Focus
Ninth Circuit blocks permits for hydraulic fracturing off California coast
Los Angeles Times - June 3
The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals last Friday blocked hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, off the California coast, ruling that the federal government must complete a full and adequate environmental review before approving permits for fracking of wells on offshore oil drilling platforms. The decision stems from a 2016 lawsuit brought by the state, the California Coastal Commission, and environmental groups alleging that “federal agencies violated environmental laws when they authorized unconventional oil drilling methods on offshore platforms in the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf off the coast of California,” according to court records.
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News
State imposes sweeping ban on pumping river water in San Joaquin Valley, Bay Area
Times-Herald – June 8
Cities and growers in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta watershed have been ordered to stop pumping from rivers and streams following sweeping water curtailments announced by the State Water Resources Control Board. The order affects areas from Fresno to the Oregon state line. The cutbacks, effective on June 8, may also impact public water systems, including those of the cities of Lodi and Vallejo, and San Francisco’s regional water system. California’s water rights system operates on the basis of seniority — those with the oldest claims are typically the last to be cut back. But even those with rights in the San Joaquin watershed that date back to 1900, before California enacted its water rights law, are expected to be hit with the curtailment orders.
Environmental groups sue EPA over California, New Hampshire smog
The Hill – June 7
Two environmental organizations this Tuesday filed a lawsuit in the federal district court for the Northern District of California, alleging that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has failed to act on smog levels exceeding the 2008 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, and the Sacramento region, as well as in New Hampshire. The lawsuit alleges that, in 2017, EPA published a final rule identifying states that had not submitted adequate implementation plans for NAAQS attainment in these regions - thereby triggering a March 2019 deadline for EPA to put federal implementation plans into effect for these areas – and that EPA missed the deadline.
Court ruling finds fault with Kern County’s oil permitting process
The Bakersfield Californian – June 7
A ruling Tuesday by Kern County Superior Court Judge Gregory Pulskamp in a high-stakes lawsuit over local oil permitting found that Kern County had not fully complied with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) with respect to deficiencies in an environmental impact report, including air pollution mitigation and the document’s “statement of overriding consideration.” The outcome of the case will determine whether oil companies can go to the county and pay fees in exchange for permits, as they did before the court’s intervention, or whether each individual permit request calls for a separate environmental assessment.
Civil grand jury report warns that S.F.’s biggest development project ignores huge climate change risk: rising contamination
San Francisco Chronicle – June 1
A new San Francisco civil grand jury report warns that groundwater could carry dangerous buried substances to the surface as the water table rises at the site of the city’s biggest redevelopment project at the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, which was contaminated decades ago with heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, and radioactive substances. According to the grand jury report, the U.S. Navy-managed cleanup of the 638-acre federal Superfund site does not properly account for sea level rise and the City of San Francisco is unprepared for the resulting environmental and health risks.
Coastal communities using reef balls to combat rising sea levels
Spectrum News – June 10
After years of planning, the installation of the South Bay Native Oyster Living Shoreline Project is underway, adjacent to the Chula Vista Wildlife Refuge near San Diego. As part of the project, the Port of San Diego has placed 360 reef balls--which are comprised of cement, sand, and oyster shells--in the bay, hoping they will stabilize shorelines, stop erosion, and attract more wildlife. Researchers are studying how oysters can be used to stabilize shorelines in place of the traditional hard armoring such as rip rap revetment and sea walls. Oysters act as a natural filter, not only storing carbon but also cleaning the water. Similar projects are already underway in San Francisco, Tampa, and New York City.
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