P.G., MONTEREY TALK MERGER… The Pacific Grove City Council was expected to approve a merger of the P.G. and Monterey fire departments Oct. 1, past the Weekly’s deadline. If approved, the merger will cut costs for both cities. It’s also a step toward a regional fire department: Unionized Carmel-by-the-Sea firefighters are hoping that Carmel will eventually opt in. [KA]

CHALK FIRE THREATENS HOMES… Another wildland fire blazes through Los Padres National Forest. As of Oct. 1, the Chalk Fire had burned 3,760 acres, threatening 12 structures, according to the U.S. Forest Service. It started about 7:30pm near Chalk Peak, 22 miles southwest of King City. Public safety officials continue to investigate the cause of the fire, which, at press time, was 13 percent contained. USFS officials say the fire has potential to move “extremely quickly and erratically.” For up-to-date information about the fire, evacuations and road closures, visit www.inciweb.org/incident/1551/. [JL]

STATE GIVES UP ON MOTH SPRAY… The California Department of Food and Agriculture has dropped its appeals of court decisions halting the aerial spraying of light brown apple moth pheromones over populated California counties, including Monterey and Santa Cruz. The move finalizes separate court victories last spring by Helping Our Peninsula’s Environment, a Monterey Bay-area nonprofit, and the county and city of Santa Cruz, which had sued over the aerial spraying. The state canceled its future spray plans in June. [KA]

TO NOVEMBER AND BEYOND… In August, we reported on Carmel resident and former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency official Jason K. Burnett, who resigned from his post at the EPA before blowing the whistle on the Bush administration’s refusal to protect the public and regulate greenhouse gases. Last week, Burnett was back in Washington, D.C. last week, testifying at another Senate environment committee hearing, where he discussed how the Clean Air Act and new legislation may be used to regulate CO2 emissions. Burnett’s testimony will be used to help prepare a report for the new administration “to make sure that the next President and the new Congress have all the tools and information they need to start addressing the challenge of global warming from day one,” says Sen. Barbara Boxer. [JL]