SB 4 did not place a moratorium on the use of hydraulic fracturing or other well stimulation treatments. SB 4 specifically states that so long as an operator complies with the notification and documentation requirements added to the Public Resources Code, the Division of Oil, Gas & Geothermal Resources (“DOGGR”) shall allow well stimulation activities
Department of Conservation
Governor Brown’s Promised SB 4 Amendments: Proposals Should Appease Environmental Critics by Closing Potential CEQA Loopholes
By Mike Mills on
In his SB 4 signing message (see September 20, 2013 post), Governor Brown promised certain “clarifying” amendments for SB 4, and his administration has begun the process of seeking those amendments.
Governor Brown’s proposed legislation would amend SB 4 in three major categories:
Permanent Regulations
- DOGGR’s deadline for draft permanent regulations will be
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Changing Leadership at DOGGR: Potential Impacts on the Most Productive County for Oil and Gas Operations in California
By Mike Mills on
Posted in Oil and Gas
A new deputy district supervisor for District 4 of the Department of Oil, Gas & Geothermal Resources (“DOGGR”) will take the helm on May 1 of this year. Dan Wermiel – a geologist and previously DOGGR’s technical program manager – will head the Bakersfield district office in Kern County.
As with all new leadership changes…
Get Ready: SB 4 Compliance Begins Next Month!
By Mike Mills on
Posted in Oil and Gas
Today, the Division of Oil, Gas, & Geothermal Resources (“DOGGR”) released a Notice to Operators (the “Notice”), clarifying that some notification aspects of SB 4 will require compliance as early as the beginning of December 2013. SB 4 requires the creation and implementation of numerous new regulatory programs and mandates. One new mandate is a surface…
Department of Conservation Deputy Director Jason Marshall Will Speak at Seminar on What To Expect from SB 4
By Mike Mills on
Posted in Oil and Gas
On December 11, 2013, Stoel Rives and BSK Associates will host a complimentary breakfast seminar in Bakersfield, CA to share observations and strategies for complying with SB 4. Breakfast will begin at 7:30 a.m., with the program beginning at 8:00 a.m.
The office of Jason Marshall, Deputy Director of the Department of Conservation, has confirmed…
DOGGR Supervisor, Elena Miller, Has Been Removed
By Mike Mills on
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…