Last month, the California legislature revived a bill that was shut down last year that would require the disclosure of fracking chemicals. In a compromise with industry, the revived bill (AB 591) includes trade secret protection. Current law requires the owner or operator of a well to file a history of the work
FEDERAL AGENCIES TAKE ACTION ON FRACKING GUIDELINES
At the end of last week, EPA and BLM each released draft requirements relating to fracking. EPA released draft Underground Injection Control (UIC) Class II well permitting guidance for fracking activities that use diesel fuels. BLM released draft rules requiring public disclosure of fracking chemicals used on public and Indian lands.
The EPA guidance applies
Feds Announce Air Pollution Rules for “Fracked” Natural Gas Wells – Delay Implementation
On April 17, the Environmental Protection Agency issued new rules designed to curb the emission of air pollutants from “fracked” natural gas wells. Originally submitted last summer, the new rules will be gradually implemented over the next two to three years and look to curb emissions by 95%. The EPA commented that the need for
California Senate Committee and President Obama Act on Fracking
Last week, the California Senate’s National Resources Committee advanced a bill requiring notice to nearby property owners of planned fracking operations, and President Obama issued an Executive Order setting up an interagency working group to support safe and responsible fracking.
California law requires the operator to file a written notice of intent to commence drilling
Carbon Sequestration Bill Advances in California Legislature
Yesterday the California Senate’s Committee on Environmental Quality unanimously approved SB 1139(Carbon Capture and Storage Act of 2012), which was introduced by Senator Rubio (D – East Bakersfield) earlier this year. SB 1139 would advance carbon capture and storage by closing certain key gaps in California law identified in the California Carbon Capture and
Wyoming Lawsuit May Influence Proposed Hydraulic Fracturing Legislation in California
As I last reported here, regulation of hydraulic fracturing is poised to be a hot topic in California this legislative session. Last session’s AB 591 stalled in the Senate due to outstanding issues over the mandatory reporting of hydraulic fracturing fluid components and confidentiality issues based on trade secret concerns.
The application of a
Kings County Sues To Derail California’s High-Speed Rail Project
Unlike most of California’s Central Valley counties, such as Merced and Fresno, which have consistently supported the High Speed Rail (“HSR”) project, Kings County has been openly opposed to the plan to construct a high speed rail through its fertile farmland. That opposition reached a flashpoint yesterday as Kings County, and two Kings County
DOGGR Supervisor, Elena Miller, Has Been Removed
After intense lobbying from Central Valley legislators and the oil and gas exploration and production industry, on November 3, 2011, Governor Jerry Brown removed Elena Miller as Supervisor of the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) within the Department of Conservation. Appointed in 2009, Miller’s tenure as the DOGGR Supervisor has been plagued
Proposed California Legislation To Regulate Hydraulic Fracturing Stalls In State Senate With A New Hydraulic Fracturing Bill Poised for Introduction In 2012
Falling victim to a Legislature pre-occupied with massive budget deficit issues and last minute wrangling over the Governor’s corporate tax package on out-of-state companies, AB 591, California’s legislative foray into the charged arena of hydraulic fracturing regulation, stalled in the State Senate’s Appropriations Committee. In its current form, the bill embodied a fairly comprehensive
Attorney Mike Mills to Speak on Property Tax Issues at CalCIMA Education Conference
Together with Peter Finie of Vulcan Materials Company, I will be making a very informative presentation on California property taxes at the upcoming California Construction and Industrial Materials Association’s (CalCIMA) 2011 Education Conference in Monterey. Our presentation, “Are Your Taxes Too High?,” will examine a number of property tax issues from an operator’s perspective