Geology
300: Physical Geology
Geology
301: Physical Geology Lab
Geology
305: Earth Science
Geology
306: Earth Science Lab
Instructor: Arthur Reed
June 2017 Earth Sciences topics/events making news…
...with emphasis on California news
Remember the principles of the scientific method when evaluating
news stories!
·
(link to 2018 news articles)
·
(link to 2016
news articles)
·
(link to 2015
news articles)
·
(link to 2014
news articles)
·
(link to 2013
news articles)
·
(link to 2012
news articles)
·
(link to 2011
news articles)
·
(link to 2010
news articles)
·
(link to 2009
& older news articles)
DIVISION OF OIL,
GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Venoco is
bankrupt and Platform Holly platform’s on its way out the door, along
with the platform’s 30 ocean floor wells in the South Ellwood oil
field—and so far, the California State Lands Commission doesn’t
know who will pay to end the operation.
Santa Maria Sun,
5-31-17
Seventh Gov’t Study Says Fracking
Isn’t A Threat To Groundwater
A
government agency has contradicted claims made by environmentalists for
the seventh time and found hydraulic fracturing doesn’t pose a grave
threat to drinking water.
The Daily
Caller, 6-2-17
Investors bet Trump climate withdrawal to
boost US drilling
The price of oil
has fallen sharply as investors bet that President Donald Trump's decision to
pull the United States out of the Paris climate agreement will increase the
country's oil and gas production.
Associated
Press, 6-2-17
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
3.2 earthquake breaks near Ocotillo Wells
A magnitude 3.2
earthquake broke 18 miles southeast of Ocotillo Wells at 8:19 a.m. on Thursday
— the latest in a series of small earthquakes that have occurred in and
around San Diego County’s desert areas.
San Diego Union
Tribune, 6-1-17
Caltrans: Plan to deal with Big Sur
landslide still weeks away
Caltrans now says it will be several weeks before a plan is finalized to
fix the massive landslide on Highway 1 in Big Sur.
KSBY-TV (San Luis Obispo), 6-1-17
Why is it a given state will reopen
California 1?
This may sound a
tad blasphemous but why reopen Highway 1 through the Big Sur Wilderness where a
mudslide earlier this month added 13 acres to California?
Manteca Bulletin
column, 6-2-17
DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
Efforts grow to preserve farmland across
the West
BOISE —
Ada County farmer Glen Edwards is in the middle of the battle to stem the loss
of farmland in southwestern Idaho. He understands and supports the need to keep
high-quality farmland in production.
Capital Press,
6-1-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
California business, political leaders
blast Trump for pulling out of climate agreement
Environmentalists,
political leaders and business groups in California and across the country
slammed President Trump’s announcement Thursday that the U.S. will
withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, aimed at boosting renewable energy
and reducing heat-trapping pollution from fossil fuels.
Bay Area News
Group, 6-1-17
Gov. Jerry Brown, America's unofficial
climate change ambassador in the Trump era, heads to China
When Gov.
Jerry Brown flew across the Pacific four years ago to meet with leaders and
business executives in China, the world seemed much different.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-1-17
With Democrats divided, Assembly rejects a
plan to extend California's cap-and-trade program
An effort to
extend the life of California's landmark climate change program failed in the
last hour of a long Assembly session on Thursday, a sign of how the program's
fate has divided Democratic lawmakers.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-1-17
What Will Happen to California After
Trump’s Exit From Paris Accord?
As President
Trump announced the U.S. would leave the Paris climate accord,
California’s political leaders quickly declared that the state would step
up on the international stage.
KQED (San
Francisco television), 6-1-17
Jerry Brown rips Trump’s Paris
climate pullout as ‘insane’ and ‘deviant’
California Gov. Jerry Brown savaged President Donald Trump’s
decision Thursday to vacate the Paris climate accord as “insane”
and “deviant” as he joined with like-minded governors to form
alliance to uphold the agreement and pursue immediate action on climate change.
Sacramento Bee, 6-1-17
DIVISION OF LAND
RESOURCE PROTECTION
Approval of Larner Winery in Ballard Canyon
Upheld Over Neighbors’ Objections
Winemaker Michael Larner won a seven-year battle with his Ballard Canyon
Road neighbors to build a tasting room and winery on his property when the
Santa Barbara County Planning Commission on Wednesday voted unanimously to
deny the neighbors’ appeal of his project.
Santa Barbara Noozhawk, 5-31-17
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Garcetti Determined to Bring Earthquake
Warning System to Fruition
Mayor Eric
Garcetti expressed confidence last week that an early earthquake warning system
for the West Coast will come to fruition, despite President Donald
Trump’s proposal to cut federal funding for the project.
Los Angeles City
News Service, 6-1-17
San Diego's Rose Canyon fault more
dangerous than once believed
San
Diego’s Rose Canyon fault produces powerful earthquakes more frequently
than once believed, but a major temblor isn’t imminent, according to
researchers from San Diego State University.
San Diego Union
Tribune, 6-1-17
Deep in a South African gold mine,
scientists drill for the heart of an earthquake
It’s no easy feat to drill into the faults that cause earthquakes.
Intercepting such active ruptures, which are buried kilometers beneath the
surface, requires specialized equipment, skilled crews, and a lot of money and
time. There are no shortcuts. Well, maybe there’s one: an express
elevator in a South African gold mine that runs 3 kilometers straight into
Earth.
Science, 5-31-17
Small earthquake near the Big Bend of the
San Andreas Fault
Last night, at
9:14 p.m. local time, a M=3.5 earthquake struck just north of the San Andreas
Fault in Southern California. The quake’s epicenter was 5 km north of
Frazier Park and near Tejon Pass on Interstate-5.
Temblor.com,
5-30-17
Big Sur coast has grown 13 acres from new
landslide
The historic
three-dimensional images of our sudden growth spurt — an exhilarating
event for a state used to watching its edges erode — is part of a project
led by U.S. Geological Survey research geologist Jonathan Warrick, based in
Santa Cruz.
Bay Area News
Group, 6-1-17
DIVISION OF OIL,
GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Bill to delay gas injections at Aliso
Canyon stalls
A bill that would
prevent new natural gas injections into SoCal Gas' Aliso Canyon storage
facility has stalled in the California senate after failing to receive enough
votes.
Argus Media,
5-31-17
Study of earthquake risk needed at Aliso
Canyon
There’s a bigger question at the Aliso Canyon gas storage field
than the cause of the massive methane leak: What’s the risk of movement
on the Santa Susana earthquake fault that intersects all the wells in the
subsurface? Technical reports on this hazard are available at: geologicmapsfoundation.org/publications.html.
Los Angeles Newspaper Group (letter from the director of Geologic Maps
Foundation, Inc.), 5-31-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
If Trump withdraws from the Paris
agreement, let's hope the world survives
This is one
campaign promise that President Trump should have let slide.
According to news reports, Trump is on the verge of announcing that yes,
he will withdraw the United States from the 2015 Paris climate agreement among
nearly 200 nations.
Los Angeles
Times editorial, 5-31-17
Brown: ‘The rest of the world is
against’ Trump
California Gov.
Jerry Brown, one of the nation’s foremost proponents of efforts to
address climate change, on Wednesday called President Donald Trump’s
planned withdrawal from the Paris climate accord “outrageous,”
while predicting the effect of the move will be short-lived.
Politico,
5-31-17
Is Jerry Brown taking Trump’s place
on world climate stage?
Three months before Donald Trump launched his improbable presidential
campaign, one in which he dismissed climate change as a “hoax” and
a “very, very expensive form of tax,” Gov. Jerry Brown was touting
California’s collaborations with China on air pollution, clean energy and
low-carbon development.
Sacramento Bee,
6-1-17
As Trump fiddles on climate, the world goes
Californian
As the Paris climate agreement now joins the litany of great American
things that President Donald Trump has debased, there is this silver lining: More
of the world is starting to think like Californians.
Sacramento Bee
editorial, 5-31-17
Americans know the climate is changing. Do
they care?
Scientists
overwhelmingly agree that the climate is changing and getting warmer, and that
humans are contributing. Americans overwhelmingly agree with the scientists,
according to public opinion polls.
CNN, 6-1-17
California governor looks abroad for
climate changes allies
Looking for
allies in the fight against climate change, California Gov. Jerry Brown heads
to China this week in a push to build foreign support for carbon-cutting
efforts that have found resistance in Washington.
Associated
Press, 5-31-17
Jerry Brown says states should act if Trump
quits climate deal
Gov. Jerry Brown
on Wednesday called on states to forge an alliance to support the Paris climate
deal following reports that President Trump plans to withdraw the United States
from the landmark international accord.
San Francisco
Chronicle, 5-31-17
California Lawmakers Move Towards New
Renewable Energy Goals
Democrats in
California’s Senate doubled down on the state’s commitment to
reducing dependence on fossil fuels, painting their move in contrast to Donald
Trump’s potential withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Climate
Accord.
KQED (San
Francisco television), 6/1/17
A Guide To Global Warming, Paris Pact And
The Us Role
If President Donald
Trump pulls the United States out of the international agreement to reduce
carbon dioxide emissions, what could that mean for the rapidly heating Earth?
