Environmental and Policy Focus -
Federal Plan divvies up California desert for conservation and energy projects -
ABC News - Sep 14 -
Swaths of public land in the California desert will be opened to solar and...more
9/19/2016
/ Cap-and-Trade ,
Clean Energy ,
Environmental Policies ,
Gas Leaks ,
Jerry Brown ,
Natural Resources ,
Oil & Gas ,
Porter Ranch ,
Renewable Energy ,
SCAQMD ,
Solar Energy ,
Southern California Gas Company ,
Wind Farm
Environmental and Policy Focus -
Governor Brown signs into law two landmark climate bills -
San Francisco Chronicle - Sep 8 -
Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday signed SB32, the nation’s toughest climate law,...more
9/12/2016
/ Bureau of Land Management ,
CARB ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Department of Toxic Substances Control ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Drought ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Global Warming ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Hazardous Waste ,
Highways ,
Hydraulic Fracturing Study ,
Jerry Brown ,
New Legislation ,
Oil & Gas ,
Water Conservation
Environmental and Policy Focus -
In California's climate debate, state lawmakers push for more authority -
Los Angeles Times - Aug 11 -
Over the last two weeks, a bipartisan group of assembly members have...more
8/15/2016
/ Beach Access ,
California Coastal Commission ,
Cap-and-Trade ,
CARB ,
Conditional Use Permit ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Gas Leaks ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Housing Developers ,
Landfills ,
Oil & Gas ,
Public Use ,
Sierra Club
Environmental and Policy Focus -
BNSF to appeal ruling blocking California rail yard -
Wall Street Journal -
Aug 2 -
BNSF Railway Co. and the Port of Los Angeles on Tuesday appealed a court ruling against...more
Environmental and Policy Focus -
State Supreme Court rules in state’s favor on Delta property rights -
Sacramento Bee - Jul 21 -
The California Supreme Court ruled last Thursday that the state has the right to...more
8/1/2016
/ Air Pollution ,
Aircraft ,
CA Supreme Court ,
CERCLA ,
Clean Air Act ,
Contaminated Properties ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Hazardous Substances ,
ICAO ,
International Litigation ,
Mineral Extraction ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pollution Control ,
Right of Entry ,
Southern California Gas Company ,
Tribal Lands
Environmental and Policy Focus -
South Coast AQMD plan would fight smog mainly through incentives, not rules -
Los Angeles Times - Jun 30 -
The South Coast Air Quality Management District's draft Air Quality...more
7/11/2016
/ Air Quality Standards ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Coal Industry ,
Dams ,
Department of the Interior ,
Federal Land ,
New Regulations ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pending Legislation ,
Resource Extraction ,
Royalties ,
Salmon
Environmental and Policy Focus -
Judge invalidates long-fought Delta management plan
Sacramento Bee -
Jun 24 -
In a decision that could delay or complicate Governor Jerry Brown’s plan to build two huge...more
7/5/2016
/ Carbon Emissions ,
Coal ,
Dams ,
Environmental Policies ,
Exporters ,
False Advertising ,
Farms ,
Fraud ,
Groundwater ,
National Marine Fisheries Service ,
Oil & Gas ,
Volkswagen ,
Water Management ,
Water Resources Control Board ,
Zero-Emission Vehicles ,
Zoning Laws
Environmental and Policy Focus -
PG&E to close Diablo Canyon, California's last nuclear power plant -
Los Angeles Times - Jun 21 -
Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E) announced on Tuesday that it plans to close...more
6/27/2016
/ Air Pollution ,
Bureau of Land Management ,
Crude Oil ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Fracking ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Groundwater ,
Nuclear Power ,
Nuclear Regulatory Commission ,
Oil & Gas ,
Oil Spills ,
PG&E ,
Pipelines ,
Power Plants ,
Public Land ,
Public Utilities Commission ,
Recycling ,
Trader Joes ,
Water Supplies
Environmental and Policy Focus -
Supreme Court rejects new challenge to EPA’s air pollution rule -
The Hill - Jun 13 -
The Supreme Court on Monday declined to consider a third request from a group of states to...more
6/20/2016
/ Air Pollution ,
Cap-and-Trade ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Coal-Fired Plants ,
Endangered Species ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Health and Safety ,
MATS ,
Mercury ,
Oil & Gas ,
Power Plants ,
SCOTUS ,
Water Pollution ,
Water Supplies
Environmental and Policy Focus -
Proceeds from cap-and-trade auction fall far short of targets -
Los Angeles Times - May 25 -
The latest auction in California’s cap-and-trade market for greenhouse gases fell...more
6/1/2016
/ Cap-and-Trade ,
Carbon Auctions ,
CEQA ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Fracking ,
Fracking Bans ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Housing Developers ,
Oil & Gas ,
Oil Spills ,
Pipelines ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
