A Ninth Circuit panel on Tuesday revived a Trump-era Clean Water Act regulation, finding that U.S. District Judge William Alsup erred when vacating a Trump administration revision of the “Clean Water Act 401 Certification...more
The U.S .Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing tougher standards for fine particle pollution, sometimes known as soot. The proposed regulations announced on Friday would set maximum levels of 9 to 10 micrograms...more
1/9/2023
/ Air Pollution ,
California ,
Carbon Capture and Sequestration ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Conservation ,
Drought ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Levees ,
State and Local Government ,
US Geological Survey ,
Water Management ,
Wildfires
Attorney General Bonta asks plastic bag producers to prove that bags are recyclable - San Francisco Chronicle – November 2 - On Wednesday, Attorney General Rob Bonta sent letters to seven plastic bag producers that supply the...more
California becomes first state to test drinking water for microplastics - San Francisco Chronicle – September 7 - On Wednesday, California became the first state to begin requiring water agencies to test for microplastics,...more
9/13/2022
/ Air Pollution ,
Air Quality Standards ,
Bitcoin Mining ,
Clean Water Act ,
Contamination ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Violations ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Oil Spills
Southland air regulators threaten to sue EPA for failure to control federally-regulated emissions sources Bullet - Los Angeles Times - May 10 - The South Coast Air Quality Management District (District), which oversees a...more
5/16/2022
/ Air Pollution ,
Biden Administration ,
California Coastal Commission ,
CARB ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Clean Air Act ,
Department of Toxic Substances Control ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Fossil Fuel ,
Governor Newsom ,
Oil & Gas ,
Public Comment
California unveils proposed measure to ban new gasoline-fueled cars Bullet The Mercury News - April 13 The California Air Resources Board (CARB) on Wednesday unveiled a far-reaching proposal requiring a ramp-up in sales of...more
Citing drought, U.S. won’t deliver water to California farmers -
Associated Press – February 23 -
With California entering the third year of severe drought, federal officials said Wednesday they won’t deliver water to...more
Bayer bid to end Roundup suits draws U.S. Supreme Court inquiry -
Bloomberg – December 13 -
The U.S. Supreme Court signaled interest in Bayer AG’s bid to stop thousands of lawsuits claiming that its top-selling...more
12/20/2021
/ Air Pollution ,
Bayer ,
Biden Administration ,
Criminal Negligence ,
Environmental Policies ,
New Rules ,
Oil Spills ,
State Regulators ,
Water ,
Water Commissions ,
Water Supplies
EPA outlines $630M plan to curtail Tijuana sewage pollution in San Diego -
Los Angeles Times – November 9 -
Top federal environmental regulators in California on Monday laid out a $630 million plan to capture and...more
EPA rescinds previous administration’s guidance on Clean Water Act permit requirements -
Water & Wastes Digest – September 21 -
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is rescinding its guidance document: “Applying...more
9/24/2021
/ Air Pollution ,
Air Quality Standards ,
Clean Water Act ,
Climate Change ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Governor Newsom ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Hawaii Wildlife Fund v County of Maui ,
Hazardous Waste ,
NPDES ,
Nuclear Power ,
Petroleum
Southern California counties reach most intense drought category -
Los Angeles Times – August 23 -
As drought conditions continue to worsen throughout California, Ventura and other Southern California counties have...more
8/27/2021
/ Air Pollution ,
Air Quality Standards ,
Airports ,
Clean Water Act ,
Drought ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ,
Infrastructure ,
Oil & Gas ,
Water Supplies
Bay Area air quality regulators adopt stringent refinery particulate emissions standard -
Reuters – July 21 -
The governing board of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (District) on Wednesday adopted...more
$4.2 million fine upheld for California homeowner’s blocking of beach access -
The Mercury News – April 6 -
A federal appeals court on Monday upheld a $4.2 million fine against a Malibu homeowner for blocking beach...more
U.S. EPA drops challenge of Redwood City salt ponds' protection under Clean Water Act -
SFGate – February 26 -
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last Friday withdrew an appeal filed by the Trump...more
3/5/2021
/ Air Pollution ,
Biden Administration ,
CARB ,
Clean Water Act ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Nuclear Power ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Waters of the United States
New EPA rule aims to limit tough clean air measures under Biden -
The New York Times – December 9 -
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this Wednesday completed a rule that could weaken federal authority to...more
