The amendments to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines described in our previous legal alert have been approved by the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) and filed by the Secretary of State. The OAL...more
Following a preparation process that has taken more than five years, amendments to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines are poised to take effect shortly....more
Environmental and Policy Focus: Berkeley Hillside: New Supreme Court decision defines limits of CEQA exemption challenges to development: Allen Matkins - Mar 2:
On March 2, the California Supreme Court issued the...more
3/9/2015
/ Berkeley Hillside v City of Berkeley ,
CA Supreme Court ,
Central Valley ,
CEQA ,
DTSC ,
Environmental Policies ,
Farms ,
Fracking ,
Fracking Bans ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Manufacturers ,
Oil & Gas ,
Substantial Evidence Standard ,
Wastewater ,
Water
Environmental and Policy Focus - President Obama vetoes Keystone XL pipeline, leaving it in limbo: Reuters - Feb 24:
President Barack Obama on Tuesday, as promised, swiftly vetoed a Republican bill approving the...more
3/9/2015
/ Central Valley ,
Environmental Policies ,
Explosions ,
Exxon Mobil ,
High-Speed Rail ,
Keystone XL Pipeline ,
Oil & Gas ,
Plastic Bag Bans ,
Presidential Veto ,
Sacramento Kings ,
Settlement
Environmental and Policy Focus: State Water Board launches investigation into claims of senior water rights - Allen Matkins - Feb 9:
On February 4, 2015, the State Water Resources Control Board issued an order seeking...more
Environmental and Policy Focus - Rail case heading to state Supreme Court: Willits News - Jan 27:
The Supreme Court of California has accepted review of a lower court decision holding that federal law implemented by...more
2/3/2015
/ CEQA ,
Dams ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Energy Projects ,
Environmental Policies ,
Farms ,
Groundwater ,
Monterey Shale ,
Oil & Gas ,
Preemption ,
Railways ,
Surface Transportation Board ,
US Fish and Wildlife Service ,
Well Drilling
Environmental and Policy Focus - California drought-relief bill passes House: SFGate.com - Dec 9:
On December 9, the House approved a bill designed to give state and federal agencies authority to move more water in...more
Environmental and Policy Focus - Heat, drought worsen smog in California, stalling decades of progress: Los Angeles Times - Nov 10:
Heat and extreme drought have worsened smog in California over the last year, stalling...more
11/18/2014
/ Air Pollution ,
Chemical Safety Board ,
DOGGR ,
Drought ,
Eminent Domain ,
Environmental Policies ,
Farms ,
High-Speed Rail ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pesticides ,
Refineries ,
Well Drilling
Environmental and Policy Focus - Coastal California residents using far less water: Associated Press - Nov 4:
Residents in coastal communities use far less water than their inland counterparts, but still find ways to...more
Environmental and Policy Focus - Environmental groups fight Southern California tar sands oil project: Courthouse News Service - Oct 13:
Kern County illegally approved expansion of a local refinery that will let it...more
Environmental and Policy Focus: Federal agency to resume leasing for hydraulic fracturing in California: ABC News - Aug 28:
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management will resume issuing oil and gas leases next year for...more
Environmental and Policy Focus - Governor proposes $6 billion water bond for California: Bloomberg - Aug 6:
California Governor Jerry Brown has called on lawmakers to put a $6 billion “no-frills” bond measure on the...more
Environmental and Policy Focus - Appellate court upholds environmental work for high-speed rail via Pacheco Pass: Fresno Bee - Jul 24 --
State appeals justices on Thursday upheld a lower court's approval of an...more
8/11/2014
/ CEQA ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Environmental Policies ,
Fracking ,
Fracking Bans ,
High-Speed Rail ,
Marijuana ,
Oil & Gas ,
Railways ,
Water
Environmental and Policy Focus: House holds hearing on proposed ‘Waters of the United States’ rule - Association of California Water Agencies - Jul 9:
The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee held a hearing...more
7/14/2014
/ Cap-and-Trade ,
Chemical Safety Board ,
Chevron ,
City of Los Angeles ,
Clean Water Act ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Legislative Committees ,
Water ,
Waters of the United States
Renewable Energy Focus - Supreme Court upholds EPA's power to regulate greenhouse gas: Allen Matkins - Jun 24:
On Monday, June 23, in a long-awaited decision, the U.S. Supreme Court in Utility Air Regulatory Group v....more
7/10/2014
/ Carbon Emissions ,
Clean Air Act ,
Clean Power Plan ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Power Plants ,
Renewable Energy ,
SCOTUS ,
Utility Air Regulatory Group v EPA
Focus:
Supreme Court upholds EPA's power to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from large stationary sources – but scolds EPA for overreaching in its regulatory approach -
Allen Matkins - Jun 24:
On...more
7/3/2014
/ BACT ,
Clean Air Act ,
Climate Change ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Permits ,
Power Plants ,
SCOTUS ,
Title V ,
Utilities Sector ,
Utility Air Regulatory Group v EPA
Environmental and Policy Focus: Long-term money a big boost for California's high-speed rail - Contra Costa Times - Jun 17:
Gov. Jerry Brown scored a win for California's $68 billion high-speed rail project by...more
Environmental and Policy Focus - Kings County lawsuit challenges Fresno-Bakersfield high-speed rail: Fresno Bee - Jun 5:
The Kings County Board of Supervisors, the Farm Bureau, and a group of county residents filed...more
Renewable Energy Focus: The EPA’s new carbon rules could be a major boost to renewable energy - Greentech Media - Jun 2:
The EPA’s new carbon rule could grow renewable capacity by an additional 70 percent in the next...more
6/10/2014
/ Carbon Emissions ,
Electricity ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Projects ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Geothermal Energy ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Hydropower ,
Power Plants ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Renewable Energy ,
Solar Energy ,
Wind Power
Environmental and Policy Focus: U.S. officials cut estimate of recoverable Monterey Shale oil by 96% - Los Angeles Times - May 23:
Federal energy authorities have slashed by 96 percent the estimated amount of...more
5/28/2014
/ California Air Resources Board ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Clean Air Act ,
Diesel Fuel ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Review ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Monterey Shale ,
NRDC ,
Oil & Gas ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Refineries ,
Surface Transportation ,
Trucking Industry ,
Water
Environmental and Policy Focus: Expanding the definition of "waters of the United States" – EPA's proposed new rule -- Allen Matkins - Apr 23:
On April 21, 2014, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)...more
5/19/2014
/ Chromium-6 ,
Clean Water Act ,
Diesel Fuel ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Groundwater ,
Jurisdiction ,
Trucking Industry ,
US Army Corps of Engineers ,
Water ,
Waters of the United States
Environmental and Policy Focus - California drought: plan would reverse aqueduct flow to send water back to farms: San Jose Mercury News - May 8:
Water has flowed from Northern California's snow-capped peaks to the...more
Environmental and Policy Focus - Federal agencies release proposed rule on Clean Water Act jurisdiction: Los Angeles Times - Mar 25 --
On Tuesday, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army...more
Environmental and Policy Focus - DWR must acquire properties before testing tunnel for diversion of water to Southern California -
CourtHouse News - Mar 17:
A California appellate court ruled last week that, before...more
Environmental and Policy Focus -- Court of Appeals upholds determination: Reuters - Mar 14 -
The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday rejected a challenge to a determination by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service...more