At its January 20, 2021 Board meeting, the State Water Resources Control Board (“SWRCB” or “Board”) adopted its final General Waste Discharge Requirements (“WDRs”) for Winery Process Water (“Winery Order”) and associated...more
2/1/2021
/ California ,
Clean Water Act ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Groundwater ,
Paris Agreement ,
Water ,
Water Quality ,
Water Resources Control Board ,
Wine & Alcohol ,
Wineries
This is a continuing series of posts on the latest environmental and legal developments affecting oil and gas operations and development and other industries in Los Angeles and adjacent counties, as well as the southern San...more
On November 30, 2020, State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) staff released a preliminary staff draft of the Statewide Construction Stormwater General Permit (Preliminary Draft General Permit). In...more
On April 29, 2019, the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released a Draft Supplement Environmental Impact Statement (Draft SEIS) analyzing potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing for future oil &...more
On June 28, 2017, the Senate introduced a bill that aims to revitalize and overhaul various federal energy and natural resources policies. Senate Bill 1460 (S.1460), sponsored by Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Arkansas) and...more
This is the first update on environmental regulatory and legal developments in Los Angeles and adjacent counties, as well as the Southern San Joaquin l Valley. Let us know what you think. Your comments on this Update will...more
On October 8, the National Wildlife Federation (“NWF”) fulfilled its promise to sue the U.S. Department of Transportation (“DOT”). The lawsuit alleges that for 20 years the DOT has allowed pipelines to operate illegally by...more
10/20/2015
/ Clean Water Act ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Energy Projects ,
Environmental Policies ,
Executive Orders ,
National Wildlife Foundation ,
Navigable Waters ,
Offshore Drilling ,
Oil & Gas ,
PHMSA ,
Pipelines
Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) announced a new goal to cut methane emissions from the oil and gas industry. The EPA’s goal is to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 40-45% from 2012...more
SB-1281 was amended in the Assembly Committee on Appropriations on August 4, 2014. A scheduled hearing on August 6 was postponed and held on suspense under Joint Rule 62(a). As of this writing, a hearing has not yet been...more
On Wednesday, July 9, 2014, the State Water Resources Control Board (“Water Board”) announced that it will be holding a “Stakeholder Meeting to Develop Groundwater Monitoring Model Criteria for Oil & Gas Areas.” The meeting...more
This past Tuesday, May 20, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to approve a permanent moratorium on oil and gas exploration and development. Santa Cruz becomes the first county in the state of...more
This past Tuesday, the Carson City Council voted against a local moratorium on new oil and gas activity within its city limits. Last month, Carson passed a 45-day ban on all oil and gas operations, as reported in our March...more
The Los Angeles City Council voted to ban well stimulation treatments within city limits by a unanimous vote in February, and is in the process of drafting ordinances to put that decision into effect. Carson, California has...more
Senator Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) and other supporters of SB 1132 cleared their first major hurdle in their renewed effort to place a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing and other forms of well stimulation treatment in...more
In his SB 4 signing message (see September 20, 2013 post), Governor Brown promised certain “clarifying” amendments for SB 4, and his administration has begun the process of seeking those amendments....more
The Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) announced that starting on March 1, 2014, oil and gas operators performing offshore hydraulic fracturing operations must maintain an inventory of chemicals used to formulate frac...more
After a five-day comment period over the Christmas and New Year's Day holidays, the Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources' ("DOGGR") emergency regulations are final and now in effect. The revisions, while few, are...more
Today the California Assembly passed a controversial bill regulating hydraulic fracturing, SB 4. The bill has been criticized by both industry groups and environmental organizations. Industry argues that the bill is...more
At a conference in Los Angeles at the end of July, the chair of the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), Felicia Marcus, noted that the Department of Conservation’s Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources...more
8/9/2013
/ DOGGR ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Environmental Liability ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Fracking ,
Fracking Bans ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pollution Control ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Shale Gas ,
State Water Project ,
Water