Associated
Press, 5-31-17
WATER
Jerry Brown sends a message to water
agencies on the Delta tunnels – and it’s direct
-- Jerry Brown
took an Old English turn from his Latin wisdom in 2012 by declaring: “I
want to get s--- done,” a reference to his vision for building two
tunnels 30 miles long to move Sacramento River water south from the Delta to
the rest of the state.
Sacramento Bee
column, 6-1-17
DIVISION OF OIL,
GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Minor gas leak from Aliso Canyon oil well
stopped Saturday
A minor natural gas leak seeping from an oil well for 11 days inside the
Aliso Canyon gas field near Porter Ranch has been stopped, state oil and gas
regulators and SoCalGas reported Saturday.
Los Angeles Newspaper Group, 6-3-17
A New Gas Leak Has Been Discovered At The
Aliso Canyon Gas Field
Two new gas leaks
have been discovered in Aliso Canyon, a year-and-a-half after a 2015 blowout
sent over 100,000 tons of methane and ethane into the San Fernando Valley's
air.
LAist.com,
6-2-17
LA City Councilman Englander wants Aliso
Canyon to close after two new leaks
Two new gas leaks were plugged in Aliso Canyon this weekend. SoCal Gas
says the leaks were minor — and not its fault.
KPCC/Southern California Public Radio, 6-4-17
Will impromptu ecosystems thriving on the
legs of Southern California oil rigs be spared?
Several miles off the Southern California coast, deep below the
ocean’s surface, schools of fish dart in and out of spectacular reefs
— glowing brilliant green, red and pink.
Los Angeles Newspaper Group, 6-3-17
Another Fracking Time Bomb Lurks Beneath
U.S.
You've heard
about the earthquakes, the controversial claims of flammable tap water,
the potential contamination of streams, lakes and drinking water aquifers, but the
system that's supposed to pay for these calamities may itself be
a pending disaster.
Forbes, 6-5-17
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
From elevators to trains, earthquake early
warning system grows as Trump threatens to kill it
While the future
of the West Coast’s earthquake early warning system is in peril
from President Trump’s proposed budget cuts, the network is
beginning to slowly gain traction in both small and big ways.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-2-17
Is Big Sur’s Highway 1 worth saving?
Ever since a
thin ledge of pavement was poured along Big Sur’s cliffs, opening the
rugged region to tourism in the 1920s and 1930s, California has fiercely fought
to save Highway 1.
Bay Area News
Group, 6-3-17
Magnitude 3.2 quake strikes near Salton Sea
A shallow
magnitude 3.2 earthquake was reported Thursday morning in southern San Diego
County, 17 miles from Westmorland between the Salton Sea and the Mexican
border, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 8:19
a.m. Pacific time at a depth of 6.8 miles.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-1-17
3.0 quake strikes near Lee Vining, Calif.
A
shallow magnitude 3.0 earthquake was reported Friday afternoon 12 miles
from Lee Vining, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor
occurred at 3:33 p.m. Pacific time at a depth of 1.2 mile.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-2-17
3.3 quake strikes near Mount Shasta
A shallow
magnitude 3.3 earthquake was reported Friday afternoon 10 miles from Carrick,
Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 3:32
p.m. Pacific time at a depth of 1.9 mile.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-2-17
3.2 earthquake breaks near Ocotillo Wells
A magnitude 3.2
earthquake broke 18 miles southeast of Ocotillo Wells at 8:19 a.m. on Thursday
— the latest in a series of small earthquakes that have occurred in and
around San Diego County’s desert areas.
San Diego Union
Tribune, 6-1-17
Origin of Yellowstone's magma discovered -
it builds up from injections deep in the mantle
Scientists have
discovered how supervolcanoes like Yellowstone, Toba and Campi Flegrei end up
sitting on such enormous pools of magma.
International
Business Times, 6-2-17
3.5 quake strikes near Randsburg, Calif.
A shallow
magnitude 3.5 earthquake was reported Saturday afternoon four miles from
Randsburg, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor
occurred at 5:06 p.m. Pacific time at a depth of 3.7 miles.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-3-17
DIVISION OF LAND
RESOURCE PROTECTION
County shouldn’t allow exceptions
near ag land
For those of us living on Stanley Avenue (one mile out Dayton Road), we
are angered and frustrated when notified a local developer was attempting to
undermine local municipal code rules with a proposed development.
Chico News and Review letter to the editor, 6-3-17
Yolo Habitat Conservation Plan released
The long-delayed Yolo Habitat Conservation Plan and Natural Community
Conservation Plan has been released for a 90-day public comment period.
Woodland Daily Democrat, 6-2-17
DIVISION OF MINE RECLAMATION
Marina to conduct public hearing concerning
Cemex mine
A public hearing will be held next week concerning operations at the
Cemex Mine in Marina, its violation of municipal codes, and the adoption of a
resolution that raises litigation possibilities.
Monterey County Herald, 6-2-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change could foul up precipitation
worldwide
Just this month alone, climate change has been blamed for sleepless
nights, trees moving West, and now it's causing a new problem: Weird
rainfall
USA Today, 5-31-17
Brown's first stops in China are in cities
that look a lot like California
A shaded
promenade traces the river in this southern Chinese city that — when the
smog blows away — fills with couples dancing to the sunrise. Nearly 900
miles east, leafy boulevards and mountainside parks cover the former imperial
capital of Nanjing.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-4-17
WATER
California farmers have long been able to get permits to drill new wells
in areas where groundwater levels are falling without publicly saying how much
water they intend to pump. That would change under a bill approved this week by
the California Senate.
Palm Springs Desert Sun, 6-1-17
The Challenge of Measuring Groundwater in
California’s Central Valley
During droughts, groundwater pumping is increased to make up for losses
from surface water. This is especially true in California’s Central
Valley, which stretches roughly 400 miles from Redding to just south of
Bakersfield, and is the heart of the state’s $47 billion-a-year
agricultural industry.
Water Deeply, 6-2-17
Water agencies push bigger role in tunnel
plan
California’s powerful regional water districts are working
alongside Gov. Jerry Brown to take on more responsibility for designing,
building and arranging financing for a $15.7 billion twin tunnel project that
would ship water southward from Northern California as they push to finally
close the deal on the controversial plan, two officials working closely on the
project told The Associated Press.
Associated Press, 6-2-17
GENERAL
Upcoming eclipse will darken solar power
production in California
California
relies more on solar energy than any other state in the union. So what happens
if the sun doesn’t shine?
Los Angeles
Newspaper Group, 6-2-17
DIVISION OF OIL,
GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
New Geothermal Project Helps Create Clean Energy Future for Los Angeles
In another step
toward creating a clean energy future for Los Angeles, the Los Angeles
Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has entered a new 26-year power sales
agreement for renewable geothermal power that will provide enough clean energy
to serve 208,000 Los Angeles homes and avoid producing 701,000 metric tons of
greenhouse gas emissions each year, which is roughly equivalent to removing
135,000 gas-fueled cars off the road.
Los Angeles
Department of Water and Power, 6-1-17
Environmental groups sue EPA for moving to
repeal fracking rules
Environmental groups sued the Trump administration Monday over its move
to repeal rules on oil and natural gas frackers that were a part of former
President Barack Obama's broad climate change plan.
Washington Examiner, 6-5-17
Passion for environmental justice fuels
urban oil drilling study
It’s
L.A.’s dirty little secret: 6,717 oil and natural gas wells operate
within the Los Angeles Basin — even in residential communities.
UCLA Newsroom,
6-5-17
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Santa Cruz Mountains residents struggle
with road damage from winter storms
This winter,
Therese Ponder, who lives in the woods of Laurel Glen Road, saw a huge
landslide across her street on a hillside property.
Bay Area News
Group, 6-6-17
Into the Big Surreal: 36 Hours in
California’s Isolated, Lonely Island
It is true
— we could have gotten close to our destination by car — but the
idea of rushing a story about life in the new Big Sur seemed the journalistic
equivalent of slamming a fine wine like it’s a Jell-O shooter.
KQED (San
Francisco television), 6-6-17
Say goodbye to asbestos and fault lines. New $555 million courthouse
dedicated in San Diego
An
invitation-only ceremony at the new state courthouse in downtown San Diego drew
hundreds of judges, lawyers, politicians and other dignitaries Monday to mark
the building’s official completion.
San Diego Union
Tribune, 6-5-17
DIVISION OF LAND
RESOURCE PROTECTION
Trump budget ‘devastating’ to
winegrape farming: California ag secty
As California
government is preparing to renew its mechanism for fighting climate change and
crafting a new budget, Sacramento is facing new federal policy and funding
directives that are cutting into farming-related environmental and social
justice goals, said the Sunshine State’s agriculture secretary at a wine
industry seminar in Napa.
North Bay
Business Journal, 6-5-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
Rising sea levels could create American
climate refugees
The United States can expect massive population shifts as the weight of
climate change bears down and sea levels rise perhaps six feet by the end of
the century.
USA Today, 6-1-17
Delaware joins states in Paris climate goal
coalition
Delaware will be joining a coalition of states that are committing to
meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.
Associated Press, 6-5-17
Delta tunnels won’t help on climate change
Dan Morain suggests the proposed Delta tunnels offer a solution for
managing California’s water in our changing climate. (“Brown sends a message
on the Delta tunnels,” Insight, June 1). This argument misses
the mark.
