The California Office of Environmental Health and Hazard Assessment (“OEHHA”) recently released its long anticipated Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposing changes to the warning requirements under Proposition 65’s (“Prop 65”) implementing regulations. In summary, the proposed regulations would establish a new mandatory regulation regarding the responsibility of product manufacturers and others in the distribution chain
California
Report Recommends Update of USEPA UIC Program Citing Hydraulic Fracturing Concerns
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) released a report yesterday, July 28, 2014, that presents a need for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“USEPA”) to update the Underground Injection Control class II program (“UIC Program”). Under the UIC Program, the USEPA oversees and regulates groundwater affected by wells associated with oil and gas production.
Carson, California Bans All New Oil & Gas Drilling Activity – Takes LA’s Hydraulic Fracturing Ban to the Next Level
The City Council of Carson, California has unanimously (by 5-0 vote) approved a moratorium on all new oil and gas drilling within its city limits. The moratorium is set to last 45 days for now, and the City Council will consider a one-year ban on any new drilling after those 45 days are up.
The reasoning…
Upcoming Seminar: California Land Use Law & Policy Conference
Stoel Rives is a proud sponsor of California Land Use Law & Policy Conference, featuring partner Kristen Castaños, who will speak on “A View to the Future—Anticipated Legislation and Regulation Impacting Land Use.” Stay up to date on renewable energy permitting, SB 375 and “fracking” regulation under SB 4, among many other topics.
Potential Legal Challenges Likely to California’s New Fracking Law
California Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 4 on Friday, September 20, 2013, establishing a permitting system for fracking of oil and gas wells. (See September 23, 2013 post.) The state, through the Department of Conservation, Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (“DOGGR”), will be developing regulations to implement SB 4’s requirements. Despite its recent…
Stoel Rives Publishes Primer on the Basics of California’s Cap and Trade Program
California’s Cap and Trade Program is now a reality. Businesses needs answers to questions arising from this complex program. Now that the State of California has held its first auction of carbon allowances under the Program and the initial compliance period of 2013-2014 is now underway, Stoel attorneys Michael Mills, Tom Henry and Allison…
California Issues 2012 Bioenergy Action Plan
The California Bioenergy Interagency Working Group has released its 2012 Bioenergy Action Plan, with the goal of facilitating the development of bioenergy in California on a variety of levels, including research and development support, streamlining and consolidating permitting, facilitating access to transmission, pipelines, and other distribution networks, and policies and laws to monetize the…
High-Speed Rail Authority Applies for Additional Federal Funds to Extend Starter Segment in Central Valley
Late last week, the California High-Speed Rail Authority (“Authority”) approved the submission of an additional funding application to the Federal Railroad Administration (“FRA”) that would, if approved, extend the “starter” segment of the High-Speed Rail Project (“HSR”) north to Merced and south to downtown Bakersfield, making the segment fully operational after construction. The first segment…