12/11/2020
/ Air Pollution ,
Bureau of Land Management ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Clean Air Act ,
Clean Water Act ,
Climate Change ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Draft Guidance ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Groundwater ,
Hawaii Wildlife Fund v County of Maui ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pollution Control ,
Regulatory Reform ,
US Fish and Wildlife Service
U.S. Forest Service finalizes rule weakening environmental review of its projects -
Bullet The Hill – November 18 -
The U.S. Forest Service this Wednesday finalized its decision to weaken environmental analysis of...more
11/20/2020
/ Air Pollution ,
Air Quality Standards ,
California Air Resources Board ,
Dams ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Environmental Policies ,
FERC ,
Forest Service ,
Land Developers ,
National Environmental Policies ,
NEPA ,
Renewable Energy ,
State Attorneys General
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service faces suit over removal of endangered species protections for gray wolves -
Bullet The Hill – November 9 -
Last Friday, a coalition of conservation groups filed a notice of intent to sue...more
11/13/2020
/ Air Pollution ,
Bureau of Land Management ,
California Air Resources Board ,
Carbon Capture and Sequestration ,
Climate Change ,
CPUC ,
Endangered Species ,
Energy Efficiency ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Policies ,
Governor Newsom ,
Oil & Gas ,
Power Plants ,
US Fish and Wildlife Service ,
Waste Treatment Facilities ,
Wastewater
Court allows Exide to abandon a toxic site in Vernon. Taxpayers will fund the cleanup -
Bullet Los Angeles Times – October 16 -
Chief Judge Christopher Sontchi of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court District of Delaware ruled...more
10/23/2020
/ Air Pollution ,
CA Supreme Court ,
California Air Resources Board ,
Contaminated Properties ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Jury Verdicts ,
Monsanto ,
Pollution Control ,
Proposition 65 ,
Public Safety ,
Site Remediation ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Warning Labels
President Trump makes agricultural water demands priority for new office -
U.S. News & World Report – October 13 -
President Donald Trump this Tuesday created what he called a “subcabinet” for federal water issues,...more
10/16/2020
/ Air Pollution ,
Board of Supervisors ,
Bureau of Land Management ,
Climate Change ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Executive Orders ,
Oil & Gas ,
Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) Policy ,
Trump Administration
EPA chief challenges California effort to mandate zero emission vehicles in 2035 -
Bullet Reuters – September 28 -
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler on Monday questioned...more
10/2/2020
/ Air Pollution ,
Bureau of Land Management ,
Climate Change ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
FERC ,
Final Rules ,
Governor Newsom ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Oil & Gas ,
Public Land ,
Zero-Emission Vehicles
Air Resources Board mandates big increase in zero-emission trucks -
Bullet Los Angeles Times – June 25 -
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) last week approved the nation’s toughest clean-air mandate on trucks,...more
Bayer to pay more than $10B to resolve lawsuits over Roundup, PCBs, and Dicamba -
Bullet NPR – June 24 -
Bayer will pay more than $10 billion to end tens of thousands of lawsuits filed over its Roundup weedkiller, the...more
6/26/2020
/ Air Pollution ,
Clean Water Act ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Fuel Efficiency ,
Monsanto ,
Navigable Waters Protection Rule ,
Pesticides ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Tribal Lands ,
Trump Administration ,
Water ,
Water Pollution ,
Water Resources Control Board ,
Wetlands
A Note to Our Readers: Although the coronavirus and its many disruptions are dominating the news, we will continue to publish the California Environmental Law and Policy Update so long as there are newsworthy developments in...more
3/27/2020
/ Air Pollution ,
CEQA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Governor Newsom ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
PFAS ,
Public Comment ,
RCRA ,
Real Estate Development ,
Toxic Chemicals
California sues Trump administration to block water rules -
Bullet ABC News – February 20 -
California sued the Trump administration on Thursday to block new rules finalized this week that would let farmers take more...more
2/21/2020
/ Air Pollution ,
Contaminated Properties ,
Drinking Water ,
Endangered Species ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Groundwater ,
Pesticides ,
PFAS ,
Pollution Control ,
Superfund ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Trump Administration
Focus -
White House moves to exempt large infrastructure projects from environmental review -
The New York Times – January 9 -
The White House this Thursday introduced major changes to the 50-year-old National...more