Sacramento Bee commentary, 6-5-17
California, China sign climate deal after
Trump's Paris exit
With President Donald Trump pulling the U.S. out of the Paris climate
accord, China and California signed an agreement Tuesday to work together on
reducing emissions, as the state's governor warned that "disaster still
looms" without urgent action.
Associated Press, 6-6-17
GENERAL
California
regulators did not abuse their discretion when they decided to pay for the
state's high-speed rail project with money from a greenhouse gas emissions
program, a Sacramento County judge said in a ruling made final on Monday.
Associated
Press, 6-5-17
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
A small
earthquake shook The Geysers region in the hills between Sonoma and Lake
counties Monday evening, registering a magnitude of 3.3, according to the U.S.
Geological Survey.
Santa Rosa Press
Democrat, 6-6-17
3.5 quake strikes near Cabazon, Calif.
A shallow
magnitude 3.5 earthquake was reported early Wednesday morning three miles from
Cabazon, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred
at 12:12 a.m. Pacific time at a depth of 9.9 miles.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-7-17
DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
New San Luis Ranch plan calls for 580 homes
— with first dibs to city residents, workers
To provide more affordable housing and reduce commutes, the developers of
San Luis Ranch are proposing to build up to 580 homes off Madonna Road in San
Luis Obispo — but with a twist: Anyone who wants to buy one must already
live or work in the city to have first dibs.
San Luis Obispo Tribune, 6-6-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
China is now looking to California –
not Trump – to help lead the fight against climate change
Gov. Jerry
Brown met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday in a rare
diplomatic coup that catapults California into quasi-national status as a
negotiator with China following the decision last week by President
Trump to pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-6-17
GENERAL
California regulators weigh whether the
state needs more power plants
California
energy officials are, for the first time, rethinking plans to build
expensive natural gas power plants in the face of an electricity glut and
growing use of cleaner and cheaper energy alternatives.
Los Angeles Times, 6-6-17
How Trump Can Reduce Carbon Emissions
Without the Paris Agreement
The notion of the
U.S. setting a price on carbon sounds far-fetched nowadays, given that
President Donald Trump recently announced he will exit the Paris climate
agreement and strongly supports bringing back coal jobs.
Forbes, 6-6-17
DIVISION OF OIL,
GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Opponents Still Urging Aliso Storage Field
Closure, But California Legislature Balks
Area residents
and their supporters seeking to close California's largest natural gas
underground storage field, Aliso Canyon, rallied at a state lawmaker's district
office Wednesday, calling for the permanent closure of the 86 Bcf capacity
facility north of Los Angeles in the suburban San Fernando Valley.
NGI Shale Gas
Daily, 6-8-17
State regulators want a study of clean
alternatives to an Oxnard natural gas plant
State regulators
late Friday accepted a proposal for a study of clean-energy alternatives to a
proposed natural gas power plant in Ventura County — the second decision
this week to reassess building new fossil fuel facilities.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-9-17
California Department of Conservation to go
back to trial over alleged evasion of environmental laws
The California Fifth District Court of Appeal recently ruled that a
district court erred in its decision to dismiss a case involving allegations
that the California Department of Conservation, Division of Oil, Gas and
Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) did not conduct an environmental review before
issuing permits for 214 new oil wells in Kern County.
Northern California Record, 6-8-17
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
3.5 magnitude earthquake strikes the North
Coast
Sunday morning
at 5:19 a.m., an earthquake registering 3.5 on the Richter scale shook the North
Coast.
KRCR-TV
(Redding), 6-11-17
Restore earthquake-warning-system funding
to federal budget
In his proposed
federal budget for fiscal year 2018, President Trump claims the defining
ambition of his plan is to unleash the dreams and power of American work and
creativity by reprioritizing spending to advance safety and security that will
spur economic growth.
San Francisco
Chronicle commentary, 6-8-17
3.5 quake strikes near Point Arguello,
Calif.
A shallow
magnitude 3.5 earthquake was reported Thursday evening 10 miles from Point
Arguello, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred
at 7:45 p.m. Pacific time at a depth of 0 miles.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-8-17
A magnitude 3.5 earthquake struck near Trinidad at 5:19 a.m. Sunday.
Eureka Times-Standard, 6-11-17
DIVISION OF LAND
RESOURCE PROTECTION
580-home San Luis Ranch project gets
planners’ OK — now it’s on to the City Council
The San Luis Ranch
housing proposal for 580 homes along with commercial, office and
hotel space is now in the City Council’s hands.
San Luis Obispo Tribune, 6-19-17
Windsor looks to extend the life of its
urban growth boundary
Almost 20 years
ago, Windsor voters approved an urban growth boundary designed to keep a
greenbelt and discourage sprawl. Now they are being asked to do it again.
Santa Rosa Press
Democrat, 6-11-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
Brown says Trump’s
‘outlandish’ climate stance will inspire world
Gov. Jerry Brown
on Friday highlighted what he sees as the upside of President Trump’s
unwillingness to confront climate change: Much of the rest of the world may be
inspired to fight harder.
San Francisco
Chronicle, 6-9-17
Trump may restrict length of environmental
reviews under infrastructure plan
The Trump
administration may enforce restrictions on the length of environmental reviews
as part of an effort to streamline the project approval process in his $1
trillion infrastructure package.
The Hill, 6-7-17
No, Rick Perry, California's renewable
energy policies aren't dangerous for the grid
When Energy
Secretary Rick Perry ordered a 60-day review of the “long-term
reliability of the electric grid” on April 15, he might as well have
cited California’s energy policies as the target of his inquiry.
Los Angeles
Times column, 6-11-17
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Even After Landslides, You Can Still Visit
Big Sur
Following a series of landslides and a bridge collapse in early February,
which led to the temporary closing of many hotels and restaurants and put
tourism to the region at a standstill, much of Big Sur in California is once
again welcoming travelers.
New York Times, 6-7-17
DIVISION OF OIL,
GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
This robot can check oil and gas pipelines
to help prevent spills
It’s a
dirty job, but somebody’s got to do it. And when it comes to the
expensive, claustrophobic and sometimes dangerous work of inspecting natural
gas and oil pipelines, that somebody might be a robot
San Diego Union
Tribune, 6-7-17
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Two earthquakes rattle Coachella Valley
A magnitude 3 earthquake struck Riverside County’s Coachella Valley
this morning, less than six hours after another small temblor rattled the
region, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
Los Angeles City
News Service, 6-7-17
Not My Fault: Resiliency requires
government support
Resilient communities take effort to reduce risk and recover quickly.
When it comes to earthquakes and tsunamis, this means being aware of faults,
shaking hazards and the tsunami threat, understanding the physical interactions
of the hazard and the built environment, developing strategies to reduce
impacts, and improving response and recovery planning.
Eureka Times-Standard column, 6-7-17
DIVISION OF LAND
RESOURCE PROTECTION
10,000 new homes are coming to
‘desirable’ part of the Sacramento region
The city of Folsom has spent years laying the groundwork for a major city
expansion on the rolling hills south of Highway 50. That leapfrog moment has
arrived.
Sacramento Bee, 6-7-17
Planning commission approves 580-home
development in San Luis Obispo
On Wednesday night, the San Luis Obispo Planning Commission unanimously
approved a development of residential, commercial and agricultural space on a
131-acre property between Madonna Road and Highway 101 to be called San Luis
Ranch.
KSBY-TV (San Luis Obispo), 6-7-17
DIVISION OF MINE RECLAMATION
Marina declares Cemex plant a public
nuisance, seeks options on possible legal action
After a contentious meeting, the Marina City Council voted unanimously
late Tuesday night in a favor of a resolution calling the Cemex sand mining
plant on Lapis Road a public nuisance and directing the city attorney to bring
back options for legal actions.
Monterey Herald, 6-7-17
As day of reckoning closes in on Cemex, the
city of Marina prepares to attack
In the fight to shut down the Cemex sand mine in Marina, the lines in the
sand have been drawn. Diplomacy, up until now, has not borne fruit, and a
looming battle is starting to take shape.
Monterey County Weekly, 6-7-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
Jerry Brown in China with a climate message
to the world: Don't follow America's lead
When Gov. Jerry Brown stepped to the stage in Beijing
on Wednesday, he still was recovering from a 15-hour time difference, a
cavalcade of business meetings and ceremonial events, a flight and a train ride
to three Chinese cities and a last-minute meeting with President Xi
Jinping.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-7-17
Greenhouse emissions fall for another year
in California
California has
continued to chip away at its greenhouse gas emissions even as its economy
grows, according to new data released by state regulators on Wednesday.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-7-17
As California leads the way in battling
climate change, farmers are key players
In April, Gov. Jerry Brown declared California’s record drought
over. But farmers statewide won’t forget it, and they know there are
ongoing challenges such as weather extremes and increasingly intense
drought-flood cycles.
Monterey County Weekly commentary, 6-8-17
What price are Californians paying to fight
climate change?
Californians pay about 15 cents a gallon extra at the pump to fight
climate change. Here’s what they’re getting for their money:
continued progress in the effort to curb carbon.
