Environment

A pile of trash is visible between wooden posts, with rows of barbed wire fencing it off in a wooded area. Trash is scattered all over the forest floor, with a row of wooden posts in the background making a makeshift fence.

Water

‘Little death bombs’: Illegal cannabis farms poison California’s forests. Who’s cleaning them up?

Even after legalization, illicit cannabis grows continue to pollute California’s public lands. And the contamination, new research shows, lingers.

By

Rachel Becker

• February 9, 2026

Environment

EPA touts bipartisan efforts to clean up Tijuana River

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin met with local and congressional leaders in San Diego on Thursday to tout the U.S. and Mexico's progress in cleaning up the polluted Tijuana River.

By

Deborah Brennan

• February 9, 2026

Three soccers sit idle as an athlete runs through the middle of an artificial field surrounded by warehouses smog and overlooking a mountain terrain.

Environment

California spends billions based on this pollution tracker. Who benefits from its latest update?

California is updating CalEnviroScreen, the influential pollution tracker that helps determine which communities get environmental grants. Advocates say the state should improve the tool and use it more frequently to cut pollution.

By

Alejandra Reyes-Velarde

• February 6, 2026

An electric car is parked beside a row of Tesla charging stations, with thick black charging cables plugged into multiple white-and-red chargers set along a landscaped curb under leafy trees.

Environment

California’s instant EV rebates would require automakers to match state funds

New budget language lays out how Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to structure a $200 million electric vehicle rebate program, including price caps, automaker matching funds and a focus on first-time buyers.

By

Alejandro Lazo

• February 3, 2026

Water

Trump’s office called 7 governors to D.C. for Colorado River talks. Here’s what California said

A top California water official offers an inside look as the Trump administration referees a Colorado River stalemate.

By

Rachel Becker

• January 31, 2026

A long line of coiled razor wire runs along a fence through a grassy field, stretching toward rolling brown hills and mountains beneath a clear blue sky.

Environment

San Diego sues federal agencies over razor wire fencing on city land

San Diego is suing the federal government for allegedly trespassing on city land near the Mexican border to build razor wire fencing that the city says illegally damaged protected habitat and endangered species areas without notice or approval.

By

Deborah Brennan

• January 28, 2026

A semi-truck drives toward a Waste Management facility entrance marked by a large sign, with rolling green hills in the background under a clear sky.

Environment

Residents of a polluted California town pinned hopes on new state rules. They’re still waiting

A 2015 law required the state Department of Toxic Substances Control to overhaul its permitting process to consider how multiple sources of pollution impacts health. Advocates now say the overdue rules aren’t protective enough.

By

Alejandra Reyes-Velarde

• January 27, 2026

A person plugs a charging cable into an electric car at a public charging station, smiling while standing beside the vehicle as tall buildings and a brick structure rise in the background.

Climate Change

Newsom wants $200M for EV rebates. Experts say it’s not enough to fix California’s slump

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $200 million proposal to revive the state’s EV market would reach only a fraction of buyers, raising fresh questions about who should benefit and whether limited incentives can meaningfully move a slowing market.

By

Alejandro Lazo

• January 23, 2026

Sprinklers spray water across long, evenly spaced rows of young crops in a farm field, with mist drifting through the air in soft light.

Politics

How California lawmakers are trying to speed up spending on voter-approved climate projects

Assemblymember David Alvarez is pushing a proposal to get Prop. 4 dollars out the door faster more than a year after voters approved the state’s biggest climate bond to date.

By

Nadia Lathan

• January 23, 2026

A person stands on a cinderblock wall at dusk, pouring water downward as smoke or ash drifts through the air. Palm trees, rooftops, and silhouetted foliage are visible behind them, all bathed in an orange haze from the smoky sky.

Environment

L.A. wildfires: With no clear cleanup standards, how to test for toxic soil

Ash rained down and smoke blanketed Los Angeles during the 2025 wildfires, leaving behind a toxic legacy in soil and homes. Without a federal or California mandate, nonprofit, academic and local groups offer testing for homeowners.

By

CalMatters Staff

• January 8, 2026