Growing concern over the threat of a major earthquake in California has sparked a statewide movement for resiliency and pending legislation that calls for the identification of buildings most vulnerable to seismic damage and collapse.

Facility Executive, 2-27-18

Sonoma County Braces for Upcoming Rainfall, Possible Mudslides, Flooding

The Santa Rosa Fire Department issued a weather warning for burned regions of Sonoma County, citing concerns over potential flooding and mudslides.

KQED-TV (San Francisco), 2-28-18

Tsunami preparation: Surf’s up isn’t always a good thing

We worry about everything we can think of, and it’s a lengthy litany that ranges from various and intricate death scenarios to where we’re going to get our vacuum cleaner fixed if Fred Hall’s repair shop on Seventh Street closes.

Long Beach Press Telegram, 2-28-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

As California oil regulator seeks more money, legislators ask “Is this working?”

Early in 2011, Bill Allayaud was so fed up with what he saw as dereliction of duty by California’s oil and gas regulator that he began to catalog grievances: unregulated fracking, allowing companies to inject oilfield wastewater into clean water aquifers, little or no oversight into critical practices affecting public health and safety.

CalMatters, 2-28-18

In ‘The Fracking Debate,’ Author Carefully Treads into ‘Caustic Terrain'

Ask anyone familiar with the oil and natural industry, and he or she is likely to agree that the middle ground can sometimes be hard to find in the argument for or against high-volume hydraulic fracturing (fracking), let alone the thin line that often separates fact and fiction.

NGI Shale Gas Daily, 2-28-18

Oklahoma oil, gas regulator modifies earthquake guidelines

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission has developed new requirements for oil and natural gas operators in the event of an earthquake.

Associated Press, 2-27-18

Here’s the bill so far for the Aliso Canyon gas leak: Nearly $1 billion – and counting

The Aliso Canyon gas leak has cost Southern California Gas Co. and its parent company nearly $1 billion, and those costs could rise, officials said this week.

Los Angeles Newspaper Group, 2-28-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

California cities suing oil firms over climate change lose key ruling

California communities that are suing oil and gas companies over climate change were dealt a setback when a federal judge denied requests by San Francisco and Oakland to move their cases to state court.

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-28-18

WATER

Southern California water agency could vote soon on whether to bankroll Delta tunnels

Facing pressure from Gov. Jerry Brown, Southern California’s largest water agency could vote as soon as April on whether to take a majority stake in the twin-tunnels project Brown plans for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

Sacramento Bee, 2-27-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

County stops dumping debris flow sediment on beaches, but ocean remains closed

Sediment being cleared following the 1/9 Debris Flow in Montecito is no longer being deposited at Goleta Beach County Park and Carpinteria Beach, but ocean waters at those locations remain closed to the public for health reasons, Santa Barbara County officials said Monday.

Lompoc Record, 2-27-18

Record Number of Californians Applied for Earthquake Retrofit Grants

The Earthquake Brace + Bolt program closed its latest registration with more than 7,500 California homeowners applying for 2,000 retrofit grants.

Insurance Journal, 2-26-18

Human-made earthquake risk reduced if fracking is 895m from faults

The risk of human-made earthquakes due to fracking is greatly reduced if high-pressure fluid injection used to crack underground rocks is 895m away from faults in the Earth's crust, according to new research.

Science Daily, 2-27-18

At least 20 dead after 7.5-magnitude earthquake hits Papua New Guinea

At least 20 people have died in the Pacific nation of Papua New Guinea (PNG) after a 7.5 earthquake shook the country Monday, cutting off roads and destroying buildings.

CNN, 2-28-18

Mudslide risk prompts evacuation warning for areas impacted by SoCal wildfires

An evacuation warning goes into effect Wednesday morning at 8:00 a.m. for areas of Santa Barbara County impacted by the recent wildfires. Emergency officials are urging people to leave because a coming storm has the potential of causing yet another deadly mudslide.

Associated Press, 2-28-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

As California oil regulator seeks more money, legislators ask “Is this working?”

Cal Matters, 2-28-18

Man-made earthquake risk reduced if fracking is 895m from faults

The risk of man-made earthquakes due to fracking is greatly reduced if high-pressure fluid injection used to crack underground rocks is 895m away from faults in the Earth's crust, according to new research.
Phys.org, 2-27-18

Leaking Becker Oil Well to be Capped

Summerland Beach was a scene of great joy [Monday morning], as the barge from Curtin Maritime, Long Beach, arrived to the coastline and positioned itself to lower the construction equipment to cap the infamous leaking Becker Well.

Santa Barbara Edhat, 2-27-18

U.S. energy drilling boom could mean $6 billion in federal well cleanups

Cleaning up the tens of thousands oil and gas wells on U.S. federal land after they stop producing could cost over $6 billion, and taxpayers may need to pitch in, according to an analysis of state and federal data commissioned by a conservation watchdog group.

Reuters, 2-26-18

Living near oil wells can cause health problems, LA County believes it has solutions

More protections are needed for residents living in close proximity to thousands of oil and gas wells releasing toxic air contaminants near homes, schools and playgrounds in dense, low-income neighborhoods, according to a report released Tuesday by the Los Angeles County Department of Health.

Los Angeles Newspaper Group, 2-27-18

Geothermal Power: Dual Market for Water Treatment and Lithium Extraction Technology

Geothermal power is gaining ground in the global energy mix, growing by 3.4 percent in 2016 to reach 13.4 GW. By 2021, worldwide geothermal power installations are expected to reach 18.4 GW. Today, the geothermal power market is worth an estimated $7.71 billion.

CleanTech, 2-14-18

State Regulators Expand Guidelines To Address Uptick In Fracking-Linked Earthquakes (Oklahoma)

Oklahoma oil and gas regulators are expanding rules designed to reduce earthquake activity triggered by fracking. Updated guidelines released Tuesday by the Oklahoma Corporation put new requirements on companies operating in two of the state’s most booming oil fields.

StateImpact, 2-27-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

Study: Climate Change Threatens Major Crops in California

California currently provides two-thirds of the country’s fruits and nuts, but according to a new study published Tuesday, by the end of the century California’s climate will no longer be able to support the state’s major crops, including orchards.

KQED (San Francisco television/radio), 2-27-18

Researchers Say Climate Change Could Significantly Reduce Crop Yields By 2050

Climate change could decrease the yield of some crops in the state by up to 40 percent by 2050. That’s a big deal for farmers growing more than 400 commodities.

Capital Public Radio, 2-27-18

Climate change pushing weather extremes 'off the scale', says global cities group

Storms, floods and other extreme weather events are hitting cities much harder than scientists have predicted, said the head of a global network of cities tackling climate change.

Reuters, 2-26-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Metallica’s James Hetfield turns over 1,000 acres of open space to MALT

Metallica front man James Hetfield has officially turned over 1,000 acres of land as open space that will end up with the Marin Agricultural Land Trust, after the county Board of Supervisors signed off on the deal Tuesday.

Marin Independent Journal, 2-27-18

Napa expert grim about the state and direction of the valley: ‘I don’t see any hope’

Few people have spent more time thinking and writing about the Napa Valley than author James Conaway. Now, on the eve of the publication of this third book about the region, Conaway finds himself under gray skies, pessimistic and alarmed about the valley’s state and direction.

Modesto Bee, 2-28-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Santa Barbara County Tells Utility Companies to Plan for Future Debris Flows

Santa Barbara County emergency officials developed new pre-storm evacuation procedures, and are telling utility companies to make contingency plans for future debris flows, including having repair crews in the Montecito area so they don’t get stuck on the wrong side of a Highway 101 closure.

Santa Barbara Noozhawk, 2-26-18

3.8-magnitude earthquake strikes near Anza

A 3.8-magnitude earthquake struck near Anza in Riverside County Monday morning. The temblor struck approximately 11.2 miles east-southeast of Anza and 23.6 miles south of Palm Springs at around 10:44 a.m. PT, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

KABC-TV (Los Angeles), 2-26-18

Earthquake early warning app sends alert through building fire alarms, home devices

Imagine hearing an audio warning about an earthquake up to a minute before it hits. The sound would play through your building's fire alarm system, even Google Home or Amazon's home devices.

KABC-TV (Los Angeles), 2-26-18

Papua New Guinea quake assessment hindered by severe damage

Severe damage to phone networks and roads from a powerful earthquake in Papua New Guinea was hindering efforts to assess the extent of the destruction Tuesday, although officials in the remote central region feared dozens of people may have been injured or killed.

Associated Press, 2-26-18

As Rain Begins, Residents In Burn Areas Are Ready To Get Out

Residents in recent burn and mudslide-devastated areas were told Monday to get ready to evacuate again as the first of two winter storms bears down on Southern California.

KCAL-TV (Los Angeles), 2-26-18

Trump Administration Wants to Defund Earthquake Warning System Being Developed by Caltech, Other Universities

ShakeAlert, an earthquake early warning system for the U.S. West Coast developed by the U.S. Geological Survey in collaboration with several California and university partners, could lose funding if Congress does not vote to continue supporting the system for fiscal year 2018-2019, a National Coordinator for the program based in Pasadena confirmed recently.

Pasadena Now, 2-26-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

LA County isn’t doing enough to protect people living near oil wells, study says

Los Angeles County is not doing enough to keep people who live alongside oil wells from getting sick. That’s the finding of a new study by the county’s Department of Public Health, which recommends increasing the distance between oil wells and places where people live, work and play.

Southern California Public Radio, 2-26-18

MINING

Our Next Energy and Security Crisis?

Oil and natural gas aren’t just fuels. They supply building blocks for pharmaceuticals; plastics in vehicle bodies, athletic helmets and thousands of other products; and complex composites in solar panels and wind turbine blades and nacelles.

Townhall commentary, 2-25-18

WATER

Editorial: Water bond blame belongs to legislators

We watch with wonder as legislators lash out at the California Water Commission for its handling of the water storage money included in Proposition 1.

That’s because the commission is doing exactly what those legislators — and the public — told it to do.

Chico Enterprise-Record, 2-25-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

On the Front Lines of Sea-Level Rise, Sewage Treatment Plants Adapt

Rising sea levels are expected to cause all kinds of trouble in coastal communities, from eroded shorelines to flooded buildings and roads. One of the areas showing the most pressing vulnerability, however, is sewage treatment plants.

Water Deeply, 2-26-18

With sea level rise, a major California ecosystem faces extinction if we don’t act

It is increasingly clear that climate change will touch every corner of California. For the state’s coastal marshes – a major ecosystem from San Diego to Humboldt counties – the toll may be complete annihilation.

Sacramento Bee commentary, 2-22-18

Vallejo gets first look at rising sea level solutions

Imagine the waterfront flanked with gorgeous levees that double as parks or even play areas for children. Or raised walkways that meander over to Mare Island. These are just some of the things that have been done in other cities, and the group that’s working on developing a proposal here shared ideas with the community on Saturday at the Farmer’s Market on Georgia Street.