Environmental and Policy Focus -
In sharp reversal, California suspends mandatory water restrictions -
New York Times - May 18 -
The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) on Wednesday suspended its...more
5/23/2016
/ Affordable Housing ,
California Coastal Commission ,
CPUC ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Ex Parte ,
Ex-Parte Communications ,
Indictments ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
Oil Spills ,
Pipelines ,
Safety Violations ,
State Water Boards ,
Water ,
Water Conservation
Environmental and Policy Focus -
Some emergency drought rules might be eased -
Los Angeles Times - May 9 -
Governor Jerry Brown and the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) on Monday laid out a revised...more
Environmental and Policy Focus -
Three Michigan state and local officials face first criminal charges in Flint water crisis -
The Guardian - Apr 20 -
Three state and local officials involved in Flint’s water...more
Environmental and Policy Focus -
Federal and state officials sign Klamath River dam removal deal -
San Jose Mercury News - Apr 7 -
The governors of California and Oregon and several other state, federal, power,...more
4/11/2016
/ Air Pollution ,
Dams ,
Electricity ,
Environmental Policies ,
Exxon Mobil ,
Hydropower ,
Oil & Gas ,
Oil Spills ,
Porter Ranch ,
Refineries ,
Storm Water ,
Water ,
Water Conservation
Environmental and Policy Focus -
Justices suggest support for landowners in wetlands case -
Bloomberg - Mar 30 -
U.S. Supreme Court justices across the ideological spectrum signaled in oral argument this week...more
4/4/2016
/ Air Quality Standards ,
Clean Water Act ,
Cleanup Doctrine ,
Environmental Review ,
Farms ,
Groundwater ,
Hawkes Co v United States Army Corps of Engineers ,
Land Owners ,
Oil & Gas ,
SCOTUS ,
Water Resources Control Board ,
Wetlands
Environmental and Policy Focus -
State Water Project allocation increased to 45 percent -
Western Farm Press - Mar 17 -
This year’s “miracle March” boosted water supply conditions well enough in California for...more
3/21/2016
/ Air Pollution ,
CARB ,
Department of Water Resources ,
Endangered Species ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Offshore Drilling ,
Oil & Gas ,
SCAQMD ,
Sea Levels ,
State Water Project ,
Water Supplies ,
Waterfront Properties
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 -
State Water Project deliveries to cities and farms increased
SFGate -
Feb 24 With a bit more snow in the Sierra than in years past, California officials on Wednesday boosted the...more
2/29/2016
/ Air Quality Standards ,
Coastal Real Estate ,
Department of Water Resources ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Violations ,
Farms ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
Public Access Laws ,
SCAQMD ,
Storage Tanks ,
Toxic Spills ,
Wastewater
Environmental and Policy Focus -
Proposed ballot initiative would shift funding from high speed rail to new water projects -
Los Angeles Times - Feb 15 -
The state’s powerful agriculture industry and its...more
2/22/2016
/ Agricultural Land ,
Barack Obama ,
Environmental Policies ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
High-Speed Rail ,
Land Preservation ,
Oil & Gas ,
Oil by Rail ,
State Budgets ,
US Army Corps of Engineers ,
Water Conservation ,
Water Quality Control Boards
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: San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board amends regional MS4 permit to provide alternate compliance: Allen Matkin - Nov 19:
On Wednesday afternoon, the San Diego Regional Water...more
11/23/2015
/ Barack Obama ,
Drought ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
GMO ,
Governor Brown ,
Lead ,
NPDES ,
Oil & Gas ,
Permits ,
Salmon ,
Water Quality Control Boards
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 - CalPERS set to divest from thermal-coal companies: Los Angeles Times - Oct 18:
The California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) Investment Committee will have a new task at...more
10/26/2015
/ Air Pollution ,
Bay Area Air Quality Management District ,
CalPERS ,
Chemical Spills ,
Coal Industry ,
Divestment ,
Energy Policy ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Governor Brown ,
New Legislation ,
Nuclear Waste ,
Oil & Gas ,
Refineries ,
Shell Oil ,
Underground Injection Wells ,
Wastewater
Environmental and Policy Focus - Royal Dutch Shell suspends Arctic drilling indefinitely: Washington Post - Sep 28:
Royal Dutch Shell announced early on September 28, 2015 that it will indefinitely suspend its Arctic...more
10/5/2015
/ American Petroleum Institute ,
Arctic Drilling ,
CARB ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Comment Period ,
Diesel Fuel ,
Dormant Commerce Clause ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Kamala Harris ,
National Emissions Standards ,
Oil & Gas ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Proposition 65 ,
Public Health ,
Refineries ,
Repairs ,
Shell Oil ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Volkswagen