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SACRAMENTO – California’s gasoline demand declined 1.3 percent in July when average prices were $3.82 per gallon, according to fuel tax data released by Betty T. Yee, First District member of the California State Board of Equalization (BOE) reported Tuesday.
Diesel consumption declined 2.5 percent in July when diesel prices averaged $3.92 per gallon.
“Gas price volatility continues to affect families’ consumption habits,” said Yee.
BOE’s fuel tax report showed Californians consumed 1.23 billion gallons of gasoline in July, a 1.3 percent decrease from the 1.25 billion during the same month last year.
In California, average gasoline prices were down 2 cents to $3.82 in July, a 0.6 percent decrease compared to the average price of $3.84 per gallon in July 2011 according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Nationally, the EIA reports regular gasoline averaged $3.50 a gallon in July 2012, down 21 cents from a year earlier in July 2011 when the price was $3.71 per gallon.
California’s diesel consumption was 218 million gallons in July, down 6 million gallons or 2.5 percent from a year ago when 223 million gallons of diesel was used in July 2011.
California’s average diesel prices were down 19 cents to $3.92 per gallon in July compared to $4.11 in July 2011.
The EIA diesel retail prices reported the national average price of diesel was down 18 cents, to $3.72 in July from last year in July when diesel was $3.90.
For more information on California fuel statistics reports based on fuel tax receipts paid by distributors in California, visit: www.boe.ca.gov/sptaxprog/spftrpts.htm .
State Taxable Gasoline Gallons Report: www.boe.ca.gov/sptaxprog/reports/MVF_10_Year_Report.pdf .
State Taxable Diesel Gallons Report: www.boe.ca.gov/sptaxprog/reports/Diesel_10_Year_Report.pdf .
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The Woodland Chapter of the California Association of Pest Control Advisers and Organic Fertilizer Association of California will host a daylong seminar on organic production and plant and health nutrition on Friday, Dec. 7.
The seminar will take place from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. at the Elks Lodge, 500 Bush St, Woodland.
Subjects will include IPM, biofertility, mycorrhizal inoculants, alfalfa production, disease control, weed control, cover crops/compost and processing tomato production.
The Yolo County agriculture commissioner will give an update, and there will be information on water quality regulations, role of organic inputs and nitrates, urban IPM and a grower panel discussing organic production.
There also will be exhibits by firms providing products acceptable for organic and sustainable production.
Continuing education units are offered for certified crop advisers (7.0 hours) and licensed pest control advisers (4.5 hours).
Program/registration is available at https://capcaed.com/continuing-ed-seminars/organic-production-healthy-plants/ .
For more information, contact Steven Beckley, 916-539-4107 or
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UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The Mendocino College 15th Annual IPM (Integrated Pest Management) Seminar, addressing such topics as weed control strategies, exotic pests in North Coast vineyards, sudden oak death, and nutrition for trees and vines, is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 16.
The seminar will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Lodge at Blue Lakes, 5135 W. Highway 20.
This year’s seminar is cosponsored by the Lake County Winegrape Commission and Mendocino College.
The enrollment fee for the daylong event is $45 for individuals who register online at http://mendocinocollegeipm2012.eventbrite.com .
Fee for registration by mail or fax is $55. Attendees may earn seven hours of continuing education approved by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR).
Deadline for registration is Nov. 11. Lunch will be provided to preregistered attendees. Walk-ins may be accommodated for the seminar, but lunch will not be guaranteed, according to the sponsors.
For information, contact Paul Zellman, education director for the Lake County Winegrape Commission, by sending an email to
Additionally, information is available from Jim Xerogeanes, director of Agriculture/Natural Resources at Mendocino College, at
Check-in for the class will begin at 7:30 a.m. Presentations will begin at 8 a.m.
Scheduled speakers include John Roncoroni, weed specialist, University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE), Napa County; Kim Gallagher Horton, Biobest, USA; Tom Anderson, DPR; Paul Ryan, DPR Enforcement Branch liaison; Lucia Varela, Ph.D., UCCE, Sonoma; Jack Marshall, California Department of Forestry/CalFire; and Greg Young, soil scientist and vineyard/agricultural consultant.
A panel of growers will give a review of this year’s pest management issues in vineyards and orchards. Broc Zoller, The Pear Doctor, will be joined by Ann Thrupp, sustainability manager for Fetzer & Bonterra Vineyards, and Daniel Robledo, Crop Production Services.
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SAN FRANCISCO – California Attorney General Kamala Harris this week began formally notifying scores of mobile application developers and companies that they are not in compliance with California privacy law.
The companies were given 30 days to conspicuously post a privacy policy within their app that informs users of what personally identifiable information about them is being collected and what will be done with that private information.
Letters will be sent out to up to 100 non-compliant apps at this time, starting with those who have the most popular apps available on mobile platforms.
“Protecting the privacy of online consumers is a serious law enforcement matter,” said Harris. “We have worked hard to ensure that app developers are aware of their legal obligations to respect the privacy of Californians, but it is critical that we take all necessary steps to enforce California’s privacy laws.”
The letters are the first step in taking legal action to enforce the California Online Privacy Protection Act (Simitian), which requires commercial operators of online services, including mobile and social apps, which collect personally identifiable information from Californians to conspicuously post a privacy policy. Privacy policies are an important safeguard for consumers.
Privacy policies promote transparency in how companies collect, use, and share personal information. Companies can face fines of up to $2,500 each time a non-compliant app is downloaded.
This action by Attorney General Harris follows an agreement she forged among the seven leading mobile and social app platforms to improve privacy protections for millions of users around the globe who use apps on their smartphones, tablets, and other electronic devices.
Those platforms – Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft and Research in Motion – agreed to privacy principles designed to bring the industry in line with California law requiring mobile apps that collect personal information to have a privacy policy.
The agreement allows consumers the opportunity to review an app’s privacy policy before they download the app rather than after, and offers consumers a consistent location for an app’s privacy policy on the application-download screen in the platform store.
The California Online Privacy Protection Act is one of the privacy laws that the Privacy Enforcement and Protection Unit is charged with enforcing.
Created in 2012, the Privacy Unit’s mission is to enforce federal and state privacy laws regulating the collection, retention, disclosure, and destruction of private or sensitive information by individuals, organizations, and the government. This includes laws relating to cyber privacy, health privacy, financial privacy, identity theft, government records and data breaches.