Environmental and Policy Focus - Volkswagen says 11 million cars may be involved in emissions scandal; probes multiply: Reuters - Sep 23:
Volkswagen AG said a scandal over falsified U.S. vehicle emission tests could...more
9/28/2015
/ Air Pollution ,
CARB ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Clean Air Act Violations ,
Conservation ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Diesel Fuel ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Oil & Gas ,
Recycling ,
Rehabilitation and Restoration Plans ,
US Fish and Wildlife Service ,
Volkswagen ,
Wastewater ,
Water Supplies
Environmental and Policy Focus: Clean Water Act rule faces challenges from both sides - Courthouse News Service - Aug 18:
A widely publicized new rule clarifying the definition of ’waters of the United States’ under the...more
8/24/2015
/ Clean Water Act ,
Contaminated Properties ,
Contamination ,
Eminent Domain ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Fracking ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Lead ,
Marijuana Cultivation ,
Methane ,
National Emissions Standards ,
NRDC ,
Obama Administration ,
Oil & Gas ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Remediation ,
Warning Labels ,
Waters of the United States
Environmental and Policy Focus - BP pays record $18.7 billion to settle claims in Gulf oil spill Bloomberg - Jul 2:
BP Plc reached a record $18.7 billion agreement to settle all federal and state claims from the 2010...more
7/3/2015
/ BP ,
Clean Air Act ,
Clean Water Act ,
Coal ,
Deepwater Horizon ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Gulf Oil Spill ,
MATS ,
Michigan v. EPA ,
Oil & Gas ,
Power Plants ,
SCOTUS ,
Settlement ,
Sierra Club
Environmental and Policy Focus - Most water rights holders facing cuts miss state compliance deadline: Los Angeles Times - Jun 22:
The majority of California growers, irrigation districts, and others who have been...more
Environmental and Policy Focus: Offshore oil drilling banned along new stretch of California coast - San Jose Mercury News - Jun 10:
In the largest expansion of national marine sanctuaries in California in 23 years, the...more
Environmental and Policy Focus - Crews struggle to clean up oil spill near Santa Barbara: KQED - May 21:
Crews will begin excavating the 24-inch pipeline that ruptured Tuesday, unleashing a flow of crude oil that has...more
Environmental and Policy Focus - House votes to block EPA, Army Corps of Engineers' proposed definition of "waters of the United States": Visalia Times-Delta - May 12:
House Republicans on Tuesday voted to block...more
Environmental and Policy Focus:Governor Brown issues executive order requiring statewide mandatory water restrictions - Allen Matkins - Apr 3:
Responding to severely depleted water supplies and a record low snowpack at...more
4/6/2015
/ Air Pollution ,
China ,
Contamination ,
Dow Chemical ,
Drought ,
Emergency Response ,
Executive Orders ,
Jerry Brown ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
Power Plants ,
Shell Oil ,
Water ,
Water Conservation
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: California lawmakers introduce sweeping new measures to increase renewable energy, cut fossil fuel use - San Jose Mercury News - Feb 10:
Last Tuesday, California lawmakers unveiled a...more
2/24/2015
/ Airports ,
Aviation Industry ,
Clean Energy ,
Clean Water Act ,
Disney ,
Drought ,
Electricity ,
Endangered Species Act (ESA) ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Oil & Gas ,
Power Plants ,
Renewable Energy ,
US Fish and Wildlife Service ,
Water ,
Water Supplies
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: State court may tighten review process for building super-sized homes - SFGate.com - Dec 8:
In a case that could redefine the scope of California’s environmental laws, the state Supreme...more
12/16/2014
/ Air Pollution ,
Building Permits ,
Building Standards ,
Construction Industry ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
San Diego ,
Single Family Housing ,
Water
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 - 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 - Obama to designate portion of San Gabriel Mountains a national monument: Los Angeles Times - Oct 8:
President Obama plans to announce Friday that he will set aside roughly half of the...more
Environmental and Policy Focus - California becomes first state to ban plastic bags: SFGate.com - Sep 30:
Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill Tuesday that makes California the first state in the nation to ban single-use...more
10/6/2014
/ Endangered Species Act (ESA) ,
Energy Projects ,
Grocery Stores ,
New Legislation ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pharmacies ,
Plastic Bag Bans ,
Public Disclosure ,
Redevelopment ,
Retailers ,
State and Local Government ,
Trains ,
Wind Farm
Environmental and Policy Focus: California acts to manage statewide groundwater issues: Allen Matkins - Sep 19:
Faced with record drought and depleted groundwater supplies statewide, the California Legislature has...more
9/29/2014
/ Beachfront Properties ,
Clean Energy ,
Energy Projects ,
Groundwater ,
New Legislation ,
Oil & Gas ,
Power Plants ,
Renewable Energy ,
Right of Access ,
Trains ,
Wastewater ,
Water Supplies
Environmental and Policy Focus: House GOP bill would speed up environmental reviews: KPCC - Sep 9:
As negotiations over compromise drought legislation flounder in Congress, House Republicans are pursuing an alternative...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: U.S. EPA settles case over destruction of rare Central Valley wetlands: EPA - Aug 14:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Justice today announced a...more
8/27/2014
/ Clean Water Act ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Department of the Interior ,
Endangered Species Act (ESA) ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
National Park Service ,
Oil & Gas ,
Redevelopment ,
Settlement ,
Water ,
Water Supplies ,
Wetlands
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 - Richmond approves massive Chevron refinery project with $90 million in community benefits: Contra Costa Times - Jul 30:
Chevron's five year-plus quest to initiate a $1 billion upgrade...more
8/6/2014
/ Caltrans ,
Chevron ,
Desalination ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Fracking ,
Fracking Bans ,
Highways ,
Infrastructure ,
Municipal Bonds ,
Oil & Gas ,
Refineries ,
Trade Associations ,
Waste Treatment Facilities ,
Water ,
Well Drilling
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