Vallejo Times-Herald commentary, 2-24-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

UCSB Researchers Survey Debris Flows After Montecito Mudslides

In the early hours of Jan. 9, an enormous amount of rainfall fell on Montecito. The foothills scorched by the Thomas Fire could not absorb all the water, creating a force of mud, debris, sediment, rocks and plants that pushed its way through the Montecito communities toward the Pacific Ocean. The path of mud led to damaged homes, closure of the 101 freeway and loss of loved ones.

U.C. Santa Barbara Daily Nexus, 2-22-18

3.6 shaker latest in quake swarm around Tri-Valley, Danville area

An earthquake measuring 3.6 struck the Danville area on Friday afternoon, the largest of a swarm of nearly 60 small quakes in the area over the past week, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Bay Area News Group, 2-23-18

Scientists discover Sonoma County earthquake fault connected to Hayward fault

Sonoma Index-Tribune, 2-23-18

Swarm of earthquakes rattles San Francisco Bay Area

Several magnitude 2 and 3 earthquakes rumbled through the San Francisco Bay Area on Friday. It's the latest seismic activity to add to a swarm of 60 earthquakes greater than magnitude 1 to hit the Danville area in the past week.

Los Angeles Times, 2-23-18

Quake swarm hits Danville as East Bay prepares for bigger temblor

Did you feel the shaking? Since midnight Friday, there have been at least 19 earthquakes in the Danville area -- the biggest one a magnitude-3.6 at 12:19 p.m.

KGO-TV (San Francisco), 2-23-18

Authorities on alert as winter storm moves toward charred mountains in Santa Barbara County

Authorities are monitoring a winter storm that's expected to bring rain to fire-ravaged mountains in Santa Barbara County starting Monday evening, possibly giving way to flooding and debris flows.

Los Angeles Times, 2-25-18

More snow and rain — enough to raise mudslide concerns — coming in next winter storm

Another cold front will sweep over Southern California late Monday, bringing snow at low elevations, a chance of thunderstorms and possibly enough rain to raise concerns of mudslides in areas burned by last year’s wildfires, according to the National Weather Service.

Los Angeles Newspaper Group, 2-25-18

Magnitude 7.5 earthquake strikes Papua New Guinea

A powerful earthquake rattled forest villages and a large gold mine in central Papua New Guinea early Monday, but there were no immediate reports of injuries. Officials were waiting for more information about damage from the magnitude-7.5 quake that hit about 89 kilometers, about 55 miles, southwest of Porgera in the Pacific Island nation.

Associated Press, 2-25-18

West Coast earthquake warning system to be defunded in proposed federal budget

California’s earthquake early warning system could be defunded by President Donald Trump’s administration if Congress does not vote to continue supporting the alert system for the 2018-19 fiscal year.

U.C. Berkeley Daily Californian, 2-25-18

DIVISION OF MINE RECLAMATION

Officials to plug abandoned mine shafts outside Las Vegas

State and county officials are teaming up to plug abandoned mine shafts left behind at a century-old gypsum mining operation southwest of Las Vegas.

Associated Press, 2-24-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Texas adds 3 rigs as US rig count increases to 978

The number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. increased by three this week to 978. That exceeds the 754 rigs that were active this time a year ago.

Associated Press, 2-23-18

WATER

Marin water plant to get $400,000 seismic upgrade

The Marin Municipal Water District will spend $400,000 to protect a key treatment plant in case of a big earthquake. The district’s San Geronimo Water Treatment Plant in Woodacre provides half of the water supply to the county, but two circular clarifiers were built prior to current seismic standards and stand vulnerable to a large temblor.

Marin Independent Journal, 2-25-18

Commentary: The next big front in California’s water war

After one year of torrential respite, drought may have returned to California, and with it, a renewal of the state’s perpetual conflict over water management.

CalMatters column, 2-25-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

‘Game of Floods’ teaches tough climate change choices for Marin County climate change

Coastal homes are flooded and uninhabitable. Roads resemble creek beds, and hospitals and fire stations regularly fill with water. The drinking water supply has been contaminated by the rising sea and power outages are a matter of routine rather than rare occurrence.

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-26-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Wildlife board OKs major expansion of Palo Verde Reserve (DLRP)

The Palo Verde Ecological Reserve in Blythe, one of the most popular dove hunting spots for Southern California hunters each Sept. 1, will increase in size by 328 acres thanks to a purchased approved by the state Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) Thursday this past week.

Victorville Daily Press, 2-25-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

More Small Quakes Shake Contra Costa County

Several more small earthquakes have occurred east of San Francisco Bay in the Danville area of Contra Costa County where a swarm has been occurring.

Associated Press, 2-23-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Blowout well near Porter Ranch was severely corroded, investigators say

Investigators hired to pinpoint the cause of the nation's largest uncontrolled natural gas leak said in a new report that they found extensive corrosion on the casing of the well that broke open at the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage Facility near Porter Ranch.

Southern California Public Radio, 2-22-18

Groundwater Sustainability Agency Opposes Sespe Aquifier Proposal

The Fillmore/Piru GSA Board of Directors voted unanimously to oppose the Sespe Aquifer Exemption proposal, and to send a letter to the State Water Resources Control Board, stating their position.

Fillmore Gazette, 2-21-18

Community Voices: With Measure Z struck down, Chevron moves forward

Chevron has operated in Monterey County for over 70 years, and in Fresno and Kern counties for over 100 years. For our Chevron family and yours, we spend considerable time and effort conducting our operations in a safe and environmentally sensitive manner that meets or exceeds regulatory requirements.

Bakersfield Californian commentary, 2-22-18

Cold weather strains local gas supply

As overnight temperatures drop and demand for natural gas for home heating rises, Southern California Gas Company is stretching its supply this week by reducing the fuel it provides to local power-generating utilities.

Southern California Public Radio, 2-22-18

U.S. court blocks Trump administration from ending oil, gas waste rule

A U.S. court temporarily blocked the Trump administration from delaying or ending an Obama-era rule aimed at preventing oil and gas leaks during production, according to court documents, marking the fourth time either Congress or the courts have upheld the rule’s implementation.

Reuters, 2-23-18

WATER

California water agency gets scolded: Speed up spending billions on new reservoirs

With California facing another potential drought, legislators demanded Wednesday that a state agency release $2.7 billion in bond funding for dams, reservoirs and other water storage projects.

Sacramento Bee, 2-21-18

Bureaucrats are blocking badly needed reservoirs

Four years ago, California voters directed the government to update our state water system by passing Proposition 1, a $7 billion water bond that included clear guidelines for investing $2.7 billion in new reservoirs.

Sacramento Bee commentary, 2-20-18

California’s Recurring Nightmare: Nearly Half the State is Back in Drought

After an all-too-brief reprieve, the Golden State is once again starting to brown up — at least on government drought maps.

KQED-TV (San Francisco), 2-22-18

Fulfill the Promise of the Water Bond

Maybe I was naïve. Back in October 2014 I wrote a column in F&H promoting the passage of the Proposition 1 water bond on the November ballot chiefly because money in the bond would be dedicated to water storage, something desperately needed as California faced a drought.

Fox and Hounds, 2-22-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change 'will push European cities towards breaking point’

Major British towns and cities, including Glasgow, Wrexham, Aberdeen and Chester, could be much more severely affected by climate change than previously thought, according to new research.

The Guardian (United Kingdom), 2-20-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Scientists discover Sonoma County earthquake fault connected to Hayward fault

Just after the first light of dawn, his house was slammed by a sudden, gigantic shock. Then, as he ran out onto Tupper Street near downtown Santa Rosa, J.W. Brown noticed a “great noise” approaching from the west. He could see the tops of trees waving in that direction, and as he watched, the motion and roaring sound came racing towards him. He grabbed a small tree for support, but the shaking tore it from his grasp. As the ground swayed in waves “about 2 feet high and 15 feet long”, he watched the tall dome of the nearby courthouse sway west, then east, and back, and with the third swing, collapse.

Press Democrat, 2-21-18

Earthquake early warning: How the U.S. trails Mexico in potential life-saver

The lack of an earthquake early-warning system is again tormenting seismologists in California after Mexico City twice utilized the technology in the past week, giving people a head start of 30 seconds to a minute to take cover or exit an unsafe building.

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-20-18

California earthquake simulation shows devastation wreaked by 7.0 Big One on Hayward fault

Seismologists and mathematicians in the Lawrence Livermore National Lab have been working on a simulation to get a clearer picture of what the impact of a mega earthquake along the Hayward fault line would look like.

The Express (United Kingdom), 2-21-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Using Data From Fracking Country, Scientists Train a Neural Network to Detect Earthquakes

As earthquakes grow more frequent in the central United States—driven at least in part by the fracking boom—researchers have been working on sophisticated new tools, including satellites, underwater seismic sensors, and software to detect temblors and hopefully even predict them.

Mother Jones, 2-22-18

SLO County activists launch petition to ban fracking

In between shouts of approval from a crowd gathered on Feb. 21 on Monterey Street in downtown San Luis Obispo to hear local officials advocate for action against offshore oil drilling, white signs glinted in the cool February sun. In all capital letters they shouted, "Ban Fracking." "Protect our Water ... Sign Here."

San Luis Obispo New Times, 2-22-18

Volunteers gather signatures for fracking, oil expansion ban in San Luis Obispo County

Volunteers said they began collecting signatures on Wednesday for a ballot initiative that would ban fracking and gas drilling expansion in unincorporated parts of San Luis Obispo County.

KSBY-TV (San Luis Obispo), 2-21-18

California Issues Revised Proposed Underground Gas Storage Regulations

On February 12, 2018, the California Department of Conservation (“DOC”) issued a public notice announcing revisions to the text of the proposed regulations in the rulemaking for California Underground Gas Storage Projects. This rulemaking follows a saga of rulemakings for underground gas storage projects in the state – both emergency and general rulemakings – which all began in early 2016. The rulemakings were spurred by the underground gas storage leak at the Aliso Canyon facility in southern California, which was discovered on October 23, 2015 and continued leaking until February 2016.

JD Supra, 2-20-18

Colorado’s oil and gas regulatory agency is running out of money – fast

It and other programs are at the mercy of volatile severance tax revenue and may have to cut back or shut down and wait for better days.

Colorado Independent, 2-21-18

Congressman Salud Carbajal leads SLO rally against offshore oil drilling

San Luis Obispo County officials and community leaders joined Congressman Salud Carbajal Wednesday to protest the U.S. Interior Department’s proposal to open federal waters off California to offshore oil drilling and encourage residents to submit their comments on the plan.

San Luis Obispo Tribune, 2-21-18

WATER

California winter now third driest on record

State officials say California's winter so far is the third driest on record as much of the state heads back toward drought. Last year's unprecedented rainfall has left most reservoirs slightly above their average capacity for this time of year. But water officials said Tuesday that the lack of snow this winter will prevent the reservoirs from replenishing as the season continues.

Associated Press, 2-20-18

California must make water conservation restrictions permanent

California’s drought is coming back. Now it’s time for the state Water Resources Control Board to enforce conservation measures on a permanent basis.

