Environmental groups filed a complaint today in Alameda County Superior Court against the California Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) alleging that DOGGR violated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) by issuing permits for oil and gas wells that allowed hydraulic fracturing activities without sufficient environmental review. The complaint alleges that there are several environmental and public health impacts associated with fracking that DOGGR fails to consider in its CEQA analyses for oil and gas well permits. The complaint also alleges that DOGGR improperly excludes new oil and gas well permits from CEQA based on categorical exemptions for minor alternations to land or existing facilities.
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Robin Seifried
Inglewood Oil Field Fracking Study Finds No Harm
By Robin Seifried on
Posted in Oil and Gas
A study released Wednesday on the impacts of hydraulic fracturing at the Inglewood Oil Field found that fracking would not harm the environment. The study focused on the approximately 1,000-acre Inglewood Oil Field in the Baldwin Hills of Los Angeles County. Fracking has occurred in the area since about 2003. The study showed that there…
San Benito County Moves Toward Fracking Moratorium in Advance of DOGGR Regulations
By Robin Seifried on
Posted in Oil and Gas
The San Benito County Board of Supervisors asked its County Counsel to draft a moratorium on fracking for its October 15 meeting and asked staff to develop a timeline for revising its oil ordinance to address fracking. The County Board acted in response to a petition with 500 signatures collected by a local group, Aromas Cares For Our Environment, based on speculation that seismic equipment in the area was for oil or natural gas exploration.
Continue Reading San Benito County Moves Toward Fracking Moratorium in Advance of DOGGR Regulations
Environmental Group Serves Notice of Intent to Sue BLM re Fracking in California
By Robin Seifried on
Posted in Oil and Gas
On August 29, the Center for Biological Diversity served the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) with notice of intent to sue for BLM’s failure to reinitiate consultation under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) relating to oil and gas leases and drilling permits issued in California. The notice alleges that BLM has continued to authorize fracking activities in California based on outdated biological opinions that fail to evaluate the impact of new fracking techniques on listed species. If BLM does not reinitiate ESA consultation and “halt ongoing oil and gas leasing and drilling activities” with 60 days of the notice, the Center indicates it will file a citizen suit under the ESA.
Continue Reading Environmental Group Serves Notice of Intent to Sue BLM re Fracking in California
State Senate Postpones Vote on Bill to Ban Fracking
By Robin Seifried on
Posted in Energy, Oil and Gas
After the California Senate Appropriations Committee cancelled an August 13 hearing on AB 972 (see August 8 post), the Committee moved the bill to the suspense file to take up again this Thursday, August 16. The bill would place a moratorium on fracking in the state until the Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal…
Senate Appropriations Committee Cancels Hearing on Fracking Moratorium
By Robin Seifried on
Posted in Oil and Gas
An August 13 hearing on the bill that would have imposed a moratorium on fracking (AB 972) in the California Senate Appropriations Committee was cancelled Monday at the request of the bill’s author, Assemblywoman Betsy Butler. Stay tuned for more on Butler’s reasons for requesting the cancellation.