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
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.
Save the Date: Join us for a Webinar on the Proposition 65 Trap
Save the Date for a webinar presented by Melissa Jones designed to help you avoid getting caught in the Proposition 65 trap. The webinar will cover significant regulatory and enforcement issues associated with Prop 65, including litigation, product testing, recent trends, and practical advice for compliance.
Check back soon for more information and registration.
U.S. Department of Interior Moves to Streamline Solar Development in the West
On July 24, 2012, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced that it will publish the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (“Solar PEIS”) for solar energy development in six southwestern states—Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The Solar PEIS is a major step ahead in the permitting of utility-scale solar energy
Report Highlights Weaknesses in EPA’s Fracking Study
The American Petroleum Institute (API) and America’s Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA) recently issued a report from Battelle Memorial Institute pointing out the weaknesses in U.S. EPA’s proposed study of hydraulic fracturing operations. For example: “Congress requested a study ‘relying on best available science and independent sources of information.’ It appears questionable, because of its genesis
California Senate Committee Advances Bill for Fracking Moratorium Pending Further Regulation
The Senate Committee on Environmental Quality on July 3rd advanced a bill (AB 972) that would prohibit the State Oil and Gas Supervisor from approving the drilling of a fracking well until the Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) adopts fracking regulations. Existing law requires a well operator to obtain approval
Prop 65: OEHHA Issues Sulfur Dioxide Guidance
As you may recall, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) added sulfur dioxide as a chemical known to cause reproductive toxicity to the Proposition 65 list of chemicals on June 29, 2011. Today, the OEHHA issued two important notices regarding sulfur dioxide. Continue Reading Prop 65: OEHHA Issues Sulfur Dioxide Guidance
D.C. Circuit Upholds EPA Greenhouse Gas Rules
Yesterday, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision in Coalition for Responsible Regulation v. EPA, upholding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s approach to the regulation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions against claims from a variety of interests. The opinion addressed challenges to three EPA rulemakings: (1) the agency’s “Endangerment Finding,” where it
House Democrats Seek Tighter Regulation of Fracking on Federal Lands and BLM Extends its Comment Period
Describing the proposed BLM rule for fracking as “a good first step,” a group of 38 Democrats in the House of Representatives called for disclosure of fracking chemicals before drilling. The proposed regulations require disclosure of fracking chemicals only after the operation is complete. In a letter to the Department of the Interior, the lawmakers
South Coast AQMD and Los Angeles Consider Fracking Restrictions
In Los Angeles this Wednesday, three City Council members introduced a resolution urging the Governor and California regulators to impose a moratorium on fracking until the state determines that the practice does not endanger public health, the water supply or the environment. The concern arises in part because California, unlike some other oil-producing states, does