San Francisco Chronicle editorial, 2-20-18

Drought? What drought?

At about this time last year California was reveling in good news: The drought was over. Some parts of the state actually had so much water they were flooding. The governor ultimately lifted emergency regulations that restricted things like watering lawns during a rainstorm or letting the hose spew into the gutter while soaping down the car.

Los Angeles Times editorial, 2-21-18

HIGH SPEED RAIL

Water, Power, and High-Speed Rail

A Perfect Confluence of Opportunity and Gain

Santa Barbara Independent, 2-20-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

California's coastal marshes could be washed out to sea by 2110

Pass by the Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve on your way up the 101, and you'd be forgiven for thinking nothing of it. From afar, it looks like a giant piece of brown, barren land sitting idle between you and the Pacific ocean.

Southern California Public Radio, 2-21-18

GENERAL

Using the best data possible, we set out to find the middle of nowhere

In a triumph of data collection and analysis, a team of researchers based at Oxford University has built the tools necessary to calculate how far any dot on a map is from a city — or anything else.

Washington Post, 2-20-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Trump again seeks to end funding for earthquake early warning system

Mexico City got a substantial warning before the shaking from a distant earthquake arrived Friday — some 30 to 60 seconds broadcast over loudspeakers from an earthquake early warning system.

Los Angeles Times, 2-20-18

Oil Companies Want to Conduct Seismic Surveys that Threaten Marine Life

Animals that live in the ocean communicate with sound — humpback whales, for example. But these voices could soon be drowned out by powerful sonic booms from vessels searching for oil and gas.

KQED-TV (San Francisco), 2-20-18

Swarm of Bay Area earthquakes Tuesday just ‘ordinary activity’

A swarm of small earthquakes that never surpassed a magnitude of 3.0 were reported early Tuesday near Mount Diablo, according to the United States Geological Survey. The temblors reached a magnitude of 3.0, 2.9, 2.8 and 2.6, providing the latest installment in a series of swarms that have hit the region over the past week. A fourth quake, the last of them as of 6:30 Tuesday evening, was a magnitude 2.8.

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-20-18

Five questions: What a Cal State Fullerton professor is learning about deadly mudslides

The catastrophic mudslide that inundated houses in Montecito in Santa Barbara County in January, killing 21 people, appeared to hit suddenly. But the disaster, mere weeks after a wildfire scorched the area, didn’t come out of nowhere.

Orange County Register, 2-21-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Groups demand Barger force shutdown of Aliso Canyon gas site

Residents of Aliso Canyon are planning to call on Supervisor Kathryn Barger to insist the governor shuts down the natural gas wells in the area, more than two years after the wells were the site of the largest natural gas leak in American history.

Santa Clarita Signal, 2-19-18

The Duplicity Of California's Oil Collapse

The collapse of the oil industry in California, once our second-most-important producing state, is a very sad thing to see. The U.S. shale revolution has completely passed the state by.

Forbes, 2-20-18

Zinke promises Brown he'll listen to California on offshore oil drilling

The Trump administration promised Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday that it will listen to California's objections to its plans to dramatically expand offshore oil and natural gas drilling.

Sacramento Bee, 2-20-18

WATER

California officials on water storage: What, me worry?

A defining quality of California’s state government is sluggishness. It’s common for audits of state agencies to note that problems identified in previous audits remain unresolved.

San Diego Union Tribune editorial, 2-20-18

Permanent water restrictions imminent for California

That sign in hotel rooms asking guests if they really need their towels and sheets washed each day would become the rule in California, enforced with a $500 fine, if water officials vote to make a series of smaller-scale conservation measures permanent in the drought-prone state.

Associated Press, 2-20-18

What a dry 2018 will mean to Stanislaus County farmers and homeowners

Irrigation season was delayed in 2017 as storm after storm kept farm and garden soil moist. Fast-forward to 2018, which has started out very dry and brought calls to fill the canals early.

Modesto Bee, 2-17-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Freeze turns Calif. almond orchards into fields of icicles, threatens $5 billion industry

California's almond trees are confused. A spell of unseasonably warm weather in early February tricked the trees into blooming early, and now the freezing temperatures are putting the blossoms at risk, threatening the state's $5 billion industry.

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-20-18

Sprinklers keep almond orchard temperatures up as they coat the trees with icicles

Almond orchards throughout the area were wearing icicles early Tuesday morning, as growers turned on their sprinklers to temper the cold weather’s impact on the blooms and young nuts.

Chico Enterprise-Record, 2-20-18

Freezing temperatures had farmers on edge as many try to protect crops

An early-morning freeze put area farmers on full alert Tuesday, but the damage – if any – may not show up for days or even weeks.

Fresno Bee, 2-20-18

Sonoma County grape growers battle frost after early bud break

Below-freezing temperatures that can damage Sonoma County’s $575 million grape crop before it even develops are prompting some growers to launch an unusually early campaign to protect their vineyards from frost.

Santa Rosa Press Democrat, 2-20-18

Facing specter of drought, California farmers are told to expect little water

It's starting to look like a drought year for California farmers who depend on water from the federal government.

Sacramento Bee, 2-20-18

Some fear California drought cuts could erase water rights

A proposal to make California's drought-era water restrictions permanent could allow the state to chip away at long-held water rights in an unprecedented power grab, representatives from water districts and other users told regulators Tuesday.

Associated Press, 2-20-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

Humboldt County Considers Its Risks As Pacific Rises

Humboldt County can be a wet place, but there's plenty more to come as sea levels continue to rise.

Jefferson Public Radio, 2-16-18

Countries made only modest climate-change promises in Paris. They’re falling short anyway.

Barely two years ago, after weeks of intense bargaining in Paris, leaders from 195 countries announced a global agreement that once had seemed impossible. For the first time, the nations of the world would band together to reduce humanity’s reliance on fossil fuels in an effort to hold off the most devastating effects of climate change.

Washington Post, 2-19-18

GENERAL

Blame California's cities and counties for housing delays, not state environmental law, new study says

Those who want to blame a California environmental law for the state’s housing problems should instead point their fingers at cities and counties, according to a new report from researchers at UC Berkeley and Columbia University. The California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, a 1970 state law, requires developers to analyze and eliminate a project’s effect on the environment before building. While often praised for preservation, CEQA is a continual target for those who argue the law blocks needed housing.

Los Angeles Times, 2-20-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Indonesian volcano unleashes towering ash column

Rumbling Mount Sinabung on the Indonesian island of Sumatra shot billowing columns of ash more than 16,400 feet into the atmosphere and hot clouds down its slopes on Monday.

Associated Press, 2-20-18

Magnitude-7.2 earthquake slams south, central Mexico

A powerful magnitude-7.2 earthquake shook south and central Mexico Friday, causing people to flee swaying buildings and office towers in the country's capital, where residents were still jittery after a deadly quake five months ago.

Associated Press, 2-16-18

Magnitude 7.2 earthquake jolts southeastern Mexico

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck southeastern Mexico on Friday night, with the epicenter in the state of Oaxaca, the US Geological Survey reported.

CNN, 2-16-18

5.9 quake hits southern Mexico, but no damage reported

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake shook the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca on Monday, days after a more powerful temblor hit the same area.

Associated Press, 2-19-18

'Big One' fears mount as earthquake 'cluster' strikes Pacific Ring of Fire

Scientists in California have analysed 101 major earthquakes around the Pacific Ring of Fire, a horseshoe-shaped geological disaster zone, between 1990 and 2016. They believe a cluster of tremors around the area could indicate a “big one” is due to hit.

The (U.K.) Express, 2-18-18

Rescue Operation For Community Hospital Has Momentum, But Complications Getting Worse

A task force has formed, and a state law has been introduced, but keeping Community Hospital Long Beach open continues to be an uphill battle. Last Thursday, state Assemblyman Patrick O'Donnell (D-Long Beach) introduced a bill that would push back the deadline for Community Hospital to meet seismic (earthquake) standards.

Long Beach Grunion Gazette, 2-9-18

Swarm of earthquakes continue to shake Mount Diablo, East Bay

The swarm of small earthquakes continues to shake the East Bay, with four tremors overnight and into Tuesday morning centered near Mount Diablo, registering a 3.0, 2.9, 2.8, and 2.6 magnitude according to the United States Geological Survey.

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-20-18

California Looks to Mexico to Implement Similar Earthquake Warning System

Up to a minute before the 7.2 earthquake shook southern Mexico Friday afternoon, millions of people 225 miles north of the capital were alerted. Sirens alarmed and phones vibrated warning them of impending shaking allowing many to evacuate.

KNTV (San Jose), 2-18-18

SDSU-IV to spend $2.1M to retrofit historical building

San Diego State University-Imperial Valley has plans to retrofit an earthquake-damaged building built in 1915 by a pair of sibling architects who then, as now, were widely considered the preeminent school architects in California during the early 20th century.

Imperial Valley Press, 2-17-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

US rig count remains unchanged at 975

The number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. didn't increase this week, remaining at 975 for the second week in a row. That exceeds the 751 rigs that were active this time a year ago.

Associated Press, 2-16-18

Where's the outrage over onshore drilling?

California’s fight against the Trump administration’s reckless offshore drilling proposal is heating up. State lawmakers like Sen. Hannah Beth-Jackson and Assemblywoman Monique Limón are fiercely fighting the plan, which would threaten our coastal communities and marine wildlife with inevitable, devastating oil spills.

Ventura County Star commentary, 2-17-18

Fracking Has Its Costs And Benefits -- The Trick Is Balancing Them

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is perhaps the most important energy discovery in the last half century. As a result of fracking, U.S. production of oil and natural gas has increased dramatically.

Forbes, 2-20-18

Concerned About Drilling 30 New Oil Wells & Fracking Within Culver City Limits?

On Wednesday, February 21st the City of Culver City invites us all to come learn about its new proposed oil & gas regulations and their environmental impacts review (EIR). This is the time to ask where in the EIR are risks of earthquakes addressed?

Culver City Observer letter to the editor, 2-15-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

‘The impact farming has on climate change cannot be ignored’

The impact farming has on climate change cannot be ignored, according to the chair of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Fine Gael TD Pat Deering.

AgriLand, 2-19-18

Ag Plan strives to preserve Silicon Valley’s farming heritage

For four generations Chris Borello’s family has been farming cherries in the Santa Clara Valley, hopscotching their orchards south as developers bought out their land for housing.

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-18-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

More Small Quakes Shake Contra Costa County

Several more small earthquakes have occurred east of San Francisco Bay in the Danville area of Contra Costa County where a swarm has been occurring.

Associated Press, 2-23-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Blowout well near Porter Ranch was severely corroded, investigators say

Southern California Public Radio, 2-22-18

Groundwater Sustainability Agency Opposes Sespe Aquifier Proposal

The Fillmore/Piru GSA Board of Directors voted unanimously to oppose the Sespe Aquifer Exemption proposal, and to send a letter to the State Water Resources Control Board, stating their position.