Sacramento Bee, 6-8-17
3.0 quake strikes near Thousand Palms
A shallow
magnitude 3.0 earthquake was reported Wednesday morning 12 miles from Thousand
Palms, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at
6:30 a.m. PDT at a depth of 5 miles.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-7-17
3.1 quake strikes near Point Arguello
A shallow
magnitude 3.1 earthquake was reported Wednesday evening 11 miles from Point
Arguello, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred
at 9:30 p.m. Pacific time at a depth of 0 miles.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-7-17
M=3.7 earthquake near South Lake Tahoe
At 3:45 p.m.
local time yesterday, a M=3.7 earthquake struck the East Carson Valley Fault
Zone in southwestern Nevada, and shaking was felt in South Lake Tahoe,
California
Temblor.com,
6-7-17
3.5 magnitude earthquake reported near
Lompoc
A small earthquake was reported Thursday night in the ocean southwest of
Lompoc in Santa Barbara County, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Santa Barbara Noozhawk, 6-8-17
Restore quake alert funding to federal
budget: Editorial
Politics sometimes gets personal, but there’s no telling if
President Trump was thinking of the majorities of people who didn’t vote
for him in the West Coast states of California, Oregon and Washington when he
made a recent budget decision affecting earthquake warnings.
Long Beach Press Telegram, 6-8-17
June rain prompts new mudslide, closure on
Highway 50 in El Dorado County
A section of Highway 50 damaged by winter storms experienced a new
mudslide Thursday.
Sacramento Bee, 6-8-17
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Trump Said To Mull Combining Agencies Split
After Gulf Spill
After the 2010
Gulf oil spill, the Obama administration broke the scandal-plagued federal
agency that policed offshore drilling into separate bureaus. Now the Trump
administration is considering putting it back together again.
Bloomberg News,
6-8-17
WATER
Here’s the right strategy for
California’s next drought
The recent drought brought record high temperatures and record low
precipitation, pushed numerous native fish species to the brink of extinction
and led to unusually large drops in groundwater levels. But the biggest
milestone for urban areas was the state’s unprecedented order to cut
water use by an average of 25 percent.
Sacramento Bee commentary, 6-8-17
BUDGET
State budget plan boosts K-12 spending and
fixes Oroville, but how about those tobacco-tax dollars?
The
effort to craft a new state budget before next week's deadline
advanced late Thursday night, although a few hotly debated items
— including how to spend new tobacco tax dollars — remained in
limbo.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-9-17
Lawmakers, governor face tight deadline for
state budget
A California legislative panel has advanced pieces of a compromise state
budget, but agreement remained elusive Friday on key sticking points including
how to spend more than $1 billion in new tobacco tax revenue.
Associated
Press, 6-9-17
California budget panel approves spending
plan as talks with Brown continue
The Legislature’s budget-writing committee approved a spending plan
late Thursday that expands a tax credit for the poor and imposes direct budget
control of the University of California’s office of the president, as
talks continue on how to spend more than a billion dollars in tobacco-tax
money.
Sacramento Bee, 6-8-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
Gov.
Brown Heads Back To California After China Visit
California
Governor Jerry Brown is back in California, after five whirlwind days in China.
The trip ended much as it began.
Capitol Public
Radio, 6-9-17
California’s greenhouse gas emissions
fall by less than 1%
California
officials, determined to fight climate change, have ordered deep cuts in the
state’s emission of greenhouse gases.
San Francisco
Chronicle, 6-8-17
GENERAL
California attorney general to Trump: You
can't touch our national monuments
California’s
attorney general argued Thursday that President Trump has no legal
authority to revoke or modify national monuments created by previous
administrations.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-8-17
BUDGET
New California transparency rule allows
3-day budget review
Californians will get three days to look over the final state budget before
lawmakers take a vote this week, giving the public an unprecedented period to
scour the spending plan ahead of a final decision.
Associated Press, 6-12-17
DIVISION OF OIL,
GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
EPA moves to halt Obama methane rule for
two years
The
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed pausing an Obama
administration oil and gas pollution rule for two years while it reconsiders
the regulation.
The Hill,
6-13-17
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Signs of past California 'mega-quakes' show
danger of the Big One on San Andreas fault
As Interstate 10
snakes through the mountains and toward the golf courses, housing tracts and
resorts of the Coachella Valley, it crosses the dusty slopes of the San
Gorgonio Pass.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-13-17
'Earthquake-proof' building anchored by a
giant curtain of cables
Located on the
most active earthquake belt in the world, the island nation of Japan is
constantly shaking, or bracing itself for the next big quake.
CNN, 6-13-17
DIVISION OF MINE
RECLAMATION
Rise Gold to Recommence Work at Idaho
Maryland Mine After 60 Years
A Company you've
never heard of, Rise Gold Corp. (CSE: RISE) (OTC: RYES) is
preparing to commence drilling at its 100% owned Idaho-Maryland Mine (IM) in
California, a property, although, mammoth, you've probably also never heard of.
Baystreet,
6-13-17
Watchdog: EPA acted legally, reasonably in
2015 Colorado mine spill
A Monday report
from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Inspector
General largely clears the agency for its actions surrounding the 2015 Gold
King Mine spill in Colorado.
The Hill,
6-12-17
DIVISION OF OIL,
GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Two paths for long-term fixes at
California’s shrinking sea
Near the southeastern shore of the Salton Sea, hot steam bubbles up from
the earth and gurgles out of mud volcanos, rising into the air.
Palm Springs Desert Sun, 6-12-17
Brown: 'Grossly Hypocritical' To Oppose Oil
Production In California
Jerry
Brown’s trip to China earned him wall-to-wall media coverage —
internationally and here at home. Much less covered was another environmental
visit the California governor took just weeks earlier: to Bell Gardens in Los
Angeles County, a transportation corridor with some of the worst air quality in
the state.
Capital Public
Radio, 6-12-17
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
A 3,000-Year-Old Treasure Map Is The First 'Geological'
Map In History
According to
ancient historians, gold was as common as sand in the kingdom of Egypt.
Forbes, 6-12-17
Editorial: Cutting early warning quake
system makes little sense
Politics
sometimes gets personal, but there’s no telling if President Donald Trump
was thinking of the majority of people who didn’t vote for him in the
West Coast states of California, Oregon and Washington when he made a recent
budget decision affecting earthquake warnings.
Bay Area News
Group, 6-12-17
State of emergency declared on quake-hit
Greek island Lesbos
Authorities in
Greece have declared a state of emergency on the island of Lesbos after an
earthquake left one woman dead and more than 800 people displaced.
Associated
Press, 6-13-17
Magnitude-5.3
earthquake strikes Hawaii's Big Island
DIVISION OF LAND
RESOURCE PROTECTION
A steady gale whipped the long, spring grass, sending waves streaking across
the hills near Mount Diablo. “I’ve always loved that
view—right there,” said Michael Amorosa, who had come to a stop
while walking along Empire Mine Road, a bike path and trail that bisects a
suburban wilderness near Antioch on the east slope of the mountain.
Oakland Magazine, 6-13-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
The fight against climate change: four
cities leading the way in the Trump era
Wholly
unintentionally, Donald Trump may have sparked unprecedented determination
within the US to confront the danger of climate change.
The Guardian,
6-12-17
If You Think Fighting Climate Change Will
Be Expensive, Calculate the Cost of Letting It Happen
With the Trump
Administration’s surprising U-turn on the COP21 Paris Agreement, the U.S.
finds itself with some strange bedfellows, joining Nicaragua and Syria in
abstaining from this important treaty.
Harvard Business
Review, 6-12-17
Jerry Brown Won’t Stop the Earth from
Warming
In a highly choreographed meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the
Governor of California, Jerry Brown was yanked up and symbolically elevated to
the stature of a head of state.
Huffington Post, 6-12-17
WATER
What
Did California Learn From The Drought?
A report from the Public Policy Institute
of California says the state's cities and suburbs responded well to the
unprecedented mandate to cut water use by 25 percent during the drought.
Capital Public
Radio, 6-12-17
WATER
The Heart of California’s Water
System Could Get Federal Recognition
California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is a unique landscape: a
maze of islands and rivers as big as Rhode Island, sprinkled with historic Gold
Rush towns and teeming with wildlife amid some of the world’s most
fertile farmland.
Water Deeply,
6-13-17
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
The Big Sur slide you haven’t heard
of
There’s a
second smaller landslide in Big Sur that’s been eclipsed by the drama of
the epic Mud Creek slide.
East Bay Times,
6-14-17
DIVISION OF LAND
RESOURCE PROTECTION
Where did the farmland go? Here’s how
urbanization has spread in Southern California
Over the past 33
years Southern California has lost approximately 327,000 acres of agricultural
land in Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside and Los Angeles counties.
Here’s a look at where urban change has occurred.
Press
Enterprise, 6-13-17
Neighbors clash with proposed subdivision
bordering ag land
Fired up farmers
served up hours of testimony Tuesday regarding a proposed subdivision on
Stanley Avenue in Chico, resulting in the Board of Supervisors delaying its
vote.
Oroville Mercury
Record, 6-13-17
New $80 million plan to preserve San
Jose’s Coyote Valley
Developers in
the 1980s and ’90s had big plans to build sprawling campuses for Apple,
Cisco Systems and other tech firms in Coyote Valley, a pastoral expanse of
farmland and ranches on San Jose’s southern edges.
Mercury News,
6-15-17
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Interior to delay Obama fracking rules
The Interior Department plans to not enforce methane emission rules for
fracking on federal lands, after congressional Republicans failed to repeal the
regulations.
