Environmental and Policy Focus -
Judge refuses to halt Delta land sale to Metropolitan Water District -
Sacramento Bee - May 1 -
San Joaquin Superior Court Judge Barbara Kronlund last Friday declined to grant a...more
Environmental and Policy Focus -
Marin assemblymember proposes Australian water trading market approach to address drought -
Marin Independent Journal - Feb 29 State Assemblymember Marc Levine, D-Marin County, has...more
3/7/2016
/ Australia ,
Ballot Measures ,
Building Permits ,
CEQA ,
Drought ,
Oil & Gas ,
Oil by Rail ,
Shopping Centers ,
Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Water ,
Water Supplies
Environmental and Policy Focus -
States ask Supreme Court to block Obama carbon emissions plan -
Reuters - Jan 26 -
A group of states led by West Virginia and Texas asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stay...more
2/1/2016
/ Bureau of Land Management ,
California Coastal Commission ,
Center for Biological Diversity ,
CEQA ,
Clean Power Plan ,
Federal Highway Administration ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Methane ,
Mining ,
Motion To Stay ,
Natural Gas ,
Permits ,
SCOTUS ,
Sierra Club ,
Southern California Gas Company ,
State Water Project
Environmental and Policy Focus -
SoCal Gas Co. expects to cap Porter Ranch gas leak ahead of schedule -
CBS Los Angeles - Jan 19 An ongoing natural gas leak that has affected residents in the Porter Ranch-area...more
Environmental and Policy Focus -
State lawmaker seeks to close old SoCal Gas wells in Aliso Canyon -
Los Angeles Business - Jan 12 State Senator Fran Pavley is calling for Southern California Gas Co. to close older...more
1/18/2016
/ Automobile Recall ,
CARB ,
CEQA ,
Clean Air Act Violations ,
Clean Water Act ,
Crops ,
Diesel Fuel ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Food Safety ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
Southern California Gas Company ,
Volkswagen ,
Waste Disposal ,
Wastewater ,
Water ,
Water Quality ,
Water Resources Control Board ,
Water Rights
Environmental and Policy Focus -
California Supreme Court rejects mandatory "reverse CEQA" analysis
Allen Matkins -
Dec 18 - The California Supreme Court issued its long awaited opinion yesterday in California...more
12/22/2015
/ Arctic Drilling ,
Bay Area Air Quality Management District ,
CA Supreme Court ,
California Building Industry Association (CBIA) ,
Carbon Emissions ,
CEQA ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Comcast ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Hazardous Waste ,
MATS ,
Oil & Gas ,
Ports ,
Shell Oil ,
Water Resources Control Board
Environmental and Policy Focus - MWD will try to buy Delta islands for water storage, habitat purposes: Los Angeles Times - Nov 10:
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) board voted on Tuesday to...more
11/16/2015
/ Ballot Measures ,
CEQA ,
City of Los Angeles ,
Coal ,
Keystone XL Pipeline ,
Monsanto ,
Oil & Gas ,
Storm Water ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Water Resources Control Board ,
Water Supplies
Environmental and Policy Focus - United States, China sign landmark climate change declaration at Los Angeles summit: Courthouse News - Sep 15:
U.S. and Chinese leaders on Tuesday signed a landmark declaration on climate...more
9/21/2015
/ Bureau of Reclamation ,
California Endangered Species Act ,
Carbon Emissions ,
CEQA ,
China ,
Climate Change ,
Drought ,
EarthJustice ,
Endangered Species Act (ESA) ,
Farms ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
National Marine Fisheries Service ,
U.S. Navy ,
Water Supplies
Environmental and Policy Focus - Federal judge in South Dakota issues eleventh-hour order blocking implementation of EPA/COE’s new definition of 'waters of the United States': The Hill - Aug 27:
A federal judge in North...more
8/31/2015
/ Barack Obama ,
California Air Resources Board ,
CEQA ,
Clean Water Act ,
Climate Change ,
Drought ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Review ,
Global Warming ,
Petroleum ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
US Army Corps of Engineers ,
Water Supplies ,
Waters of the United States
Environmental and Policy Focus - Extended deadline expected in Obama’s upcoming climate plan: New York Times - Jul 28:
The final version of President Obama’s signature climate change policy, which may be unveiled as...more
8/3/2015
/ Air Quality Standards ,
Barack Obama ,
CEQA ,
Certiorari ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Endangered Species Act (ESA) ,
Golden State Warriors ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
National Parks ,
Rehabilitation and Restoration Plans ,
Salton Sea ,
Sports ,
Storm Water ,
Zoning Laws
Environmental and Policy Focus - California Approves Drought Curb on Sacramento River Flows - Sacramento Bee - Jul 8:
California regulators gave final approval on Tuesday to a controversial drought plan to restrict the...more
7/13/2015
/ CEQA ,
DOGGR ,
Drought ,
Endangered Species ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Fracking ,
New Regulations ,
Nuclear Power ,
Nuclear Regulatory Commission ,
PG&E ,
San Francisco ,
Surface Transportation Board ,
US Army Corps of Engineers
Environmental and Policy Focus - California Senate approves landmark legislation to combat climate change: San Jose Mercury News - Jun 3:
The California Senate on Wednesday approved a sweeping package of climate change...more
Environmental and Policy Focus - California court rules tiered water pricing plan violates Prop 218: Allen Matkins - Apr 21:
California's local water suppliers, hit with reduction requirements varying from 8 percent to...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 - 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 needs 11 trillion gallons of water to recover from the drought: Los Angeles Times - Jan 17:
A series of recent rainstorms helped deposit needed moisture to California,...more
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
12/8/2014
/ Air Pollution ,
Automotive Industry ,
CEQA ,
Clean Air Act ,
Coastal Real Estate ,
Drought ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Hyundai ,
Kia ,
San Diego ,
SCAQMD ,
Water
Environmental and Policy Focus - Groups sue EPA over failure to reduce air pollution: KPCC - Oct 17:
Environmental groups have filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in San Francisco against the U.S. Environmental...more
10/28/2014
/ Air Pollution ,
CEQA ,
Clean Air Act ,
Clean Water Act ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Mitigation ,
Public Comment ,
Public Meetings ,
Real Estate Development ,
Sewer Systems ,
US Army Corps of Engineers ,
Wetlands
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: The California Supreme Court further limits the scope of CEQA review for voter-sponsored initiatives: Allen Matkins - Aug 11:
Voter-driven initiatives meeting California Elections Code...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: 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
Environmental and Policy Focus - New high-speed train route approved despite 'unavoidable' effects in Valley: The Fresno Bee - May 12:
The California High-Speed Rail Authority approved a section of rail line from...more
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