Fillmore Gazette, 2-21-18

Community Voices: With Measure Z struck down, Chevron moves forward

Bakersfield Californian commentary, 2-22-18

Cold weather strains local gas supply

Southern California Public Radio, 2-22-18

U.S. court blocks Trump administration from ending oil, gas waste rule

Reuters, 2-23-18

WATER

California water agency gets scolded: Speed up spending billions on new reservoirs

With California facing another potential drought, legislators demanded Wednesday that a state agency release $2.7 billion in bond funding for dams, reservoirs and other water storage projects.

Sacramento Bee, 2-21-18

Bureaucrats are blocking badly needed reservoirs

Sacramento Bee commentary, 2-20-18

California’s Recurring Nightmare: Nearly Half the State is Back in Drought

After an all-too-brief reprieve, the Golden State is once again starting to brown up — at least on government drought maps.

KQED-TV (San Francisco), 2-22-18

Fulfill the Promise of the Water Bond

Fox and Hounds, 2-22-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change 'will push European cities towards breaking point’

Major British towns and cities, including Glasgow, Wrexham, Aberdeen and Chester, could be much more severely affected by climate change than previously thought, according to new research.

The Guardian (United Kingdom), 2-20-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Scientists discover Sonoma County earthquake fault connected to Hayward fault

Press Democrat, 2-21-18

Earthquake early warning: How the U.S. trails Mexico in potential life-saver

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-20-18

California earthquake simulation shows devastation wreaked by 7.0 Big One on Hayward fault

The Express (United Kingdom), 2-21-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Using Data From Fracking Country, Scientists Train a Neural Network to Detect Earthquakes

Mother Jones, 2-22-18

SLO County activists launch petition to ban fracking

San Luis Obispo New Times, 2-22-18

Volunteers gather signatures for fracking, oil expansion ban in San Luis Obispo County

Volunteers said they began collecting signatures on Wednesday for a ballot initiative that would ban fracking and gas drilling expansion in unincorporated parts of San Luis Obispo County.

KSBY-TV (San Luis Obispo), 2-21-18

California Issues Revised Proposed Underground Gas Storage Regulations

JD Supra, 2-20-18

Colorado’s oil and gas regulatory agency is running out of money – fast

It and other programs are at the mercy of volatile severance tax revenue and may have to cut back or shut down and wait for better days.

Colorado Independent, 2-21-18

Congressman Salud Carbajal leads SLO rally against offshore oil drilling

San Luis Obispo Tribune, 2-21-18

WATER

California winter now third driest on record

Associated Press, 2-20-18

California must make water conservation restrictions permanent

California’s drought is coming back. Now it’s time for the state Water Resources Control Board to enforce conservation measures on a permanent basis.

San Francisco Chronicle editorial, 2-20-18

Drought? What drought?

Los Angeles Times editorial, 2-21-18

HIGH SPEED RAIL

Water, Power, and High-Speed Rail

A Perfect Confluence of Opportunity and Gain

Santa Barbara Independent, 2-20-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

California's coastal marshes could be washed out to sea by 2110

Southern California Public Radio, 2-21-18

GENERAL

Using the best data possible, we set out to find the middle of nowhere

In a triumph of data collection and analysis, a team of researchers based at Oxford University has built the tools necessary to calculate how far any dot on a map is from a city — or anything else.

Washington Post, 2-20-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Trump again seeks to end funding for earthquake early warning system

Mexico City got a substantial warning before the shaking from a distant earthquake arrived Friday — some 30 to 60 seconds broadcast over loudspeakers from an earthquake early warning system.

Los Angeles Times, 2-20-18

Oil Companies Want to Conduct Seismic Surveys that Threaten Marine Life

Animals that live in the ocean communicate with sound — humpback whales, for example. But these voices could soon be drowned out by powerful sonic booms from vessels searching for oil and gas.

KQED-TV (San Francisco), 2-20-18

Swarm of Bay Area earthquakes Tuesday just ‘ordinary activity’

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-20-18

Five questions: What a Cal State Fullerton professor is learning about deadly mudslides

Orange County Register, 2-21-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Groups demand Barger force shutdown of Aliso Canyon gas site

Santa Clarita Signal, 2-19-18

The Duplicity Of California's Oil Collapse

The collapse of the oil industry in California, once our second-most-important producing state, is a very sad thing to see. The U.S. shale revolution has completely passed the state by.

Forbes, 2-20-18

Zinke promises Brown he'll listen to California on offshore oil drilling

The Trump administration promised Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday that it will listen to California's objections to its plans to dramatically expand offshore oil and natural gas drilling.

Sacramento Bee, 2-20-18

WATER

California officials on water storage: What, me worry?

A defining quality of California’s state government is sluggishness. It’s common for audits of state agencies to note that problems identified in previous audits remain unresolved.

San Diego Union Tribune editorial, 2-20-18

Permanent water restrictions imminent for California

Associated Press, 2-20-18

What a dry 2018 will mean to Stanislaus County farmers and homeowners

Irrigation season was delayed in 2017 as storm after storm kept farm and garden soil moist. Fast-forward to 2018, which has started out very dry and brought calls to fill the canals early.

Modesto Bee, 2-17-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Freeze turns Calif. almond orchards into fields of icicles, threatens $5 billion industry

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-20-18

Sprinklers keep almond orchard temperatures up as they coat the trees with icicles

Almond orchards throughout the area were wearing icicles early Tuesday morning, as growers turned on their sprinklers to temper the cold weather’s impact on the blooms and young nuts.

Chico Enterprise-Record, 2-20-18

Freezing temperatures had farmers on edge as many try to protect crops

An early-morning freeze put area farmers on full alert Tuesday, but the damage – if any – may not show up for days or even weeks.

Fresno Bee, 2-20-18

Sonoma County grape growers battle frost after early bud break

Santa Rosa Press Democrat, 2-20-18

Facing specter of drought, California farmers are told to expect little water

It's starting to look like a drought year for California farmers who depend on water from the federal government.

Sacramento Bee, 2-20-18

Some fear California drought cuts could erase water rights

Associated Press, 2-20-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

Humboldt County Considers Its Risks As Pacific Rises

Humboldt County can be a wet place, but there's plenty more to come as sea levels continue to rise.

Jefferson Public Radio, 2-16-18

Countries made only modest climate-change promises in Paris. They’re falling short anyway.

Washington Post, 2-19-18

GENERAL

Blame California's cities and counties for housing delays, not state environmental law, new study says

Los Angeles Times, 2-20-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Indonesian volcano unleashes towering ash column

Rumbling Mount Sinabung on the Indonesian island of Sumatra shot billowing columns of ash more than 16,400 feet into the atmosphere and hot clouds down its slopes on Monday.

Associated Press, 2-20-18

Magnitude-7.2 earthquake slams south, central Mexico

Associated Press, 2-16-18

Magnitude 7.2 earthquake jolts southeastern Mexico

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck southeastern Mexico on Friday night, with the epicenter in the state of Oaxaca, the US Geological Survey reported.

CNN, 2-16-18

5.9 quake hits southern Mexico, but no damage reported

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake shook the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca on Monday, days after a more powerful temblor hit the same area.

Associated Press, 2-19-18

'Big One' fears mount as earthquake 'cluster' strikes Pacific Ring of Fire

The (U.K.) Express, 2-18-18

Rescue Operation For Community Hospital Has Momentum, But Complications Getting Worse

Long Beach Grunion Gazette, 2-9-18

Swarm of earthquakes continue to shake Mount Diablo, East Bay

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-20-18

California Looks to Mexico to Implement Similar Earthquake Warning System

KNTV (San Jose), 2-18-18

SDSU-IV to spend $2.1M to retrofit historical building

Imperial Valley Press, 2-17-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

US rig count remains unchanged at 975

Associated Press, 2-16-18

Where's the outrage over onshore drilling?

Ventura County Star commentary, 2-17-18

Fracking Has Its Costs And Benefits -- The Trick Is Balancing Them

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is perhaps the most important energy discovery in the last half century. As a result of fracking, U.S. production of oil and natural gas has increased dramatically.

Forbes, 2-20-18

Concerned About Drilling 30 New Oil Wells & Fracking Within Culver City Limits?

Culver City Observer letter to the editor, 2-15-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

‘The impact farming has on climate change cannot be ignored’

The impact farming has on climate change cannot be ignored, according to the chair of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Fine Gael TD Pat Deering.

AgriLand, 2-19-18

Ag Plan strives to preserve Silicon Valley’s farming heritage

For four generations Chris Borello’s family has been farming cherries in the Santa Clara Valley, hopscotching their orchards south as developers bought out their land for housing.

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-18-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Earthquake Early Warning 5 seconds before ‘killer pulse’

Stand-alone “P-wave detectors” provided about five seconds of warning before the ‘killer pulse’ of violent shaking launched by last week’s M=6.4 Taiwan quake reached Hualien, where seven buildings fell. Had these detectors been placed in the buildings, this would have been sufficient time for occupants to ‘drop, cover, and hold on,’ potentially saving lives.

Temblor.com, 2-14-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Expanding Elk Grove: Narrow vote allows city to start considering southern development of farmland, wildlife habitat

A regional body of elected officials and residents narrowly approved opening the door to development that farmers and environmentalists say could threaten wildlife habitats and conservation efforts south of Elk Grove.

Sacramento News & Review, 2-15-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Council against offshore drilling

The Town Hall audience gave a round of applause Monday night as the Fort Bragg City Council voted unanimously to adopt a resolution calling for the protection of our ocean and coast from offshore drilling, exploration and fracking.

Fort Bragg Advocate-News, 2-15-18

WATER

Dreading ‘Day Zero’ as California drought resumes

On hearing that Day Zero just got pushed back a couple of months, the casual news consumer might be forgiven for confusing this with a bulletin from the Doomsday Clock scientists who predict the likelihood of worldwide nuclear devastation. But no, that metaphorical clock is still set at two minutes to midnight.

Los Angeles Newspaper Group editorial, 2-14-18

Sierra Snowpack, Far Below Normal, is a ‘Wakeup Call’

California’s “frozen reservoir” is already melting. With California locked in the embrace of unseasonably dry weather and high temperatures, water content of the Sierra snowpack is currently 22 percent of the long-term average for early February.

KQED-TV (San Francisco), 2-15-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

Even with pledges to fight global warming, you'd better brace yourself for more extreme weather

Scientists have some sobering news about the future of our planet: Even if humans manage to meet the temperature target set forth in the Paris climate change agreement, record-breaking weather events will become increasingly common around the world. And that's the good part.

Los Angeles Times, 2-14-18

Leaked U.N. climate report sees ‘very high risk’ the planet will warm beyond key limit

A draft United Nations climate science report contains dire news about the warming of the planet, suggesting it will likely cross the key marker of 1.5 degrees Celsius, or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, of temperature rise in the 2040s, and that this will be exceedingly difficult to avoid.

Washington Post, 2-14-18

Key to predicting climate change could be blowing in the wind, researchers find

Dust that blew into the North Pacific Ocean could help explain why the Earth's climate cooled 2.7 million years ago, according to a new study published in the journal Science Advances.