Washington Examiner,
6-14-17
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
San Andreas Fault Earthquakes Are Triggered
by Winter Rain and Snow, Scientists Discover
Earthquakes along
the San Andreas Fault in California are being triggered by winter rain and
snowfall, scientists have discovered.
Newsweek,
6-16-17
What Would Really Happen if a Tsunami Hit
the Bay Area?
In 2015, Steven
Horowitz was watching one of the summer’s big blockbuster action flicks, “San Andreas.” In
the movie, the San Andreas fault shifts, triggering a magnitude 9.6 earthquake
in San Francisco. Disaster ensues — and for the rest of the movie we
watch as all of the West Coast’s greatest landmarks are destroyed one by
one in an epic, computer-generated spectacle.
KQED-TV (San
Francisco), 6-15-17
Something You Probably Didn’t Expect
From the Huge Sierra Snowpack: Earthquakes
The importance
of the mountain snowpack to California’s water supply is legendary. But
according to a new study, its impact reaches
far below the Earth’s surface to the state’s tectonic foundations.
And that impact can be measured and to some degree, even predicted.
KQED-TV (San
Francisco), 6-15-17
5 dead in magnitude 6.9 earthquake in
western Guatemala
Five people were killed and seven injured by a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Wednesday
in western Guatemala near the border with Mexico, Guatemala's national emergency coordination agency
reported.
Associated Press, 6-14-17
Warning Signs Abound for 'Big One'
Earthquake Along San Andreas Fault
An earthquake
more than 100 miles from Los Angeles might not seem like a big deal. However, a
magnitude 8.2 earthquake is far from ordinary and there's plenty of
geological evidence of past occurrences in Southern California. These markers
foreshadow grave consequences for a region that's already on high alert for the
next "Big One."
Weather.com,
6-14-17
DIVISION OF OIL,
GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Bankrupt Driller Not Required to Plug
Abandoned Well
When an oil and gas driller enters bankruptcy, a host of unique issues
often arise, include ding how to close abandoned wells in a responsible
manner.
Legal Intelligencer, 6-15-17
Protection question -- The Carrizo
Plain National Monument is under review by the federal government
At about 6 a.m. on April 2, I feel like I'm the only thing awake for miles.
Yellow goldfields, tidy tips, and green grass on the Caliente Range across the
valley are starting to pick up that special blend of orange and red as the
sun's first rays rise behind me.
San Luis Obispo New Times, 6-15-17
Lawsuit to slow Price Canyon aquifer
exemption goes to court
A Center for Biological Diversity lawsuit demanding that state oil
regulators adhere to environmental laws in reviewing an aquifer exemption for
the Price Canyon oilfield is headed for a final hearing in SLO County Superior
Court on June 15.
San Luis Obispo New Times, 6-15-17
FERC Summer Market Update Again Clouded By
Aliso Canyon NatGas Storage Outage
Electric
capacity is expected to be sufficient to meet forecast demand nationally,
according to a FERC report released Thursday, but for the second year in a row
the outage at Southern California Gas Co.'s Aliso Canyon natural gas storage
facility has the potential to become a hurdle for gas customers.
NGI Shale Gas
Daily, 6-15-17
Southern California power supply at risk
this summer: FERC
Natural gas constraints in Southern California could pose a risk to the
region's power supply this summer, while New England and Texas could face tight
electricity supplies, the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) said
on Thursday.
Reuters, 6-15-17
California clamps down on natural gas leaks
from pipelines
California
regulators have approved rules designed to cut natural gas leaks from pipelines
and pumping stations by 40 percent, as part of the state’s far-ranging
fight against global warming.
San Francisco
Chronicle, 6-15-17
DIVISION OF LAND
RESOURCE PROTECTION
State officials clear a roadblock to the
controversial Newhall Ranch development
A decades-long
fight by real estate and construction industry interests to build a
58,000-resident housing development along the last wild river in Southern
California overcame a hurdle this week when state wildlife officials approved
the project’s revised plans to protect a rare fish and reduce greenhouse
gases.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-15-17
Just over county line, Newhall Ranch clears
hurdle
A decades-long fight by real estate and construction industry interests
to build a 58,000-resident housing development along the last wild river in
Southern California and just east of the Ventura County line overcame a hurdle
this week.
Ventura County Star, 6-15-17
MINING
Mountain Pass mine sells for $20.5 M
The former Mountain Pass rare earths mine in California, located about 50
miles south of Las Vegas, and formerly owned by the bankrupt Molycorp, was
auctioned off on June 14. The winning bidder was a group of Molycorp's
creditors including JHL Capital Group and QVT Financial of the US and Chinese
rare earths mining company Shenghe Resources with a bid of $20.5 million,
according to sources attending the sale.
Wyoming Business Report, 6-15-17
WATER
Local farmer using excess water to flood crops and improve his water
table
An olive orchard at Terranova Ranch in western Fresno County is being
flooded to recharge the aquifer.
KFSN-TV (Fresno), 6-15-17
Why go for desal when
California has cheaper options?
Sacramento Bee
commentary, 6-15-17
Delta tunnels are not
a climate project
Fresno Bee,
6-15-17
California: beyond the drought
Californians:
Let’s take a moment to pat ourselves on the back for a job well done. We
and our economy survived the worst drought in the state’s recorded
history.
San Francisco
Chronicle, 6-14-17
A plan to build huge water tunnels gets
September deadline
When Southern California needs water, it takes a big gulp from the
streams and waterways of Northern California.
Southern California Public Radio, 6-14-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
Here’s the latest report card on
California’s battle against climate change
New data released by state regulators provide a detailed
snapshot of California’s battle against global warming.
We’ve crunched the numbers on specific sources of pollution,
including planes, cars and trucks, and how the state’s pollution
compares to the size of its economy.
Los Angeles Times, 6-14-17
If you want to know what climate change
feels like, you’re going to find out this summer
An early summer
heat wave delivered record temperatures
from Nebraska to Maine this week. On Tuesday, some parts of the Midwest and
Northeast saw temperatures 20 degrees above the historical average. And this is
just the beginning of what is expected to be a very hot summer.
ThinkProgress,
6-14-17
Report looks at adapting to sea-level rise
Climate experts predict that sea levels could leap as much as 70 inches
by 2100, and Marin County is preparing to be on the frontlines.
Point Reyes Light, 6-15-17
From Antarctica,
where a research expedition was canceled due to rising temperatures, to the
Arctic Sea, where ice continues to melt, the effects of climate change are
being felt around the globe.
Newsweek,
6-16-17
As Solar Pushes Electricity Prices
Negative, 3 Solutions for California’s Power Grid
For a time this spring in California, as the snow melted above
hydroelectric dams, the sun shone on solar arrays, and the wind whipped through
turbines, the state was confronted with both a blessing and a curse.
Inside Climate News, 6-14-17
Agencies slow methane rules opposed by oil,
gas industry
The Trump administration is delaying two Obama-era regulations aimed at
restricting harmful methane emissions from oil and gas production.
Associated Press, 6-15-17
BUDGET
Legislature approves $125 billion budget
with unusual provision
Democrats
looking to preserve their supermajority in the Legislature approved a state
budget Thursday that includes an unusual provision to help one of their own
keep his Senate seat, a move that prompted strong opposition from Republicans
who accused the majority party of interfering with the will of voters.
San Francisco
Chronicle, 6-15-17
It’s a deal. Lawmakers send Jerry
Brown a jam-packed budget
California lawmakers passed a spending plan for the coming fiscal year
Thursday, meeting the state’s budget approval deadline with a $183.2
billion package that raises school funding, expands a tax credit for the
working poor and gives the Capitol a greater say over University of California
finances.
Sacramento Bee, 6-15-17
California Approves Largest-Ever Budget
The California
state budget package approved Thursday includes a measure that seeks to prevent
local jurisdictions from contracting out space for immigrant detention.
Capital Public
Radio, 6-15-17
Here's how $183 billion in taxpayer dollars
will be spent in California's new budget
California
lawmakers gave final approval Thursday to a $183.2-billion state budget, a plan
that broadly boosts government spending while also continuing the recent effort
to build up cash reserves.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-15-17
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
3.4 earthquake rattles desert near El
Centro
A magnitude 3.4
earthquake broke northwest of El Centro at 7:14 a.m. on Friday, producing light
shaking that was felt in nearby Westmorland, Brawley and El Centro, the US
Geological Survey said.
San Diego Union
Tribune, 6-16-17
It would be reckless to pull federal
funding for an earthquake early warning system
Experts
can’t predict earthquakes, but they can warn you that they’re
coming.
Los Angeles
Times editorial, 6-17-17
Mission San Luis Obispo a link to one of
California’s largest earthquakes, tsunamis
History offers us many reminders that we live in a place Spanish soldados
in 1769 described as “Tierra de los temblores,” or the “land
of the shakes.”
San Luis Obispo Tribune column, 6-17-17
Four missing after tsunami strikes
Greenland coast
Four people are missing after a tsunami hit Greenland's west coast,
police have said. The surge of water is also reported to have swept away 11
homes in the village of Nuugaatsiaq.
BBC News, 6-18-17
3.0 quake strikes near Lake Isabella,
Calif.
