Resources Board says it will appeal the ruling.
Updates as I find more news (or please add what you find out in the comments).