Phys.org, 2-15-18

Supervisors adopt new climate plan over widespread opposition from green groups, residents

The county of San Diego is bracing itself for the next chapter in a years-long legal saga over its plans to limit greenhouse gases.

San Diego Union Tribune, 2-14-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

SB County Seeks To Improve Disaster Preparedness

In the wake of the Jan. 9 mudslide that devastated Monetico neighborhoods, Santa Barbara County has unveiled new disaster preparedness policies to improve communication between the county and citizens.

U.C. Santa Barbara Daily Nexus, 2-15-18

3.5-magnitude quake strikes near Redlands

A 3.5-magnitude earthquake struck about 2 miles east, southeast of Redlands Wednesday afternoon. The temblor struck around 5:45 p.m. and was a little more than 8 miles deep, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

KABC-TV (Los Angeles), 2-14-18

3.5-magnitude quake centered near Mentone is felt around Southern California

A preliminary 3.5-magnitude earthquake struck at 5:47 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 14, about 2 miles south of Mentone in San Bernardino County, the U.S Geological Survey said.

Los Angeles Newspaper Group, 2-14-18

Geologists urge Californians to brace for 'The Big One'

Earthquakes are part of life as Californians. While it’s not unusual to feel an occasional minor tremor, scientists say it’s only a matter of time until a major quake rattles our state. Now, local experts are warning residents to prepare.

KSBY-TV (San Luis Obispo), 2-14-18

Earthquake-Vulnerable Apartment Buildings in Santa Monica Get Simplified Retrofit Rules

With retrofit deadlines approaching for almost 1,600 earthquake-vulnerable apartment buildings in Santa Monica, the City has introduced a simplified process to help owners naviagte more easily through a complex law.

Santa Monica Lookout, 2-14-18

Earthquake expert Stephen Mahin passes away at 71

Stephen A. Mahin, a world-renowned expert in earthquake engineering and professor emeritus at UC Berkeley, passed away on February 10 at the age of 71. Mahin was a popular teacher and researcher whose career included major contributions to the seismic safety of large structures such as bridges, electrical power facilities and highrise buildings.

U.C. Berkeley News Service, 2-13-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

SoCalGas, Sempra Energy Commit $60,000 to Fire/Flood Relief Groups

Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) and Sempra Energy have pledged $60,000 to six greater Santa Barbara-based nonprofits that have provided disaster relief and support services to the communities affected by the Thomas Fire and Montecito mudslides.

Noozhawk, 2-14-18

Study finds earthquakes continue for years after gas field wastewater injection stops

Efforts to stop human-caused earthquakes by shutting down wastewater injection wells that serve adjacent oil and gas fields may oversimplify the challenge, according to a new study from seismologists at Southern Methodist University, Dallas.

Phys.org, 2-13-18

Offshore drilling foes, denied microphone, hold rallies

With giant inflatable whales, signs that read "Drilling Is Killing" and chants of "Where's our meeting?" opponents of President Donald Trump's plan to open most of the nation's coastline to oil and natural gas drilling have staged boisterous rallies before public meetings held by the federal government on the topic.

Associated Press, 2-14-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Santa Barbara County Farmers Report $20 Million in Losses from Natural Disasters

About 40 growers have reported estimates totaling $20 million in crop and structure losses from the Thomas Fire and the 1/9 Debris Flow, according to the Santa Barbara County Agricultural Commissioner. Avocados were hit hardest, as well as cut flowers, cherimoyas, and row crops. Rudy Martel, the county’s assistant commissioner, noted farmers were additionally impacted by loss of sales and cleanup efforts. He added that his office is still reaching out to some growers.

Santa Barbara Independent, 2-13-18

Tentative court ruling sides with Napa County and Walt Ranch

A Napa County Superior Court judge on Tuesday issued a written tentative ruling favoring Napa County’s approval of the controversial Walt Ranch vineyard project.

Napa Valley Register, 2-13-18

Regional officials approve city expansion beyond Kammerer Road

The Sacramento Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) on Feb. 7 narrowly approved a request to increase the city of Elk Grove’s Sphere Of Influence (SOI). This action allows the city to annex 1,165 acres to the south of Elk Grove’s current city limits at Kammerer Road.

Elk Grove Citizen, 2-14-18

WATER

Study commissioned by Brown administration says his Delta tunnels plan would pay off for farmers, cities

Even a single water tunnel burrowed under the California’s Delta would be worth it for urban ratepayers and farmers who would to pay to build and maintain the project, according to an analysis released Tuesday by Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration.

Sacramento Bee, 2-13-18

California could face first dry February in 150 years

The Bay Area has experienced February dry spells before, including twice from 2013 to 2016 during California’s historic drought when rainfall totals were drastically below average.

But this February could close with a distinction most in the Bay Area would like to avoid. This could become the first February in more than 150 years with no rainfall.

Bay Area News Group, 2-13-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

The California Timber Battles Shift to New Grounds

California’s Lost Coast isn’t that hard to find—just drive south on a narrow, twisting road from the Humboldt County town of Ferndale. The landscape is extreme in its beauty, wending across ridge top meadows that plunge eastward to forested gorges and roll to the cobalt blue Pacific to the west.

University of California Magazine, 2-14-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

A Hot, Dry Winter in California. Could It Be Drought Again?

Atmospheric conditions that helped create the recent multiyear California drought have returned, leaving the state dry and exceptionally warm this winter and its residents wondering if another long dry spell is on the way.

New York Times, 2-13-18

This book ranks the top 100 solutions to climate change. The results are surprising.

By now, the looming dangers of climate change are clear to anyone who’s been paying attention, covered extensively in both academic literature and the popular press. But what about solutions?

Vox, 2-12-18

Sea Level Rise Is Accelerating: 4 Inches Per Decade (or More) by 2100

The rate of sea level rise is accelerating so fast that some coastal communities could confront an additional 4 inches per decade by the end of the century—a growing concern now confirmed by thorough measurements from space.

Inside Climate News, 2-12-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

'Colossal' American oil boom could spoil OPEC's plans

The oil cartel and key ally Russia have spent more than a year trying to drain the world of excess supply. But the International Energy Agency warned Tuesday that a "colossal" oil boom in the United States could ruin their efforts.

CNN, 2-13-18

California’s hostility to offshore drilling is rooted in past spills

The Trump administration’s effort to dramatically expand federal offshore oil production has reignited a battle with California that dates back nearly 50 years.

The Conversation, 2-3-18

Who should be held responsible for the Aliso Canyon gas leak?

A USC-led analysis of the Aliso Canyon gas leak determined corporate dysfunction by the SoCalGas Co. and lax regulatory oversight charted the path to the largest greenhouse gas leak in U.S. history.

University of Southern California, 2-13-18

Colorado OKs new rules for oil, gas lines after fatal blast

Colorado regulators approved new rules for thousands of oil and gas pipelines Tuesday, 10 months after investigators blamed a leaking pipeline for a fatal gas explosion.

Associated Press, 2-13-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Santa Barbara County Farmers Report $20 Million in Losses from Natural Disasters

Santa Barbara Independent, 2-13-18

San Diego City Council considers Urban Agriculture incentive

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, parts of San Diego County are considered food deserts which means there aren’t any healthy food choices readily available. This incentive would hopefully change that.

KFMN-TV (San Diego), 2-13-18

Study commissioned by Brown administration says his Delta tunnels plan would pay off for farmers, cities

Sacramento Bee, 2-13-18

California could pass Florida as the nation’s leading orange grower

Citrus was once king in California. A pioneer from Kentucky named William Wolfskill is credited with kick-starting the industry in the 1840s when he planted the first commercial groves in Los Angeles.

California Sun, 2-12-18

WATER

A ‘water grab’? Southern California water agency eyes possible control of Delta tunnels project

In a dramatic twist on the Delta tunnels saga, Southern California’s powerful water agency is exploring the feasibility of owning the majority stake in the controversial project, a move that raises fears of a “water grab.”

Sacramento Bee, 2-13-18

Commentary: Commission must invest bond funds in water storage

More than three years ago, on Nov. 4, 2014, 67 percent of voters approved California Proposition 1, the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014. The nearly 4.8 million Californians who voted for the bond did so knowing that new water storage was crucial for addressing longer and more frequent drought periods, punctuated by flashier storm systems.

Ag Alert, 2-14-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Report: 7.8 earthquake on the San Andreas Fault could displace more than 200,000 people

If an earthquake similar to the one in 1906 shook the San Francisco Bay Area, nearly 69,000 houses would likely be uninhabitable and more than 200,000 people could be displaced, according to a new report.

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-12-18

California’s Other Drought: A Major Earthquake Is Overdue

California earthquakes are a geologic inevitability. The state straddles the North American and Pacific tectonic plates and is crisscrossed by the San Andreas and other active fault systems. The magnitude 7.9 earthquake that struck off Alaska’s Kodiak Island on Jan. 23, 2018 was just the latest reminder of major seismic activity along the Pacific Rim.

KQED (San Francisco television), 2-12-18

Shaking up real estate values with the new fault maps - Part 2

The Napa earthquake of 2014 likely affected the value of several homes close to the fault with several owners finding it may be difficult to sell at some time in the future.

Napa Valley Register, 2-12-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Santa Barbara to Rally Against Offshore Oil

An invisible line three miles out to sea marks the border between state and federal waters, and it’s the seabed beyond the three-mile mark that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has in his sights for new oil lease sales, part of the “America-First Offshore Energy Strategy” signed by President Trump in 2017.

Santa Barbara Independent, 2-12-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

Why This California City Is Taking On Chevron, Exxon And Shell Over Climate Change

Andrés Soto remembers the first time his parents allowed him to walk to a friend’s house after dark. As he made his way down the street in Richmond, California, where he lived, he could see a massive flame shoot up into the air from the refinery in the distance.

Huffington Post, 2-10-18

Global warming report: Satellites show melting ice sheets accelerating sea level rise; oceans to rise 2 feet by 2100

Melting ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are speeding up the already fast pace of sea level rise, new satellite research shows.

Associated Press, 2-12-18

WATER

California needs a workable delta tunnel plan

Like a patient waiting for heart bypass surgery while the insurance company dickers with the hospital over the numbers, California has been stuck in pre-op for decades, awaiting approval of an aqueduct or tunnel bypass from the Sacramento River around (instead of through) the state's hydrological heart — the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

Los Angeles Times editorial, 2-10-18

1 Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta tunnel is no better than 2

The Brown administration has pulled the plug on the 5-year-old plan to build twin 35-mile tunnels to move water from the north end of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to points farther south — sort of.

San Francisco Chronicle editorial, 2-9-18

Californians voted to spend billions on more water storage. But state government keeps sitting on the cash

We could be headed into another drought. There's little Sierra snow and valleys are dry. Is California ready this time? Not really.

Los Angeles Times column, 2-12-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Memorial service honors 17 Taiwan quake victims

The 17 people who died last week after a strong earthquake hit Taiwan's east coast were honored at a memorial service on Monday, with hundreds of attendees bowing their heads while placing flowers in front of photos of the victims.

