Environment

In today's newscast, the California Teachers Association has launched an effort to coordinate collective bargaining across school districts. Plus, Monterey County soil testing has found abnormal levels of heavy metals near the Moss Landing battery plant fire.

In today's newscast, the Pacific Grove city council is in the process of creating district maps and holds its first hearing this week. Plus, initial water testing results from Monterey County after Moss Landing battery fire show safe levels of heavy metal concentrations.

Researchers have found unusually high concentrations of toxic heavy metals in surface soils at Elkhorn Slough Reserve in Moss Landing.

In today's newscast, researchers have found unusually high concentrations of toxic heavy metals in surface soils at Elkhorn Slough in Moss Landing, prompting responses from Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. Plus, a feature from Dylan Music about New York City jazz trio Pickle Mafia's Santa Cruz connection.

In today's newscast: Local officials aim to tighten controls on battery plants after the Moss Landing fire, plus a wildfire mitigation program is moving forward.

The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary began a two-year project, funded by a state grant, that will sample rivers, nearby beaches, ocean water and marine life for microplastics.

Last winter's rain has helped reduce fire risk so far, but a Cal Fire environmental scientist says danger will continue to increase as the hot, dry weather continues.

Hundreds of millions of agricultural pesticides are sprayed on farm fields in California each year. Those pesticides affect the farm workers who labor in the fields and the communities nearby, where exposure is linked to increases in respiratory diseases, headaches, and even developmental disabilities. Most of the residents in those communities are people of color.

An endangered tropical plant known as the corpse flower made a stink this week, as its enormous smelly flower miraculously bloomed after it seemed to die just days earlier.

The number of monarch butterflies at Pacific Grove's monarch sanctuary hit a new low last year: zero. But overwintering sites in California have erupted with monarchs this year. KAZU's Erika Mahoney on the stunning comeback.