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Thursday, January 22-January 28, 2026
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County supervisor renews call for state to pay for soil testing in fire zones
At World Economic Forum, Newsom touts clean car sales, slams 'federal chaos' By Joe Taglieri
By Joe Taglieri
joet@beaconmedianews.com
joet@beaconmedianews.com
D
uring his visit to this year's World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, Gov. Gavin Newsom emphasized California's stability "amid federal chaos" as he announced a benchmark in electric vehicle sales. According to the governor's office, California has surpassed 2.5 million cumulative new sales of zero-emission vehicles, or ZEVs — far exceeding the state’s goal of 1.5 million ZEVs by 2025. "California didn’t reach 2.5 million zero-emission vehicles by accident — we invested in this future when others said it was impossible," Newsom said in a statement. "While Washington now cedes the global clean vehicle market to China, California is ensuring American workers and manufacturers can compete and win in the industries that will define this century." Officials said the sales milestone is the result of decades of California pioneering the clean-car market, leading to a solid foundation that continues to drive electric-vehicle sales and the world's fourth-largest
Soil testing. | Photo courtesy of Supervisor Kathryn Barger's office
F A fleet of ZEVs at the Air Force facility in El Segundo. | Photo courtesy of Sarah Corrice/U.S. Air Force
economy, "despite the Trump administration’s efforts to derail our clean transportation future." Since the end of 2019, cumulative new ZEV sales in California have increased more than 300%, driven by effective clean transportation policy and various ZEV incentives, according to Newsom's office. California stands as the nation's undisputed leader in emission-free transportation, proving that consumer
demand for electric vehicles remains strong despite federal headwinds. “No state in the union can match California’s fiveyear growth in ZEV sales,” California Energy Commissioner Nancy Skinner said in a statement. “This serves as a reminder of how far we’ve come thanks to historic levels of state investment and Californians’ strong demand See ZEVs Page 09
for clean cars. Each quarter, even in the face of increasing federal headwinds, tens of thousands of consumers are purchasing a ZEV in the Golden State, enjoying a great driving experience, and knowing they never have to go to a gas station again.” Officials noted the state’s commitment to establishing a robust network of ZEV infrastructure.
ollowing a Los Angeles Times report Friday the revealed California officials considered making LA County pay for post-wildfire soil testing, Supervisor Kathryn Barger reiterated the importance of state funding as the county experiences severe financial stress. The Times reported that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s disaster chief quietly retired in late December amid criticism over the state’s indecision over whether soil testing was necessary to protect survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires. In October, the Governor's Office of Emergency Services See Soil testing Page 16
— under the leadership of Nancy Ward — privately considered canceling state funding for soil testing in the aftermath of future wildfires, according to an internal draft memo obtained by the Times. "The notion that the State could simply reimburse Los Angeles County for conducting soil testing and remediation in the Eaton fire area was never a feasible option," Barger said in the newspaper article and again in a subsequent statement Friday afternoon. "While that approach may have been discussed internally, it fails to reflect the serious fiscal constraints our County is facing."