Associated Press, 2-12-18

In shadow of San Andreas fault, hundreds of Inland Empire buildings face collapse in huge earthquake

In a fast-growing Inland Empire churning out new housing tracts, the city of Redlands is a throwback to an older, more regal era.

Los Angeles Times, 2-9-18

Digging Out Montecito Means Wider Beaches, Dirtier Waters off Goleta, Carpinteria

When the county dumps tons of mud from the catastrophic debris flow of Jan. 9 on the shores of Goleta and Carpinteria, is that “beach nourishment”?

Santa Barbara Noozhawk, 12-8-18

Earthquake Shakes Riverside County

A magnitude 3.5 earthquake struck near Lakeland Village, according to the United States Geological Survey. The temblor was reported just after 1 a.m. Sunday.

Lake Elsinore Patch, 2-11-18

Debris a disposal dilemma: Where do you dump tons of mud, rocks, wood?

Streets and roads have been reopened, and evacuated residents have returned to their homes — or what was left of them — following the deadly 1/9 Debris Flow in Montecito.

Lompoc Record, 2-10-18

Santa Barbara authorities on edge with light rain expected across Southern California

Still recovering from January's deadly mudslides, Santa Barbara County authorities are monitoring a storm system that is expected to dump light rain beginning Monday over the barren hills charred by last year's Thomas Fire.

Los Angeles Times, 2-11-18

What Lies Beneath: Earthquake Fault Line Runs From Santa Monica to Westwood

The Santa Monica earthquake fault line was initially believed to stop at Beverly Hills at Santa Monica and Wilshire boulevards and under ritzy Rodeo Drive. However, a new map now shows it runs all the way to Westwood via Century City.

Santa Monica Mirror, 2-12-18

LA Should worry about quakes at dam & not at levees

Fear of a levee collapse during a major Northern California earthquake from a yet-to-be-found fault in the Delta is hawked as the moral high ground for tunneling under the key ecosystem on the Pacific Flyway so not a drop of water Los Angeles has commandeered from the Sacramento River watershed is lost in a conjecture of catastrophic proportions.

Manteca Bulletin column, 2-12-18

UCSF gets $500 million donation for new seismically sound hospital

The University of California at San Francisco received a $500 million commitment from a charitable foundation to pay for a new seismically sound hospital at the university’s Parnassus Heights campus, hospital officials said.

Bay City News, 2-11-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

Solar energy development in unconventional zones

A case study in “Environmental Science & Technology” demonstrated that all of the energy needs of California can be provided by solar panels in the Central Valley. By using existing built environments, salt-affected lands, contaminated lands and water reservoirs, solar energy developers can meet the energy needs of the future without encroaching into prime agricultural land.

UC Davis California Aggie, 2-11-18

Commentary: Politicians can’t have it both ways on climate change

Suing oil companies for causing climate change has become a popular exercise in California’s coastal communities.

CalMatters, 2-12-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Oil prices fall below $60 a barrel for the first time this year

Record U.S. oil production is raising crude inventories -- oil that's pumped out of the ground but hasn't been sold. Investors worry that demand won't keep pace with the increased supply.

CNN, 2-9-18

Texas adds 14 rigs as US rig count jumps to 975

The number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. increased by 29 this week to 975. That exceeds the 741 rigs that were active this time a year ago.

Associated Press, 2-9-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Yolo Land Trust names new directors

The Yolo Land Trust elected its 2018 slate officers, along with its newest member Mark Harrison.

Woodland Daily Democrat, 2-10-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

How a group of scientists are using the deadly Montecito mudflow to predict future disasters

A wall of sandstone boulders, some the size of RVs, barreled through Montecito, followed by a growing tail of water, mud and debris.

San Diego Union Tribune, 2-7-18

Report Predicts Massive Damage On Peninsula In Major Quake

A new report released Wednesday shows exactly what parts of the Bay Area will be at risk if and when a big earthquake strikes the San Andreas Fault.

CBS SFBayArea, 2-7-18

A Professor Explains the Geology Behind the Montecito Disaster

In all the talk of fires, floods, and avalanches, I have yet to hear anyone say, “Those who fail to learn from geology are doomed to repeat it.” Too bad. It’s an aphorism just waiting to happen.

Santa Barbara Independent, 2-7-18

(OPINION) Lori Dengler: How to talk to your children about earthquakes

I have a colleague who wrote a book for young children about earthquake and tsunami preparedness. Lin Glen, a retired health educator and former preschool teacher, published “Sofie and Daniel Get Ready for Earthquakes” last year. It’s a sweet book aimed at elementary-aged children that addresses preparedness activities such as what to do in an earthquake, emergency kits and tsunami evacuation in a straight-forward, non-threatening way. She had it reviewed by experts in both hazards and disaster communication.

Times Standard, 2-7-18

A New Breed of Fracking Quakes Emerges

The oil prospectors of Oklahoma, it appeared, finally had a solution to their earthquake problem. Ordered by regulators to curb the wastewater they were dumping deep into the ground, they watched with satisfaction as tremors plunged to fewer than two a day from more than five.

Bloomberg News, 2-9-18

Stanford Seismic Stress Map Shows Quake Risks From Fracking

Fracking, which involves pumping wastewater injected deep underground to unleash pockets of natural gas for collection, has been tied to increased seismic activity in places like Oklahoma. The small earthquakes have not caused significant damage or injuries, but they could lead to increased chances of major temblors to come, some scientists believe.

Stanford News Service, 2-8-18

After criticism over Montecito mudslide alerts, officials remove 'voluntary' from emergency warnings

Santa Barbara County sheriff's officials will no longer use "voluntary" in their evacuation alerts after concerns that the warnings they pushed out before devastating mudslides ravaged Montecito last month were ineffective in getting people to leave.

Los Angeles Times, 2-8-18

New maps and warnings come out prior to next Montecito rain

The next round of rain forecasted for Montecito and other Santa Barbara County fire scarred regions could lead to a widespread evacuation. Details were presented Thursday evening at a town hall meeting at Montecito Union School.

KEYT-TV (Santa Barbara), 2-8-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

California has opposed offshore drilling for decades, and for good reason

It’s no surprise that many Californians are alarmed by a recent U.S. Department of Interior proposal to open our coastal waters to oil and gas exploration and production.

Sacramento Bee, 2-7-18

Chevron fights California cities' climate-change lawsuits with 'creative lawyering'

If Chevron Corp. has caused climate change and needs to pay for its damage, so should pretty much every company that has ever explored for oil and gas near North America, as well as manufacturers of cars and equipment that burn fuel, plus consumers.

Los Angeles Times, 2-8-18

California demonstrators protest Trump’s ocean drilling plan

California’s opponents to offshore oil drilling joined forces on Thursday, marching and chanting at a federal hearing to denounce President Trump’s proposal to give energy companies access to leases off the Pacific coast.

Bay Area News Group, 2-8-18

Don't let state regulators off the hook for failing to adequately regulate Aliso Canyon

You cite a letter the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) sent me on its proposed moratorium on new gas hookups, an action I oppose because it unnecessarily impacts residents and businesses without measurably reducing the amount of gas at Aliso Canyon. ("A natural gas crisis has put California at an energy crossroads," editorial, Jan. 27)

Los Angeles Times letter to the editor, 2-9-18

California officials, protesters fight offshore drill plans

Commissions that oversee coastal lands and water pushed the Trump administration to leave California out of plans to expand offshore drilling, saying the state will throw up any barriers possible to prevent pumping and transportation of oil.

Associated Press, 2-9-18

Federal ‘open house’ on oil drilling angers activists in Sacramento

Hundreds of Californians who traveled to the state Capitol to voice their opposition to President Trump’s plans to expand offshore oil drilling left a public hearing Thursday in anger and disbelief that there was no microphone or panel of federal officials to listen to their concerns.

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-8-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Elon Musk’s rocket + CA’s space tax + A bad plan for more sprawl + Cities want it both ways on global warming

Sacramento County doesn’t need more sprawl. Is Elk Grove listening? There’s already plenty of land in Sacramento County where developers can build. To improve air quality and address climate change, officials should be encouraging more infill housing, not more suburban subdivisions. Sprawl is not the answer to California’s affordable housing crisis. And officials should be protecting farmland and open space, and preserving water supply. Sacramento County’s Local Agency Formation Commission should reject a proposal to add 1,165 acres south of Elk Grove to the city’s planning area.

Sacramento Bee, 2-7-18

Business, ag groups argue against county joining Measure Z appeal

With a final court decision still pending, local business and agriculture organizations and others are calling for the Board of Supervisors to avoid a potentially costly appeal of a December intended decision striking down much of Measure Z.

Monterey Herald, 2-7-18

DIVISION OF MINE RECLAMATION

BLM cancels withdrawal proposal in California desert

The Bureau of Land Management has canceled its withdrawal application and the Department of the Interior’s proposed withdrawal of 1.3 million acres of national conservation lands from location and entry under the mining laws in the California Desert Conservation Area. In making its decision, the BLM recently reviewed mineral exploration levels and mining data in the California desert, as well as the expected impacts from future activities associated with locatable mineral extraction. The BLM concluded that impacts of future mineral exploration and mining, subject to existing environmental regulations, do not pose a significant threat to the protection of cultural, biological, and scientific values.

The Daily Independent, 2-7-18

WATER

How dry is this winter? Sierra snowpack on pace to shatter record low of 2015

As relentless sunshine continued to pound California on Thursday, the Sierra Nevada hit a reckoning point: There’s less snowpack now than on the same date three years ago, when the winter went down as the driest in recorded history and sent shudders through cities, farmlands and the state Capitol.

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-8-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Report Predicts Massive Damage On Peninsula In Major Quake

A new report released Wednesday shows exactly what parts of the Bay Area will be at risk if and when a big earthquake strikes the San Andreas Fault.

KPIX-TV (San Francisco), 2-7-18

A Professor Explains the Geology Behind the Montecito Disaster

Santa Barbara Independent, 2-7-18

How a group of scientists are using the deadly Montecito mudflow to predict future disasters

A wall of sandstone boulders, some the size of RVs, barreled through Montecito, followed by a growing tail of water, mud and debris. On its way to the ocean, the mudflow's momentum shifted as it choked local creeks and slammed into curbs, walls and buildings.

Los Angeles Times, 2-7-18

Lessons learned from devastating North State fires

Lessons learned from the severe North Bay wildfires last fall could help other regions prepare for and respond to disasters, according to farmers and county officials in Sonoma County.

Ag Alert, 2-7-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Oil World Turns Upside Down as U.S. Sells Oil in Middle East

The United Arab Emirates, a model Persian Gulf petro-state where endless billions from crude exports feed a giant sovereign wealth fund, isn’t the most obvious customer for Texan oil. Yet, in a trade that illustrates how the rise of the American shale industry is upending energy markets across the globe, the U.A.E. bought oil directly from the U.S. in December, according to data from the federal government. A tanker sailed from Houston and arrived in the Persian Gulf last month.

