A California Superior Court judge ruled last week that Sonoma County must do more to ensure responsible groundwater pumping under the state’s Public Trust Doctrine, which holds that rivers, creeks, and other waterways are...more
8/30/2024
/ California ,
Dams ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Groundwater ,
Landfills ,
Lead ,
Methane ,
Oil & Gas ,
Salmon ,
SCAQMD ,
Water Quality Control Boards
During arguments on Wednesday in the most significant environmental dispute before the U.S. Supreme Court this year, the Court's conservative justices expressed skepticism over the Environmental Protection Agency's efforts to...more
2/26/2024
/ Board of Supervisors ,
California ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Exxon Mobil ,
Farmers ,
Gold ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Mining ,
Pipelines ,
Radioactive Drilling Waste ,
SCOTUS ,
Waste ,
Water
Governor Gavin Newsom signed more than a dozen significant environmental bills over the weekend, including a first-in-the-nation law requiring corporations doing business in California with more than $1 billion a year in...more
10/16/2023
/ Air Quality Standards ,
California ,
Fines ,
Governor Newsom ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
New Legislation ,
Oil Spills ,
PFAS ,
Public Health ,
Public Notice ,
State and Local Government ,
Water Resources Control Board ,
Water Supplies
The Biden administration is restoring significant state and tribal authority over water resources and expanding their leverage on infrastructure permitting decisions, including for pipelines. With a final rule announced this...more
9/21/2023
/ California ,
Clean Water Act ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Endangered Species Act (ESA) ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Gas Leaks ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Kaiser Permanente ,
Oil & Gas ,
State and Local Government ,
Tribal Lands
The Biden administration proposed new regulations this Thursday that, if enacted, would aggressively limit greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. The move stands to force major changes in the energy sector and is likely...more
A Kentucky federal district court judge last Friday denied the state’s request to block the Biden administration’s new regulation redefining federally regulated “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) from taking effect within...more
Bonta announces lawsuit against 3M and DuPont over PFAS contamination Bullet The Hill – November 10 California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Thursday announced a lawsuit against 3M and DuPont, manufacturers of per- and...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
California approves a wave of aggressive new climate measures - Bullet The New York Times – September 1 - California lawmakers passed a flurry of new climate bills on Wednesday, including a record $54 billion in climate...more
California’s top environmental regulator leaving Newsom administration Bullet Associated Press – August 12 Jared Blumenfeld, head of California's Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) and a key climate adviser to Governor...more
EPA health advisory for PFAS compounds spurs lawsuit Bullet E&E News - July 14 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s dramatic new health advisory for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is facing a lawsuit from a...more
Supreme Court restricts EPA's authority to mandate carbon emissions reductions - Associated Press - June 30 - In a blow to the fight against climate change, the Supreme Court on Thursday limited the extent of the U.S....more
7/5/2022
/ California ,
California Air Resources Board ,
Carbon Capture and Sequestration ,
Clean Air Act ,
Clean Power Plan ,
Drinking Water ,
Drought ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Governor Newsom ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Regulatory Authority ,
SCOTUS ,
Water Supplies ,
Wealth Tax ,
West Virginia v EPA
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
Biden administration prioritizes environmental justice funding without mentioning race, hoping to fend off legal challenge - CNN – February 18 - The Biden administration announced today that 40% of federal funds for climate...more
Tightened federal water protections won't slow some projects -
Los Angeles Times – January 14 -
The Biden administration is moving to tighten oversight of projects that benefited from a narrowed interpretation of the...more
Walmart sued for alleged dumping of hazardous waste in California landfills -
Los Angeles Times – December 20 -
A lawsuit filed last Monday in Alameda County Superior Court by the California attorney general and a...more
State Water Project will deliver no water to most communities next year -
The Mercury News – December 1 -
In a stark indicator of California’s worsening drought, Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration announced this...more
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’s power to curb greenhouse gases faces Supreme Court scrutiny -
Courthouse News Service – October 29 -
The Supreme Court announced last Friday that it will hear challenges brought by the states of West Virginia...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
In a first, U.S. declares shortage on Colorado River, forcing water cuts - The New York Times – August 16 - With climate change and long-term drought continuing to take a toll on the Colorado River, the federal Bureau of...more
8/20/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Bureau of Reclamation ,
Clean Water Act ,
Climate Change ,
Coal Industry ,
Department of the Interior ,
Drought ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Hazardous Waste ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pesticides ,
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
Governor Newsom moves to ban hydraulic fracturing by 2024 -
NPR – April 23 -
Governor Gavin Newsom announced plans last Friday to ban hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, by 2024 as part of a longer-term...more
Governor Newsom launches effort to deal with drought; emergencies declared -
Los Angeles Times – April 21 -
Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday declared a drought emergency in Mendocino and Sonoma Counties. The...more
4/23/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Clean Air Act ,
Drought ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Governor Newsom ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Insecticide ,
NASA ,
NHTSA ,
Oil & Gas ,
Paris Agreement ,
Watershed
$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