A shallow
magnitude 3.0 earthquake was reported Saturday evening 14 miles from Lake
Isabella, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred
at 11:11 p.m. Pacific time at a depth of 0 miles.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-18-17
Editorial: Trump dumping earthquake early
warning system is ridiculous
Politics can get
personal. You have to wonder if President Donald Trump was thinking of the
majority of people who didn’t vote for him in the West Coast states of
California, Oregon and Washington when he made a recent budget decision to
abandon an earthquake warning system.
Bay Area News
Group, 6-18-17
Can Animals Predict Earthquakes? Italian
Farm Acts as a Lab to Find Out
After
a series of powerful earthquakes struck Italy last year,
Martin Wikelski rushed here to test a hunch that has tantalized scientists and
thinkers for millenniums: Can animals anticipate natural disasters?
New York Times,
6-17-17
DIVISION OF OIL,
GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Oil and gas permit lawsuit could have big
impact
The trial over Kern County's 2-year-old oil and gas permitting ordinance
began last week without much fanfare. But the stakes are huge for all sides.
Bakersfield California column, 6-17-17
US rig count rises this week 6
The number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. rose by
six this week to 933.
Associated Press, 6-16-17
Study of oil and gas drilling finds
pollution and connections to earthquakes
Oil and gas
drilling in Texas shale plays pollutes the air, erodes soil and contaminates
water, while the disposal of millions of gallons of wastewater causes
earthquakes, a consortium of the state's top scientists concluded.
Houston
Chronicle, 6-18-17
DIVISION OF LAND
RESOURCE PROTECTION
California farms are thirsty and in danger
For generations now, California farmers have fed America and the world. As
a third-generation California farmer, my family is proud of the produce we have
helped put on the table.
Sacramento Bee commentary, 6-16-17
Some walnut, peach orchards show
"collapse" symptoms after NorCal winter floods
Janine Hasey has
lived through several northern California floods. The county director for the
University of California Cooperative Extension offices in Sutter and Yuba
counties witnessed several major flood events in the region including in 1997
but none rival last winter.
Western Farm
Press, 6-18-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
Riverside County could soon be getting its fifth massive solar farm.
Palm Springs Desert Sun, 6-14-17
Is It So Bad If the World Gets A Little
Hotter? Uh, Yeah
Many of us share
some dim apprehension that the world is flying out of control, that the center
cannot hold.
Wired, 6-16-17
Climate Change Cuts Climate Change Study
Short
Doing environmental research isn't easy. From wild animals to foul
weather, researchers have to jump lots of unexpected hurdles while
collecting data. But as The Guardian’s Ashifa Kassam reports,
for one group of Canadian climate scientists, the obstacle standing in their
way was their research subject itself: climate change.
Smithsonian, 6-14-17
BUDGET
This California budget gimmick stinks
You probably
thought a state budget divvied up all the Sacramento tax money and parceled it
to a zillion programs. It does. But these days it also can do things that past
legislators never dreamed possible.
Los Angeles
Times column, 6-19-17
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Mud Creek Slide is still moving. And
geologists are using lasers and 3-D models to track it
Nearly a month
after a massive Big Sur landslide buried Highway 1 in
millions of cubic yards of dirt and rock, geologists say it’s continuing
to shift and change the shape of California’s coastline.
San Luis Obispo
Tribune, 6-19-17
Exclusive - Cost to earthquake-proof
L.A.'s crumbling pipe system? $15 billion
Mayor Eric
Garcetti's call to strengthen Los Angeles' water system — one pillar of
his ambitious plan to ready the city for a major earthquake — would cost
as much as $15 billion and require decades of work, Department of Water and
Power engineers estimate.
Los Angeles
Times, 3-20-15
DIVISION OF OIL,
GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
State Lands Commission Outlines Next Steps
to Dismantle Platform Holly, Ellwood Onshore Facility
The State Lands Commission’s priority in the decommissioning of
Venoco Inc.’s Platform Holly and the Ellwood Onshore Facility along the Goleta
coast is ensuring the facilities are secured, and public health, safety and the
environment are protected, according to a top agency official.
Santa Barbara Noozhawk, 6-18-17
Cedric The Entertainer Sues Gas Co. Over
Aliso Canyon Leak
Cedric the Entertainer is reportedly suing Southern California Gas Co.
alleging the Aliso Canyon disaster caused his family to suffer nausea,
nosebleeds, vomiting and vertigo.
SoCal Patch, 6-20-17
Heat Wave to Test California Natural Gas
Supplies After Leak
A dangerous heat
wave gripping the U.S. West will offer the first big test of the summer for the
natural gas market in Southern California, where supplies have been limited
since the largest leak in U.S. history.
Bloomberg News,
6-20-17
DIVISION OF LAND
RESOURCE PROTECTION
Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program a
starting point for getting farmland to next generation
How do beginning
farmers and ranchers connect with the record number of retiring producers? What
should be a straightforward question with a straightforward answer isn’t
always so simple.
Capital Press Ag
Weekly, 6-19-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
Deadly heat waves will become more
frequent, says study
Killer heat is getting worse, a new study shows. Deadly heat waves like the
one now broiling the American West are bigger killers than previously thought
and they are going to grow more frequent, according to a new comprehensive
study of fatal heat conditions.
Associated Press, 6-19-17
Sea level rise experts urge more science
ARCATA -- Local
sea rise experts have alerted the California Coastal Commission that the
state’s pending update of sea level science findings overlooks two
crucial studies of the North Coast’s vulnerabilities.
Mad River Union,
6-17-17
The Dutch Have Solutions to Rising Seas.
The World Is Watching.
The wind over
the canal stirred up whitecaps and rattled cafe umbrellas. Rowers strained
toward a finish line and spectators hugged the shore. Henk Ovink, hawkish,
wiry, head shaved, watched from a V.I.P. deck, one eye on the boats, the other,
as usual, on his phone.
New York Times,
6-15-17
Houston fears climate change will cause
catastrophic flooding: 'It's not if, it's when'
Sam Brody is not
a real estate agent, but when his friends want to move home they get in touch
to ask for advice. He is a flood impact expert in Houston – and he has
plenty of work to keep him busy.
The Guardian,
6-16-17
BUDGET
State’s ‘balanced and
progressive’ budget carries big risks for taxpayers
Gov. Jerry Brown
and legislative leaders are patting themselves on the back for what Brown
describes as a “balanced and progressive budget” for the 2017-18
fiscal year that begins July 1.
CalMatters
column, 6-18-17
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Yellowstone Supervolcano Hit By A Swarm Of
More Than 400 Earthquakes In One Week
Yellowstone
supervolcano has been hit by a series of earthquakes, with more 400 recorded
since June 12. The latest was recorded on Monday, June 19, with a magnitude 3
earthquake striking 8.6 miles north northeast of West Yellowstone, Montana.
Newsweek,
6-19-17
California
officials have mapped a new stretch of an earthquake fault through
northeast Los Angeles — a fault that could cause major damage in the
heart of the metro area.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-20-17
Reservoir water weight blamed for Arkansas
earthquake swarm
A swarm of earthquakes in northern Arkansas is being linked to the weight
of the water at a rain-swollen reservoir.
Associated Press, 6-19-17
DIVISION OF LAND
RESOURCE PROTECTION
(OPINION) California’s regulations
put farms, farmers and food in danger
For generations
now, California farmers have fed America and the world. As a third-generation
California farmer, my family is proud of the produce we have helped put on the
table.
Merced Sun-Star,
6-20-17
Marin and Silveiras reach 10-year deal on
San Rafael ranch
One of the
largest parcels of undeveloped land left in Marin will be off limits to
commercial development for at least the next 10 years following an agreement
between Marin County and the Silveira family.
Marin Journal,
6-20-17
Could 'saline agriculture' be the future of
coastal farming?
One of Europe's
leading climate change experts detailed the extreme challenges facing farmers
around the world at the latest in a series of industry briefings at the
University of Lincoln, UK. .
Phys.org,
6-20-17
WATER
More confusion than clarity in tunnels EIR
The final
version of Gov. Jerry Brown’s twin tunnels plan is better than earlier
drafts but still contains “key flaws,” independent scientists say,
including an environmental impact report that is so chock full of facts that it
doesn’t tell a clear story.
SanJoaquin.com,
6-20-17
Bill aims to help California save water for
a not-so-rainy day
After years of drought, the state of California is bracing for water.
Lots of it. Maybe even a rerun of the havoc caused by the failure of the
Oroville Dam this winter.
McClatchy News Service, 6-20-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
California's Clean Air Act waiver should be
yanked, Trump's former environmental advisor says
The head of
President Trump's Environmental Protection Agency may not be prepared to battle California over air
regulations, but the man who led Trump's transition team for the department is
ready.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-20-17
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
False alarm: Caltech staffer accidentally
sends alert for large 1925 Santa Barbara earthquake
A staffer at
Caltech mistakenly sent out an alert for a large magnitude 6.8 earthquake off
the Santa Barbara coast — from 1925.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-21-17
A Newly Mapped Fault Line and the Big One
Los Angeles
lives in fear of the Big One. Now scientists with the California Geological Survey
have newly mapped part of an
earthquake fault line in northeastern Los Angeles that they say
could someday cause major damage to the heart of the metro area and the San
Gabriel Valley. The Raymond fault caused the magnitude-4.9 Pasadena earthquake
in 1988, and researchers say it’s capable of causing a much more serious
magnitude-7 earthquake.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-21-17
Protect funding for US earthquake
early-warning system
On a winter night three centuries ago, so a Native American legend tells,
the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Canada was rocked by a ferocious
clash between supernatural creatures. The Thunderbird and the Whale battled for
hours.