Bloomberg News, 2-6-18

California officials say they’ll block Trump’s plan to expand oil drilling off coast

California officials said they will block the federal government from transporting oil using state waters or roads, adding a new obstacle in President Trump’s plan to expand drilling off the coast.

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-7-18

California says will block crude oil from Trump offshore drilling plan

California will block the transportation through its state of petroleum from new offshore oil rigs, officials told Reuters on Wednesday, a move meant to hobble the Trump administration’s effort to vastly expand drilling in U.S. federal waters.

Reuters, 2-7-18

California officials, protesters fight offshore drill plans

California commissions that oversee coastal lands and water pushed the Trump administration to leave the state out of plans to expand offshore drilling, warning the state would block pipelines to get oil back to land.

Associated Press, 2-7-18

California has opposed offshore drilling for decades, and for good reason

It’s no surprise that many Californians are alarmed by a recent U.S. Department of Interior proposal to open our coastal waters to oil and gas exploration and production. Californians care deeply about our 1,100-mile coastline and public beaches, which draw millions of visitors a years. Some will appear at a hearing Thursday in Sacramento held by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

Sacramento Bee commentary, 2-7-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

New Marijuana Law Finalized by County Supervisors

Cannabis growers anxiously paced the fourth floor of the County Administration Building on Tuesday afternoon. The fate of their lucrative farms was on the line as county supervisors wrangled over the future of cannabis operations in Santa Barbara County. It was the kind of thing that used to happen in back rooms suffocated by cigar smoke. Now it occurs over 27 exhaustive public hearings where emotions tend to run high.

Santa Barbara Independent, 2-8-18

On the Hunt

What's happening with Darius Anderson's Wing & Barrel Ranch?

Bohemian, 2-6-18

Marin Voice: A sustainable vision for the San Geronimo Valley

A group of San Geronimo Valley residents is proposing a new vision for the former San Geronimo Golf Course property. The proposal is based on a thoughtful integration of two historically powerful anchors of Marin County’s cultural identity: agriculture and environmentalism.

Marin Independent Journal, 2-7-18

Business, ag groups argue against county joining Measure Z appeal

Monterey County Herald, 2-7-18

Regional panel approves proposal to expand Elk Grove urban boundary

A controversial proposal that could allow the city of Elk Grove to extend its southern boundary was narrowly approved by a regional planning panel Wednesday night.

Sacramento Bee, 2-7-18

DIVISION OF MINE RECLAMATION

Trump administration opens millions of acres of California desert to mining

The California desert is the latest target of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's campaign to promote resource extraction on public lands across the West.

Palm Springs Desert Sun, 2-7-18

WATER

No more delay on Delta tunnels hearings

State officials declined late Tuesday to further delay key hearings on the proposed Delta tunnels, overriding opponents’ arguments that illegal meetings have taken place and that the project soon may be altered anyway.

Stockton Record, 2-6-18

California moves ahead with one delta tunnel, scaling back ambitious water delivery project

State officials Wednesday said they will press ahead with a smaller version of a long-planned water delivery project, initially building one, instead of two, massive tunnels in the heart of California's vast waterworks.

Los Angeles Times, 2-7-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

Trump’s State Department misses climate report deadline

The Trump administration has missed a deadline to submit a report to the United Nations on climate change action. The State Department had until January 1 to submit the report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Trump administration has committed to staying in that treaty despite moving to withdraw from the Paris climate accord.

Associated Press, 2-6-18

Jerry Brown officially downsizes Delta tunnel plan. But can he sell one tunnel?

The troubled Delta tunnels project was officially downsized Wednesday, as Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration announced it would attempt to build a single tunnel in its effort to re-engineer California’s elaborate water-delivery system.

Sacramento Bee, 2-7-18

Climate change is either upon us or it isn’t. California cities want it both ways

If you live in Oakland, brace yourself. In the city’s lawsuit with six other California municipalities and counties against petroleum companies, Oakland states that man-made global warming is an ongoing threat that will culminate in 66 inches of sea level rise by century’s end, threatening the local economy with as much as $38 billion in property damage.

Sacramento Bee commentary, 2-7-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Taiwan Earthquake Toll Rises, With Many Missing

Rescuers in Taiwan searched badly damaged buildings Wednesday looking for scores of people left missing after a powerful earthquake hit the island’s east coast. The magnitude-6.4 quake struck at 11:50 p.m. Tuesday and was centered 14 miles northeast of the coastal city of Hualien.

New York Times, 2-7-18

Ground-shaking research conducted in Orange County to gather earthquake data

The ground was shaking in Los Alamitos, but it wasn't an earthquake. It was earthquake testing.

KABC-TV (Los Angeles), 2-6-18

'Rocks raining down every day' on crews at Mud Creek landslide.

Crews have made significant progress on rebuilding Highway 1 over California's biggest landslide.

SFGate, 2-6-18

Ground-shaking research conducted in Orange County to gather earthquake data

The ground was shaking in Los Alamitos, but it wasn't an earthquake.

KABC ABC 7 New Los Angeles, 2-7-18

Why ‘Earthquake lady’ Lucy Jones isn’t working for Riverside after all

There’s been a shakeup in Riverside’s earthquake preparation plans.

Press Enterprise, 2-6-18

California IGNORING ‘dangerous’ earthquake zone that will unleash ‘GREAT DAMAGE'

Last month a magnitude 4.0 earthquake struck between Lake Elsinore and Corona in western Riverside County, California, according to US Geological Survey (USGS).

Daily Star, 2-6-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

(blog) Pollution monitors should be standard in LA’s oilfields

There are several reasons to be optimistic about environmental progress in Los Angeles. The city is making massive investments in electric vehicles, making clean energy more accessible to everyday people, and cutting pollution from the ports and freeways to name a few. But with over 60,000 Angelinos living less than 500 feet from an active oil well – LA could do more to protect our health and our environment.

Environmental Defense Fund, 2-6-18

Salinas, Monterey County chambers urge county not to appeal Measure Z decision

Representatives from the oil industry, other businesses and residents urged the Monterey County Board of Supervisors Tuesday morning not to appeal the Superior Court decision on Measure Z, the anti-fracking measure.

Salinas Californian, 2-6-18

Pennsylvania governor renews call for lawmakers to pass severance tax

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) renewed his request to the commonwealth’s legislators to enact a severance tax, arguing in his Feb. 6 budget address that it would be paid “by people mostly outside of Pennsylvania to use our natural resources” to support state programs and improve the economy

Oil & Gas Journal, 2-6-18

McGuire moves to block Trump, offshore oil

Senator Mike McGuire advanced a bipartisan resolution opposing President Trump’s proposal to open up California’s coastline to offshore oil leases, putting the legislature officially on record in opposition.

Ukiah Daily Journal, 2-6-18

This high-end builder says the Aliso Canyon gas leak set it back years. Now it wants justice

A high-profile developer in the San Fernando Valley says a 2015 gas leak at Aliso Canyon set the homebuilder back years in terms of development, according to a lawsuit filed against Southern California Gas Co. and its parent company Sempra Energy.

Los Angeles Newspaper Group, 2-6-18

California taxpayers could foot the bill to shutter old oil rigs off the Central Coast

It’s been nearly three years since an oil pipeline ruptured in Santa Barbara County, coating seven miles of beaches with crude oil and killing dolphins, birds and sea lions.

The Tribune, 2-6-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Sacramento County doesn’t need more sprawl. Is Elk Grove listening?

Here we go again with another proposal that could pave the way for more urban sprawl near Elk Grove.

On Wednesday, Sacramento County’s Local Agency Formation Commission is to decide whether to add 1,165 acres south of Elk Grove to the city’s planning area. Once again, the commission should just say no.

Sacramento Bee editorial, 2-6-18

DIVISION OF MINE RECLAMATION

Letter: Make mining companies clean up their pollution

Mining companies, including petroleum and natural gas drilling companies, are generally notorious for going bankrupt, leaving behind nasty, deadly messes polluting the air and water. They don’t even have to go bankrupt. They are notorious polluters even while they are profitable businesses: Part of their profit comes from not paying the cost of preventing or of cleaning up their nasty, deadly messes.

East Bay Times, 2-6-18

How acid mine drainage has affected southeast Ohio’s waterways

Amongst the trees, the hills and the hollows in Appalachian Ohio lies a sight that, to the outside viewer, may seem otherworldly. It isn’t the sight of a collapsed mine or massive coal piles, but rather another blemish. Acid mine drainage — water rich in iron oxides and other trace metals — contaminates local waterways and turns them either deep orange-red or silvery-blue hues.

The Post, 2-7-18

Clock ticking on resolving Cemex issue

Time is running out to protect our community from the Cemex mining project. We can no longer afford the heel-dragging that has led us to the brink of this looming disaster. That means that our representative, Congressman Steve Knight and his fellow Republicans need to take swift action to halt this project once and for all.

Santa Clarita Signal commentary, 2-5-18

WATER

State drags its feet on water bond funding

We’ve been skeptical about the state water bond, Proposition 1, both before and since voters approved it more than three years ago. Now everyone can see why the doubt was warranted.

Chico Enterprise Record editorial, 2-6-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Ventura, Santa Barbara County Crews Still On Overtime To Prepare Debris Basins, Creeks For Storms

Even as cleanup continues in Southern Santa Barbara County from the deadly January 9th flooding, efforts to prepare for future storms remain in high gear on the South Coast. At the same time, a South Coast event will help property owners learn what they can do to protect themselves.

NPR Central Coast, 2-2-18

Ground Shakes In OC As Seismic Mapping Trucks Roll In

People in Orange County may feel the ground shake over the coming weeks — but researchers warn it’s not the “big one.”

CBS Los Angeles, 2-5-18

Trucks are shaking up Long Beach in search of oil and quake faults

The ground-pounding continues this week as two fleets of massive Vibro-Seis trucks cross the river into Orange County and begin sending shock waves through the streets of Los Alamitos, Rossmoor and Seal Beach.

Press-Telegram, 2-5-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Above the Surface and Below, L.A. Is Still an Oil Town

The petroleum industry’s influence on L.A. is vast and has shaped life here in unexpected ways—here’s how.

Los Angeles Magazine, 2-5-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Will Napa's 50-year-old agricultural preserve continue to protect the Napa Valley?

A computerized crystal ball peers into the Bay Area's future and shows brown suburbs relentlessly gobbling up green farmland - but not in Napa County's agricultural preserve.

Napa Valley Register,

CLIMATE CHANGE

On its 100th birthday in 1959, Edward Teller warned the oil industry about global warming

It was a typical November day in New York City. The year: 1959. Robert Dunlop, 50 years old and photographed later as clean-shaven, hair carefully parted, his earnest face donning horn-rimmed glasses, passed under the Ionian columns of Columbia University’s iconic Low Library. He was a guest of honor for a grand occasion: the centennial of the American oil industry.

The Guardian, 1-1-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Elsinore area earthquake signals caution for California, says UCR seismologist

Just after 2 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 25, a 4.0-magnitude earthquake struck and was centered west of the 15 Freeway between Lake Elsinore and Corona. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake had a depth of about six miles and occurred on the Elsinore Fault Zone.

