California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) wants water wasters to pay: On Tuesday, he announced new legislation that would bump up the maximum penalty for squandering water from $500 to $10,000 a day.
"There's a lot to be done," he said. "We've done a lot. We have a long way to go." Under the measure, the higher penalties would only be used in "egregious" cases, explained Felicia Marcus, chairwoman of the state water board. Brown is also proposing an initiative that would streamline environmental reviews for some water supply projects, the Los Angeles Times reports. "We think they're reasonable," Brown said of the regulations. "We think they're enforceable."
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