WASHINGTON D.C. (KEYT) – On Thursday, the Trump Administration formally announced the removal of a 2009 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule concluding that greenhouse gas emissions endanger public health.

The rule, also known as the endangerment finding, was the basis of the statutory authority of greenhouse gas emissions standards nationwide and removes current greenhouse gas emissions standards for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles as well as heavy-duty engines.

"Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Administrator of the EPA, in collaboration with the heads of any other relevant agencies, shall submit joint recommendations to the Director of OMB [Office of Management and Budget] on the legality and continuing applicability of the Administrator’s findings, “Endangerment and Cause or Contribute Findings for Greenhouse Gases Under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act,” Final Rule, 74 FR 66496 (December 15, 2009)," stated an executive order signed by President Trump on Jan. 20, 2025.

Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act empowers the EPA to set national emissions standards for new motorized vehicles and engines stating, "The [EPA] Administrator shall by regulation prescribe (and from time to time revise) in accordance with the provisions of this section, standards applicable to the emission of any air pollutant from any class or classes of new motor vehicles or new motor vehicle engines, which in his judgment cause, or contribute to, air pollution which may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare."

In 2007, the Supreme Court ruled in Massachusetts v. EPA that greenhouse gas emissions are air pollutants within the language of the Clean Air Act and in 2012, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld the ruling.

In December of 2009, the Administrator of the EPA certified that concentrations of six greenhouse gases -carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride- threatened public health.

That finding was a prerequisite for implementing national emissions standards for new vehicles beginning in 2010.

"This determination had no basis in fact whatsoever," argued President Trump when announcing the revocation of the finding on Thursday. "On the contrary, over the generations, fossil fuels have saved millions of lives and lifted billions of people out of poverty all over the world."

Thursday's announced changes to national emissions standards comes on the heels of last years actions by the Trump Administration to prevent states such as California to set higher standards.

Section 209 of the Clean Air Act allows states to request a waiver of the federal preemption the federal law created concerning vehicle emissions standards.

Waivers for vehicle emissions standards must be submitted and approved by the EPA before state-specific standards can be enforced.

Last year, California was denied waivers to have higher emissions standards than establishe

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SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) - Santa Maria’s City Rangers presented a report to the Recreation and Parks Commission Tuesday evening at City Hall regarding latest observations in the homelessness population.

The report reveals that addiction to narcotics is one of the most common challenges for homeless individuals.

The latest trends reveal an influx of individuals from Los Angeles, Ventura, and Kern counties living unhoused in the Santa Maria Valley.

Homeless individuals are found in parks, right-of-way areas such as on-and off-ramps, facilities owned by the city, and the Santa Maria Riverbed.

Measurable impacts to the community include vandalism, the closure of park restrooms four days each week, and an increase in shopping cart thefts.

City Rangers say their primary end-game is to connect individuals to assistance resources provided by social services.

There are a total of 16 different local organizations rangers can connect individuals to.

The report shows the most common challenge facing rangers upon approach to unhoused individuals is refusal of assistance.

Rangers say a common reason for refusal is that these individuals don’t trust the organizations providing assistance.

A significant number of camp clean-ups involve the retrieval of illegal narcotics, and rangers say addiction often contributes to an individual’s refusal.

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UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - Michael Henchy has been named as the new Women's Volleyball Head Coach, UC Santa Barbara Athletics Director Kelly Barsky announced Thursday. Henchy joins the Gauchos from the 2024 National Championship winner Penn State University, where he has served as an assistant coach since the spring of 2024.

"I am thrilled and honored to become the next head coach for UCSB women's volleyball," Henchy said. "UC Santa Barbara was integral to my upbringing and has always been a place I felt a part of when I was on campus. To now lead this great program brings me immense pride, and I will strive to build upon the legacy established by Kathy Gregory and the excellence sustained in the years under Nicole Lantagne Welch and Matt Jones. I'd like to thank Kelly Barsky for her time and thoroughness through the interview process. Her values and vision for UCSB athletics set a great tone for what we wish to accomplish as a program. I am excited to meet our players, alumni, and community and begin to pursue championship-level volleyball together. Go Gauchos!"

During his time at Penn State, Henchy helped carry the Nittany Lions to the 2024 National title and a 35-2 season. He worked alongside the 2024 Big Ten Coach of the Year, Katie Schumacher-Cawley, and coached four All-Big Ten first team members, including Freshman of the Year Izzy Starck and unanimous selection Jess Mruzik. Three more Nittany Lions were also recognized with conference awards.

The Nittany Lions maintained a 54-15 record during Henchy's tenure and also reached the NCAA tournament in 2025. Penn State's 2025 award roster featured an All-American, an All-American Honorable Mention, Big Ten Libero of the Year Gillian Grimes, and three additional conference awards. Three players also earned All-East Coast Region honors.

Prior to his time in Pennsylvania, Henchy served as the Associate Head Coach at James Madison University. In 2022, the Dukes became the Sun Belt Conference champions and advanced to the national tournament in both 2022 and 2023. In his three seasons, Henchy helped players earn All-American, All-District, and All-Academic honors.

Henchy first coached women's volleyball at American University, where he acted as an assistant coach. Directly after his arrival, the Eagles became the 2019 Patriot League conference champions and reached the NCAA tournament.

As a graduate assistant coach for men's volleyball at Springfield College, Henchy was named the 2019 AVCA Men's Div. III National Assistant Coach of the Year. During his two seasons there, the Pride was incredibly successful, winning the national championship in 2018 and returning to the tournament in 2019. He graduated from Springfield with a Master's in Physical Education: Advanced Coaching.

Henchy played professionally in Lamia, Greece, for a campaign, after which he returned to his alma mater, Ohio State University, to act as a volunteer coach for the men's team. During his season on staff, the Buckeyes won the 2017 National Championship.

Henchy got his start in collegiate volleyball playing as an outside hitter at Ohio State, where he was a two-year captain and four-year letterwinner. He reached 1,001 career kills to rank 18th overall in the record book. He also resides in the record

GROVER BEACH, Calif. (KEYT) - A group of Grover Beach residents are beginning an effort to try and limit future building heights in the coastal city that is currently experiencing a wave of growth in its downtown area.

This week, the group delivered to the Grover Beach City Council an Notice of Intent to start a petition that could eventually lead to the creation of an initiative measure on this year's November ballot.

According to the documents provided by the residents, the goal is adopt an ordinance that limits building heights and establishes a minimum 33% commercial component in a mixed-use development.

"The purpose of this is to preserve Grover Beach's mystique of being a beach town," said Kelvin Coveduck, a Grover Beach resident who is part of the petition group. "Not that we want to live in the past, but we want to preserve the future for future generations."

The group is aiming limit buildings and structures in Commercial Zoning Districts to three stories and 40 feet in height, as well as limit buildings and structures in Industrial Zoning Districts to 33 feet in height.

"We need to get 1,000 signatures if this is approved," said Coveduck, referring to approval from the City Council. "The Grover Beach City Council has to study it. They have 15 days to do that. They have 10 days to give it to legal counsel and if they let us, as the Grover Beach citizens do our our American right of having initiatives which California is famous for, then the people will decide. The caveat is that they won't be able to change the height limits that we have in our petition unless the voters decide in the future, so it takes it out of the hands of the city council and into the hands of the people."

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