U.C. Riverside Highlander, 2-5-18

Small earthquake rattles near Corcoran

The U.S. Geological survey is reporting a minor earthquake hit near Corcoran Sunday night. The magnitude 3.6 hit at 10:43 p.m.

KMPH-TV (Fresno), 2-4-18

Magnitude 4.3 earthquake strikes near Ferndale, CA

The United States Geological Survey reports a preliminary magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck near Ferndale, CA on Friday. The quake hit at 7:12 PM local time at a depth of 6 kilometers.

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-3-18

Magnitude 4.3 earthquake strikes near Ferndale, CA

The United States Geological Survey reports a preliminary magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck near Ferndale, CA on Friday. The quake hit at 7:12 PM local time at a depth of 6 kilometers. There was no initial word on damage or injury resulting from the quake. More information on this earthquake is available on the USGS event page. See the latest USGS quake alerts, report feeling earthquake activity and tour interactive fault maps in the earthquake section.

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-2-18

HIGH SPEED RAIL

Vacant lots, empty homes and dying orchards on bullet train route attract squatters, vandals and thieves

Charlene Hook cherished her home of 30 years north of Corcoran, where pomegranate and pistachio orchards stretched for miles. So choosing to burn it down last year was a difficult decision.

Los Angeles Times, 2-4-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, & GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Wind farms could be banned off the Central Coast, yet offshore oil wells could be OK?

Let’s get this straight: It may be OK to sink more offshore oil wells on the Central Coast if the Trump administration has its way ... but not OK to build clean-energy wind farms?

San Luis Obispo Tribune editorial, 2-2-18

Fracking Revolution Pushes U.S. Daily Crude Oil Production Over 10 Million Barrels

Production of crude oil in the United States, according to the U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA), not only exceeded October’s by four percent, but rose to a level not seen in nearly 50 years: 10 million barrels a day.

New American, 2-2-18

The Forgotten Renewable: Geothermal Energy Production Heats Up

Three and a half hours east of Los Angeles lies the Salton Sea, a manmade oasis in the heart of the Mojave Desert. It was created in 1905, when a canal broke and the Colorado River flooded the desert for more than a year. The Sea became a tourist hotspot in the 1950's, perfect for swimming, boating, and kayaking. But now, people are coming here looking for something else.

Capital Public Radio, 2-4-18

Colorado adds 2 rigs as US rig count falls to 946

The number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. fell by one this week to 946.

Associated Press, 2-2-18

Community, state leaders say “No” to offshore drilling at rally

More than 1,000 people, including local and state political leaders, marched along West Cliff Drive on Saturday morning to protest offshore oil drilling in California.

Bay Area News Group, 2-3-18

Homebuilder Toll Brothers sues SoCal Gas over Porter Ranch leak

Luxury homebuilder Toll Brothers has filed a lawsuit against Southern California Gas over the massive leak in Aliso Canyon that the builder says caused extensive financial losses.

KABC-TV (Los Angeles), 2-3-18

Exxon sees limited impact on business from climate policies

Exxon Mobil has told shareholders that it doesn't think policies to combat climate change will have much effect on its business and that demand for fossil fuels will remain strong for decades. In a report released Friday, the company does acknowledge that some of its most costly oil and gas reserves might not be developed.

Associated Press, 2-3-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

Will China’s crackdown on ‘foreign garbage’ force wealthy countries to recycle more of their own waste?

China, the world’s largest importer of scrap, is looking to clean up its act. In July 2017 China, which is by far the world’s largest importer and recycler of scrap metals, plastic and paper, notified the World Trade Organization that it planned to effectively ban imports of 24 types of scrap, which its environment ministry called “foreign garbage,” by the end of the year. Immediately, organizations such as the U.S.-based Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries and the Bureau of International Recycling warned that China’s action would cause job losses, shut down many U.S. recycling facilities and send more waste to landfills.

Green Technology Magazine

Groundwater, population growth, climate change: Santa Cruz County water leaders discuss the ‘new normal’

Halfway through the rain season, water experts across Santa Cruz County are holding their breaths on the same question: Will drought conditions resume after a one-year break?

Bay Area News Group, 2-1-18

How Bill Gates aims to clean up the planet

It’s nothing much to look at, but the tangle of pipes, pumps, tanks, reactors, chimneys and ducts on a messy industrial estate outside the logging town of Squamish in western Canada could just provide the fix to stop the world tipping into runaway climate change and substitute dwindling supplies of conventional fuel.

The Guardian, 2-4-17

WATER

UC launches drought video series

Because periodic droughts will always be a part of life in California, the UC California Institute for Water Resources produced a series of videos to maintain drought awareness and planning, even in years when water is more abundant.

Red Bluff Daily, 2-3-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Earthquake jolts one of earth's rarest fish, causing them to start spawning in Death Valley

You may not have felt last week's Alaska earthquake, but some tiny creatures 2,000 miles away sure did.

SFGate, 2-1-18

Council vote on Napa Oaks II homes delayed after release of new quake maps

New state maps of Napa’s seismic fault zones have led the city to push back an expected vote on a controversial, long-planned housing development by at least several weeks and possibly not until spring.

Napa Valley Register, 1-30-18

The Big One: Is California Ready For Its Next Major Earthquake?

California earthquakes are a geologic inevitability. The state straddles the North American and Pacific tectonic plates and is crisscrossed by the San Andreas and other active fault systems. The magnitude 7.9 earthquake that struck off Alaska’s Kodiak Island on January 23, 2018 was just the latest reminder of major seismic activity along the Pacific Rim.

Newsweek, 1-3-18

America is not prepared for the next big earthquake

Dennis Richardson, Oregon’s secretary of state, brought his children up to be ready. “When a crisis arises, the time for preparation has passed,” he would tell them. Today Mr Richardson worries his state is less prepared than it should be.

The Economist, 2-3-18

Sound waves may be able to trigger earlier tsunami warnings

When a tsunami is barreling towards a coastline, the only way to stay safe is to flee to higher ground. But even when people are far enough away from the start of the tsunami to have hours of warning, no one really knows how big a tsunami will be or the damage it will inflict until it comes ashore.

New Scientist, 1-31-18

Oklahoma quakes tied to how deep wastewater is injected

A new study finds that a major trigger of man-made earthquakes rattling Oklahoma is how deep — not just how much — fracking wastewater is injected into the ground.

Associated Press, 2-1-18

Crews make progress clearing debris from Montecito

Santa Barbara County officials said crews are making significant progress clearing mudslide debris from the Montecito area. Emergency clearance has been completed in five of 11 debris basins impacted by the storm and 36 percent of general work in the area.

KSBY-TV (San Luis Obispo), 2-1-18

Mud Creek Landslide: What's Big Sur's largest slide look like now?

Crews have made significant progress on rebuilding Highway 1 over California’s biggest landslide. On May 20, 2017 an estimated 8 million cubic yards came sliding off the mountain at Mud Creek in Big Sur. The rocks and debris took out the roadway in the area leaving the old Highway 1 somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.

KSBW-TV (Salinas), 2-1-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

The big public land sell-out

Next month, hundreds of corporate representatives will sit down at their computers, log into something called Energynet, and bid, eBay style, for more than 300,000 acres of federal land spread across five Western states.

High Country News, 1-31-18

Land acquisition delays have paralyzed high-speed rail contractor, lawsuit alleges

The California bullet train project is supposed to be an economic engine for small business in the Central Valley, but one woman-owned construction firm is alleging in a suit that the project has paralyzed her company.

Los Angeles Times, 2-1-18

Editorial: Marin’s support pays off for MALT’s mission

The preservation of farmland in West Marin was a centerpiece of the 2012 campaign for Measure A, a countywide quarter-cent sales tax for the protection of parklands, park maintenance and improvements and saving open space.

Marin Independent Journal, 2-1-18

Boswell throws in towel on Yokohl Valley project

First proposed in 2005, a plan for a 36,000-resident "new town" in Yokohl Valley, won't move forward. Property owner and developer JG Boswell Company notified Tulare County officials he would withdraw the application for the controversial 10,000 home foothill development, just east of Visalia and Exeter.

Visalia Times-Delta, 2-1-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

In stunning reversal, Trump could open California desert to more solar and wind farms

In an unexpected announcement with potentially dramatic consequences for the California desert, the Trump administration said Thursday it will reconsider an Obama-era conservation plan that blocks energy development across millions of acres stretching from the Mexican border to the Owens Valley and encourages solar and wind farms in more limited areas.

Palm Springs Desert Sun, 2-1-18

With storms skipping state, nearly half of California is back in a drought

The T-shirt-wearing temperatures and lack of winter rain have combined to push nearly half of California into all-too-familiar territory: a state of drought. Less than a year after Gov. Jerry Brown declared an end to one of the worst droughts in California history, a consortium of nationwide water experts reported Thursday that 44 percent of the state is again experiencing at least moderate drought conditions.

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-1-18

County will study feasibility of man-made dunes as sea-level rise buffer at Stinson Beach

Man-made dunes may one day help shield Stinson Beach from rising seas and coastal storms, if the county and coastal land managers follow through with the idea. This Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors approved a $200,000 grant application with California State Parks for a feasibility study that will explore implementing “nature-based green infrastructure” at the beach.

Point Reyes Light, 2-1-18

New method efficiently generates hydrogen from water

Washington State University researchers have found a way to more efficiently generate hydrogen from water—an important key to making clean energy more viable.

Washington State University, 2-1-18

GENERAL

Jerry Brown's Science-Based Approach to the Proposed California State Budget

For California Governor Jerry Brown and his administration, 2017 was a water year to remember, and one that would figure into the drafting of the state's 2018–19 budget, which was released early this month.

Pacific Standard, 1-31-18

Moving Back to Montecito After the Mudslides

The repopulation of Montecito over the past week has been a mass movement of fits and starts, challenged by congested roadways and the slow but steady reactivation of storm-damaged utility systems — the water, power, heat, cable, and Wi-Fi all too easily taken for granted during life before the worst natural disaster in Santa Barbara history.

Santa Barbara Independent, 2-1-18

Murky future: Santa Barbara County is at crossroads following Trump administration's proposal to expand leases for offshore

Bright blue waves crash against the cliffs beneath Highway 101. Light dances off the water’s glittering surface with each successive surge. Surfers carve through the liquid azure field as the sun reaches its zenith. Down on the beach below, a family places the finishing touches on a sand castle. An older couple armed with binoculars stands huddled nearby in search of whales spouting to the surface for air.

Santa Maria Sun, 2-1-18

New California legislation would make it easier to build projects that meet climate goals. But environmentalists don't like it

A Bay Area lawmaker wants to knock down what he believes is a key barrier to California meeting its ambitious climate change goals: one of the state's most prominent environmental laws.

Los Angeles Times, 2-1-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Earthquake kills child, injures dozens in Pakistan

A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck northeast Afghanistan on Wednesday, shaking large parts of the region and killing a child and injuring several people in neighboring Pakistan, officials said.

Reuters, 1-30-18

(news updated as time permits…)

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