Nature, 6-21-17
What’s shakin’ on York? Fault
line extends under Eagle Rock, Glassell Park and Highland Park
The bars,
restaurants and boutiques of York Boulevard make it an epicenter of cool for
Northeast L.A. But it turns out the street might also one day be the epicenter
of an earthquake.
The Eastsider
LA, 6-21-17
3.3 magnitude earthquake felt in East Bay
An earthquake
with a preliminary magnitude of 3.3 hit the East Bay just after noon
Wednesday.
San Francisco
Chronicle, 6-21-17
Earthquake: 3.3 quake strikes near El
Cerrito, Calif.
A shallow
magnitude 3.3 earthquake was reported Wednesday afternoon one mile from El
Cerrito, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred
at 12 p.m. Pacific time at a depth of 2.5 miles.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-21-17
False alarm: The 6.8 earthquake off Santa
Barbara that wasn’t
Duck, cover and
pray for the best. Oh…never mind.
Bay Area News
Group, 6-22-17
No, there was no Magnitude 6.8 quake
Wednesday near Isla Vista
An earthquake alert sent out in error by the U.S. Geological Survey sent
some into a tizzy Wednesday and compelled us to set the record straight.
KSBY-TV (San Luis Obispo), 6-21-17
DIVISION OF OIL,
GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
PHMSA Pauses Stricter Natural Gas Storage
Rules for Clarification
Responding to
requests from the oil and natural gas industry, the Trump administration has
served notice that it will delay some of the Obama administration's stepped up
safety rules for underground natural gas storage.
Shale Gas Daily,
6-21-17
Cedric the Entertainer is suing SoCalGas
over ‘ultra-hazardous’ well leak and his neighbors are glad
Saying he and his family continue to suffer illnesses and that the
property value of his Chatsworth estate has tumbled, actor and comedian Cedric
The Entertainer lobbed a hefty lawsuit against the Southern California Gas Co.
and its parent company, Sempra, this week in Los Angeles Superior Court for
negligence related to the Aliso Canyon gas leak.
Los Angeles Newspaper Group, 6-21-17
DIVISION OF LAND
RESOURCE PROTECTION
Flood proposal brings concern about land use
Describing it as
a backdoor effort to regulate land use, farm groups have asked the Federal
Emergency Management Agency to withdraw proposed changes to the National Flood
Insurance Program, or at least to reopen a comment period on the proposed
changes to allow more opportunity for affected people to respond.
Ag Alert,
6-21-17
Potential plans for land north of Eight
Mile Road spur worries
More than two months ago, the City Council voted
for the drafting of a new Stockton land-use map favoring neighborhood and
downtown revitalization over sprawl from now through 2040.
Stockton Record, 6-21-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
Hell or High Water: How Will CA Adapt to the
Anthropocene?
On February 12, 2017, nearly 200,000 Californians got the order to flee
for their lives.
California
Magazine, 6-21-17
DIVISION OF OIL,
GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Of Course Fracking Is Safe, Stanford Prof
Says
The benefits of
fracking far outweigh its costs not only economically, but environmentally, a
Stanford University geophysicist said Friday.
Forbes, 6-2-17
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Big Sur’s ‘Arleen’s
Slide’ honors woman who protects drivers from falling rock
It was a just a
hairline crack in the asphalt, but it caught flagger Arleen Guzzie’s
notice as she parked her white Chevy truck this spring to control busy Highway
1 traffic along her beloved Big Sur coast.
Bay Area News
Group, 6-25-17
3.5 quake strikes near Banning
A shallow
magnitude 3.5 earthquake was reported Sunday morning five miles from Banning,
according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 6:53 a.m. PDT
at a depth of 8.1 miles.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-25-17
4.2 quake strikes near Petrolia, Calif.
A shallow
magnitude 4.2 earthquake was reported Saturday afternoon two miles from
Petrolia, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred
at 2:22 p.m. PDT at a depth of 5.0 miles.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-24-17
Magnitude 4.0 quake strikes near Petrolia
A magnitude 4.0 earthquake has struck 16 miles southwest of Rio Dell this
afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Eureka Times-Standard, 6-24-17
The World's Most Powerful Earthquake Ended
With An Eruption And A Human Sacrifice
It’s not
surprising that the most powerful natural disasters in the world have often
been signs of impending doom; indications that the gods up above, or the demons
down below, are unhappy.
Forbes, 6-25-17
3.5-magnitude earthquake shakes Banning,
Beaumont area
A 3.5-magnitude quake rattled residents near the San Gorgonio Pass on
Sunday. The earthquake struck at 6:53 a.m. about 5 1/2 miles northwest of
Banning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Riverside Press
Enterprise, 6-25-17
Over 120 people buried by massive southwest
China landslide
More than 120
people were buried by a landslide that caused huge rocks and a mass of earth to
come crashing into their homes in a mountain village in southwestern China
early Saturday, officials said.
Associated
Press, 6-24-17
DIVISION OF LAND
RESOURCE PROTECTION
Saving 1,000 acres of Coyote Valley? Can
the Open Space Authority really pull this off?
San Jose’s wide-open Coyote Valley has been saved from imminent
development so many times that if it were a person, it would have whiplash.
Bay Area News Group, 6-22-17
CLIMATE
The end of
annual budget negotiations usually brings a sense of calm to the Capitol, but
behind the scenes Gov. Jerry Brown has intensified his efforts to
reach a deal with lobbyists and lawmakers on a blueprint for California’s
future climate change policies.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-23-17
Why is climate change such a hard sell in
the U.S.?
Earlier this
month President Donald Trump took the dramatic step of removing the U.S.
from the Paris climate agreement – the product of many years of diligent
and difficult negotiation among 175 nations around the world.
Salon, 6-25-17
DIVISION OF OIL,
GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Illinois' First Fracking Permit Reignites
Controversy
An application
for a fracking permit in southern Illinois has revived the debate on
high-volume oil and gas drilling.
Associated
Press, 6-26-17
Residents and Lawmakers Fight Aliso Canyon
Reopening
As California
regulators decide whether to reopen the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage
facility, the site of the largest human-caused release of greenhouse gasses in
U.S. history, residents and activists – often one and the same –
vow to redouble their fight against its reopening.
Capitalandmain.com,
6-27-17
Study to Weigh Aliso Canyon Shutdown
California
regulators last week advanced on a plan to study the potential for eliminating
the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility. The move came as Southern
California Gas reiterated warnings about the impact of gas shortages on grid
reliability this summer.
RTO Insider,
6-26-17
MINING
BREAKING: Coastal Commission poised to
settle with Cemex
For activists
hoping to shut down the Cemex sand mine in Marina, it’s cause for
celebration.
Monterey County
Weekly, 6-26-17
State reaches deal to shut down sand mine
in Monterey Bay
California
regulators reached an agreement with a Mexican company to shut down the last
coastal sand mine in the United States and avoid a legal battle over a dredging
operation that experts say has caused devastating erosion in Monterey Bay,
officials said Monday.
San Francisco
Chronicle, 6-26-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
Gov. Brown prepares for a new climate
battle, and it probably will cost you
It’s been
miserable out there. Death Valley reached a deadly 127-degree record. Flights
were canceled in Phoenix because it isn’t safe to take off when the
temperature exceeds 117 degrees. Parts of our valley sizzled at 110.
Sacramento Bee,
6-23-17
WATER
Federal agencies greenlight proposed delta
tunnel project
Federal
fishery agencies Monday pushed forward a controversial water project that
would change the way Northern California supplies are sent to the Southland.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-26-17
Federal wildlife folks bless tunnels
Gov. Jerry Brown
won crucial early approval from federal wildlife officials Monday for his $16
billion proposal to re-engineer California’s north-south water system,
advancing his plan to build two giant tunnels to carry Northern California
water to the south even though much about the project remains undetermined.
Associated
Press, 6-26-17
Feds Say Delta Tunnels Won't Push Fish To
Extinction
Two US wildlife
agencies have given their environmental stamp of approval to the nearly $16
billion plan to build two 35-mile-long tunnels in the West Coast's largest
estuary.
Capital Public
Radio, 6-26-17
http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/delta/article158264619.html
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
28 earthquakes strike near Truckee, the
largest a 3.9 magnitude tremor
Truckee has been
rocking Tuesday, with at least 28 small earthquakes shaking the high Sierra
town overnight, the largest registering a magnitude 3.9 according to the United
States Geological Survey.
SFGATE, 6-27-17
DIVISION OF OIL,
GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Oil spill reported near Santa Maria Greka
plant
Crews are working
to clean up an estimated three to five barrels of oil that reportedly spilled
near Greka in Santa Maria
KSBY (San Luis
Obispo), 6-27-17
Opinion: It's nonsense to say fracking can
be made safe, whatever guidelines we come up with
Can fracking be
safe? A new study suggests how fracking – the process of extracting oil
and gas trapped in rocks deep underground by blasting water into the rock at
high pressure – can be conducted without causing earthquakes, which is
one of the most well known concerns.
Phys.org, 6-28-17
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Swarm of Earthquakes Hits Truckee
"I felt a substantial movement like an earthquake." Chris Arth
says she was asleep when a 3.0 magnitude earthquake hit the Truckee area just
after 2 a.m. Tuesday. She says she mentally braced for another to follow.
