Environmental and Policy Focus -
Federal report recommends gas-storage safety changes -
OC Register -
Oct 18 -
A task force commissioned by the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety...more
10/24/2016
/ Flooding ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
PCBs ,
PHMSA ,
Pipelines ,
Public Safety ,
State Water Boards ,
Toxic Spills ,
Underground Storage Tanks ,
US Army Corps of Engineers ,
Water
Environmental and Policy Focus -
With standards relaxed, water use on the rise throughout California -
Sacramento Bee -
Oct 5 -
Californians continued to backslide on water conservation during the hottest...more
Environmental and Policy Focus -
Lawmakers and Governor Brown claim major victory on climate change bills -
Sacramento Bee - Aug 24 -
California lawmakers on Wednesday advanced a pair of bills to sustain the...more
8/29/2016
/ CA Supreme Court ,
California Air Resources Board ,
California Coastal Commission ,
Climate Change ,
Contamination ,
Desalination ,
Governor Brown ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Inland Waterways ,
Mining ,
Monsanto ,
PCBs ,
Permits ,
Preemption ,
Public Nuisance ,
Rare Earth Metals ,
Standing ,
State Bans ,
Storm Water ,
Suction Dredge Mining ,
Water ,
Water Pollution ,
Water Quality Control Boards
Environmental and Policy Focus -
Most California water agencies choose zero as conservation target
San Jose Mercury News - Aug 17 -
Governor Jerry Brown's administration two months ago dropped all mandatory water...more
8/22/2016
/ Airports ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Clean Air Act ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Jerry Brown ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Solar Farm ,
Trucking Industry ,
Water ,
Water Conservation
Environmental and Policy Focus -
Air Resources Board releases plan to extend cap-and-trade system to 2050 -
Scientific American - Jul 13 -
The California Air Resources Board (“ARB”) this Tuesday released a...more
7/16/2016
/ Air Pollution ,
California Air Resources Board ,
Cap-and-Trade ,
Delta Smelt ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Policies ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Marijuana Cultivation ,
Pollution Control ,
Water ,
Water Usage
Environmental and Policy Focus -
U.S. Supreme Court allows pre-permit challenges to approved jurisdictional determinations -
Allen Matkins - May 31 -
In a major new legal development for the Clean Water Act's...more
6/6/2016
/ Administrative Appeals ,
Administrative Procedure Act ,
Clean Water Act ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Final Judgment ,
Hawkes Co v United States Army Corps of Engineers ,
Hydraulic Fracturing Study ,
Judicial Review ,
Jurisdictional Determination (JD) ,
Land Developers ,
Permits ,
Property Owners ,
SCOTUS ,
Section 404 ,
US Army Corps of Engineers ,
Water ,
Water Quality ,
Water Rights ,
Waters of the United States ,
Wetlands
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 -
Bill would limit communications with California Coastal Commission:
Santa Barbara Independent - Mar 23 -
State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson announced plans to introduce a bill...more
3/28/2016
/ Bureau of Reclamation ,
California Coastal Commission ,
CARB ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Lobbyists ,
Lumber Liquidators ,
Nestle ,
Permits ,
State Contractors ,
Water ,
Water Rights ,
Water Usage
Environmental and Policy Focus -
Community and environmental groups sue South Coast Air District over rules adoption -
Los Angeles Times - Mar 9 -
Community groups and environmentalists filed suit this week...more
3/14/2016
/ Air Quality Standards ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Coal ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Forest Service ,
Groundwater Management Plan ,
High-Speed Rail ,
Land Owners ,
Power Plants ,
SCOTUS ,
Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) ,
US Fish and Wildlife Service ,
Water
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 -
Supreme Court deals blow to President Obama’s efforts to regulate power plant greenhouse gas emissions -
New York Times - Feb 9 -
In a major setback for President Obama’s...more
2/15/2016
/ California Coastal Commission ,
Cattle ,
Clean Power Plan ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
National Parks ,
Order to Stay ,
Power Plants ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Renewable Energy ,
SCOTUS ,
Water
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 - Governor Brown authorizes streamlined groundwater: Allen Matkins - Oct 13:
On Friday, October 9, 2015, Governor Brown signed a suite of bills that has the potential to significantly...more
10/19/2015
/ Air Pollution ,
Air Quality Standards ,
Conservation ,
Diesel Fuel ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Review ,
Forest Service ,
Governor Brown ,
Groundwater ,
Groundwater Management Plan ,
Mass Transit ,
Mining ,
Natural Gas ,
Nestle ,
New Legislation ,
NOAA ,
Permits ,
Ports ,
Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) ,
Volkswagen ,
Water ,
Water Resources Control Board
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 - State Water Contractors accuse California farmers of illegally taking river water: KPCC - Jun 16:
The State Water Contractors, an association of 27 public agencies that purchase water...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: 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 -
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: 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