The final rule on the National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) was announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on April 10, 2024. This Update summarizes...more
For the first time and after much anticipation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for key “forever chemicals.” The proposed rule would establish near-zero...more
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 205 into law on June 30, 2022. This legislative effort significantly expands the California Energy Commission (CEC)’s jurisdiction and encourages the development of new clean energy projects....more
7/18/2022
/ California ,
California Energy Commission ,
Capital Investments ,
CEQA ,
Clean Energy ,
Energy Storage ,
Governor Newsom ,
Infrastructure ,
Solar Energy ,
Transmission Lines ,
Wind Power
A California Court of Appeal held that the EIR for a public water authority’s river diversion and water storage project adequately described the unadjudicated waters to be diverted and adequately analyzed impacts to water...more
A California Court of Appeal held that CEQA’s issue exhaustion requirement did not preclude a challenge to Inyo County’s exemption determinations for condemnation proceedings and expanded operation of unlined landfills...more
11/22/2021
/ Administrative Remedies ,
Appeals ,
California ,
CEQA ,
Condemnation ,
Construction Project ,
Exemptions ,
Landfills ,
Local Ordinance ,
Notice of Intent ,
State and Local Government
Governor Gavin Newsom signed a $15 billion legislative package on September 23, 2021, funding efforts to combat climate change in California over the next three years. It is the largest climate investment package in the...more
9/30/2021
/ California ,
Climate Change ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Governor Newsom ,
Legislative Agendas ,
New Legislation ,
Offshore Wind ,
Public Utilities Commission ,
Renewable Energy ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
Zero-Emission Vehicles
A California Court of Appeal held that longstanding use of a landowner’s property for access and parking by residents of the adjacent lot had established a prescriptive easement. Husain v. California Pacific Bank, 61...more
The U.S. Senate passed the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021 by a nearly unanimous vote in its first significant legislative step towards fulfilling the water infrastructure goals of the Biden...more
The Ninth Circuit vacated U.S. Department of the Interior approvals for a proposed offshore oil drilling and production facility in Alaska after finding its EIS improperly failed to consider impacts associated with foreign...more
1/29/2021
/ Alaska ,
BOEM ,
Environmental Assessments ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) ,
Mitigation ,
NEPA ,
Offshore Drilling ,
Prior Authorization ,
US Fish and Wildlife Service
A California Court of Appeal invalidated a wastewater discharge permit issued by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board that the court found impermissibly delegated to the Board’s executive officer the...more
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on June 17, 2020, issued its Decision Adopting Short-Term Actions to Accelerate Microgrid Deployment and Related Resiliency Solutions in California. This decision represents a...more
A California Court of Appeal upheld denial of a petition by vintners challenging the prohibition on new vineyards within the Santa Monica Mountains Coastal Zone in deference to the California Coastal Commission’s finding that...more