A complaint was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Arkansas against ExxonMobil Pipeline Company, LLC and Mobil Pipe Line Company (collectively, “Exxon”) addressing the 2013 release of oil from the...more
California employers who require employees to pass through a security checkpoint or swipe a security badge before exiting their worksites but after clocking out could potentially face significant liability for violating...more
Most U.S. cities would have to replace lead water pipes within 10 years under strict new rules proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the Biden administration moves to reduce lead in drinking water and...more
Until President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving during the Civil War, thanksgiving holidays were a matter of state and local concern. California mentions Thanksgiving Day in 18 separate statutes,...more
The Biden administration on Wednesday proposed strengthening requirements for the removal of lead-based paint dust in homes and child care facilities built before 1978. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates...more
On July 10, 2023, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 147 (SB147) into law, amending California’s “fully protected species” statutes. These laws were enacted in 1970 and currently protect 37 species native to California,...more
With torrential rains drenching California, state water regulators have endorsed a plan to divert floodwaters from the San Joaquin River to replenish groundwater that has been depleted by heavy agricultural pumping during...more
Developers aim to add 29.1 GW of solar generating capacity to the U.S. grid in 2023, accounting for 54% of planned new capacity for the year, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) announced Monday....more
The President of the United States awarded pardons to individuals who were convicted of federal offenses involving simple marijuana possession on October 6, 2022. Convictions under state and local law are not covered by the...more
In a notable decision interpreting the California Endangered Species Act (CESA), a California court of appeal ruled that insects are eligible for listing as threatened, endangered, or candidate species under the act. See...more
Limited water supply, restrictions on use, and higher costs may be in store for next year if the state’s drought conditions persist. This year has been critically dry and hot for California, resulting in déjà vu as the...more
California Department of Fish and Wildlife Announces Annual Adjustments - The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has announced an increase in filing fees for all California Environmental Quality Act...more
On July 12, 2021, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 141 (AB-141), which creates the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC). The DCC will consolidate the three state cannabis programs – the Bureau of...more
On December 3, 2020, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and other agencies (collectively, “Agencies”) announced an update to the standard Bank...more
California Department of Fish and Wildlife Annual Adjustments - The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced an increase in filing fees for all California Environmental Quality Act Notices of Determination...more
In a widely watched case, the Sacramento Superior Court court ruled that insects are not eligible for listing under the California Endangered Species Act. Almond Alliance of California v. California Department of Fish and...more
The Sacramento Superior Court upheld a challenge to a decision by the California Fish and Game Commission to designate four subspecies of bumble bees as candidates for protection under the California Endangered Species Act...more
Designation Impacts Local Ordinances and Developments Involving the Tree - Of particular significance to desert communities, the California Fish and Game Commission designated the western Joshua tree as a “candidate”...more
A unanimous Washington State Supreme Court recently upheld the Spokane River instream flow rule, WAC 173-557-050, in the face of a challenge brought by environmental and recreation groups. The challengers argued that the...more
The Sixth Appellate District, in Willow Glen Trestle Conservancy v. San Jose (2020) 49 Cal.App.5th 127, held that seeking a new Streambed Alteration Agreement (“SAA”) from the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (“CDFW”)...more
After a public agency approves a project, the agency’s actions to implement the project—in this case, applying for and accepting a streambed alteration agreement from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife—are not...more
Effective Jan. 1, filing fees imposed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will increase for all CEQA Notices of Determination. The CDFW is required to adjust the fees annually....more
In the latest decision in the long-running legal saga over the proposed Newhall Ranch development in Los Angeles County, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld the Army Corps of Engineers’ EIS and Section 404...more
On August 20, 2018, Governor Murphy issued Executive Order No. 34 grossly limiting the hunting of black bears in the State. “The Commissioner shall take all necessary and appropriate actions within the Commissioner’s...more