KTXL-TV
(Sacramento), 6-27-17
Truckee earthquake swarm puts spotlight on
state's preparedness for larger quake
"If people
felt it, it probably would just been a very slight bump under their feet,"
California State Geologist John Parrish said. "Magnitudes three and less
are seldom felt unless one is actually right on top of them.”
KXTV (Sacramento), 6-27-17
Where were you during the Big Bear quake of
’92
The Big Bear Grizzly recently surveyed its Facebook readers for stories
about their experiences during the 1992 Big Bear Earthquake. Here is what they
shared:
Big Bear
Grizzly, 6-28-17
Los Angeles: New
‘Earthquake-Proof’ Skyscraper Opens in Downtown L.A. Near San
Andreas Fault
Unlike most American cities, Los Angeles has few tall buildings,
with some lonely clusters of metallic skyscrapers in Century City and in a
pocket downtown.
Newsweek,
6-27-17
MINES
Cemex to close Marina sand mining operation
by end of 2020
A series of agreements have been reached to close Cemex Sand Mining
operation in Marina, the last beach-front sand-mining operation in the United
States, by the end of 2020.
Monterey
County Herald, 6-27-17
Mining sand from beaches in mainland U.S.
could end with this proposed settlement
The California
Coastal Commission and an international cement company on Tuesday announced a
proposed settlement that would end the mining of coastal sand in Monterey
County — the last operation of its type on the mainland United States.
Los Angeles
Times, 6-27-17
Lt. Governor supports closing Cemex mine in
Marina, Ca
California Lt. Governor
Gavin Newsom, Chair of the State Lands Commission, welcomed the terms of a
proposal that would shut down the nation’s last coastal sand mining
operation in three years, and cap its dredging operations in the interim.
Santa Clarita Signal, 6-27-17
BUDGET
Gov. Brown signs $125 billion budget
Gov. Jerry Brown has signed into law California’s budget bill for
the coming year — and 15 related bills on everything from the dismantling
of a troubled tax agency to recreational marijuana regulations.
Bay Area News
Group, 6-27-17
California government will spend more than
ever before under the new budget
Gov. Jerry Brown
placed his signature Tuesday on a $183.2-billion state budget, a spending plan
that boosts public schools and programs aimed at California’s less
fortunate while stashing away an additional $1.8 billion in the state’s
long-term cash reserves.
Los Angeles Times, 6-28-17
How the budget Jerry Brown just signed
affects schools, marijuana and child care
California Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday signed a $183 billion state budget
the veteran Democrat touted as an example of the state’s fiscal prudence
amid “uncertain times.”
Sacramento
Bee, 6-27-17
Gov. Jerry Brown signs $125 billion state
budget without a veto
Gov. Jerry Brown
signed a $125 billion state budget Tuesday, stamping his official approval on a
package of bills his office negotiated with Democratic leaders and then ushered
through a Democratic-controlled Legislature.
San Francisco Chronicle, 6-27-17
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
USGS deletes magnitude 3.7 earthquake
report in Sonoma
The United
States Geological Survey sent an alert on a magnitude 3.7 earthquake just south
east of Sonoma Friday morning, but the quake apparently never happened.
SFGate, 6-30-17
Commentary: Critical wild Coho salmon
watershed threatened by aggressive logging plan
As wild Coho
salmon have disappeared in nearly every tributary of the Russian River, Felta
Creek remains a rare exception. Even in the low fish years of 2006 and 2008, endangered
wild Coho survived in the shady pools of this boulder strewn west county
stream. This spring, UC Sea Grant biologists discovered multiple spawning beds,
or “redds,” in the creek’s gravel bars. Wild fish will be
there again this summer.
The Healdsburg
Tribune, 6-28-17
3.7 earthquake rattles Mammoth Lakes area
A magnitude 3.7
earthquake erupted in the Mammoth Lakes region at 12:34 p.m. on Friday, briefly
shaking the region as vacationers arrive for the long Fourth of July weekend,
the US Geological Survey said.
San Diego
Union-Tribune, 6-30-17
Earthquake strikes Mammoth Lakes area
Mountain Area
residents may have felt some light rumbles this afternoon thanks to a 3.7
magnitude earthquake that struck the Mammoth Lakes area.
Sierra Star,
6-30-17
Landers Earthquake: Days of fear and unity
“We
thought it would never stop.” For the people closest to the Landers
Earthquake’s epicenter, like Arlene Hanson, it felt like the shaking
would go on forever. The earthquake itself, which hit at 4:57 a.m. June 28,
1992, lasted for 24 seconds, but shock waves continued to shake the ground for
several more seconds, according to government scientists.
Hi-Desert Star,
6-30-17
Workers Returning, Carefully, to the Scene
of Epic Landslide on the California Coast
"California’s
restless new stretch of beachfront property in Big Sur will soon have a
road," according to an article by Lisa M. Krieger.
Planetizan,
6-30-17
MINES
Elevated arsenic readings close popular
hiking trails
On the northwest
side of the one of the City of San Diego’s more popular open space parks
is a trail called Miners Ridge Loop. It’s appropriately named because the
city says the abandoned Black Mountain Arsenic Mine is located on the north
slope of Black Mountain.
KGTV (San Diego)
With Cemex shutdown imminent, Monterey Bay
Aquarium looks for a new sand source.
On its face, it’s a contradiction. The Monterey Bay Aquarium, a
science-based nonprofit that’s long been a global champion of sustainable
seafood, has been a consumer of local beach sand since it opened to the public
in 1984, despite the increasingly evident coastal erosion caused by local sand
mining.
Monterey
County Weekly, 6-29-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
California Supreme Court leaves in place
decision upholding cap-and-trade system
After more than
four years, a legal challenge to California's cap-and-trade program has reached
an unsuccessful conclusion.
Los Angeles Times, 6-28-17
The Schwarzenegger-Garcetti Climate Change
Road Show
Yesterday may
have been the initial stop of a Schwarzenegger-Garcetti road show promoting
support by subnational governments for the Paris Climate Change Accord.
Fox & Hounds, 6-29-17
ALISO CANYON
Blackout blackmail now in its second summer
You’d better
watch out, California’s second-largest provider of natural gas warned
again this spring. Unless the notoriously leaky natural gas storage field at
Aliso Canyon in northern Los Angeles is reopened soon, much of the state could
experience electricity blackouts this summer.
The Union Democrat, 6-29-17
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Earthquake threat keeps rising as
scientists learn more about seismic faults
Drive about 100
miles east-northeast of San Diego and you’ll come to the Salton Sea, a
quasi-oasis whose surface is so glassy it reflects the sky in exquisite detail.
San Diego Union Tribune, 6-29-17
DIVISION OF OIL,
GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
What ‘America First’ means for
energy development
This week,
members of Congress and expert witnesses discussed the Trump
administration’s plans for one of the West’s most contentious
issues: oil and gas leasing on public lands. Department of Interior Secretary
Ryan Zinke has taken steps in recent months toward more extraction-friendly
policies, spurred on by executive orders from
President Donald Trump, including creating a position to
help streamline the energy leasing process. In a subcommittee
meeting of the House Committee on Natural Resources on
Thursday, members grilled four experts on Interior plans to make the U.S.
“energy-dominant,” as the president has promised.
High Country News, 6-30-17
Future of oil drilling near Pismo Beach
hangs in the balance for oil company
A hearing was
held today to decide if an oil company can drill in Price Canyon, just outside
of Pismo Beach.
KEYT-TV (Santa Barbara), 6-29-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
How climate change could threaten the water
supply for millions of Californians
When it comes to California and climate change, the predictions are
staggering: coastal airports besieged by floodwaters, entire beaches
disappearing as sea levels rise. Another disturbing scenario is brewing inland,
in the sleepy backwaters of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
Sacramento
Bee, 6-30-17
Can Jerry Brown fight climate change in his
own backyard?
In a room once occupied by Republican Gov. Earl Warren, Jerry Brown
toasted legislators from across the aisle at a recent climate luncheon in the
stately Governor’s Mansion. Republican lawmakers, the Democratic governor
said emphatically, are an essential component of the coalition he needs to pass
a bullet-proof extension of California’s cap and trade system, a complex,
market-based program viewed as the linchpin of his climate change fight.
Sacramento
Bee, 6-30-17
Floating Wind Plan Could Finally Crack
California’s Offshore Market
Three tapered smokestacks tower above Morro Bay’s otherwise idyllic
harbor, offering what some residents see as a “three-fingered
salute” to this pretty seaside town along California’s Central
Coast.
MIT Technology
Review, 6-30-17
WATER
Environmentalists, fishing groups file
lawsuits to block Delta tunnels plan
Kicking off what
are expected to be years of legal battles, a coalition of environmental and
fishing groups on Thursday filed the first major lawsuits over California Gov.
Jerry Brown’s $17 billion plan to build two massive, 35-mile-long tunnels
under the Delta to make it easier to move water from Northern California to the
south.
Bay Area News Group, 6-29-17
There’s no green light for terrible
Delta tunnels
The blaring headlines this week said the biological opinions issued by
the federal government gave what could be a final green light to the California
WaterFix. Wrong. There is no green light for this $15 billion boondoggle.
Sacramento Bee
commentary, 6-28-17
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