Texas is facing a dicey summer when it comes to electricity generation because of power plant retirements, while California may be natural gas-constrained because of limits to the state’s largest storage facility, according to an assessment by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC).

NGI Shale Gas Daily, 5-31-18

Kern's reliance on oil helps in the near term, may hurt over the long haul

The good news is that six of Kern County's 10 largest property taxpayers are having a banner year. The bad news is, it's probably not going to last.

Bakersfield Californian, 5-30-18

Oil and gas wastewater as dust suppressant less than ideal

At the least, wastewater from oil and gas drilling should be treated in a waste treatment facility before it is used on dirt roads to suppress dust or deice roads. At the best, affordable, nontoxic dust suppressants should be developed and used, according to a multidisciplinary team of researchers.

Phys.org, 5-30-18

U.N. report warns companies that frack to consider environmental risks

A new United Nations report cautioned nations and companies about embracing the fast-growing energy trend of hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking, without considering the environmental risks involved.

Dallas Morning News, 5-28-18

Oil companies take first steps toward Arctic refuge drilling

Two Alaska Native corporations and a small oil services firm together have applied to do extensive seismic work next winter in the Arctic Natural Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), the first move toward development there since Congress voted late last year to open up the pristine wilderness to oil and gas drilling.

Washington Post, 5-31-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

About our latest Coachella Valley quake — the world wonders how we’ll face ‘the Big One'

A quick jolt of an earthquake during Wednesday’s lunch hour got me thinking: What will we all do when the long-dreaded “Big One” finally hits?

Palm Springs Desert Sun column, 5-31-18

What Happened On the Deadliest Section of Montecito Creek?

The worst horror of the catastrophic Jan. 9 debris flow struck on the west bank of Montecito Creek, just below the bridge at East Valley Road, where 11 people were swept to their deaths.

Santa Barbara Noozhawk, 5-31-18

Residents barely flinch after 3.1 quake

A magnitude 3.1 earthquake appeared to be only faintly felt, authorities said. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake hit at 2:57 p.m. just east of Highway 242 behind the Mount Diablo High School campus.

Bay Area News Group, 5-30-18

3.8 magnitude earthquake shakes Coachella Valley

A 3.8 magnitude earthquake was reported 8 miles North-Northeast of Thousand Palms Wednesday.

KESQ (Thousand Palms television), 5-30-18

The Snow Drought In California Is Fueling Wildfires, Floods, & Mudslides

California is likely facing another year of water woes. The Sierra Nevada snowpack, which supplies up to a third of California’s water, is exceptionally meager this year. Experts found around half as much snow on the mountains as they typically would in early April, when the snowpack is historically most voluminous.

Nexus Media, 5-28-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

Trump administration pauses California’s solar energy truce

In 2002, Pat Flanagan, a 78-year-old conservation activist, fled the bright lights of the big city for outer San Bernardino County and the stark beauty of the Mojave Desert. “I’m a desert person,” Flanagan said. “I have to live here.”

High Country News, 5-31-18

Tough Conversations About Climate Change Planning in California

The nature of sea-level rise is such that it threatens whole regions at once, with no respect for municipal boundaries. But in most cases, local communities are left to develop their own strategies for addressing the threat.

Next City, 5-29-18

Carbon Farming Coming to Santa Barbara

Carbon ranching is coming to Santa Barbara, but farmers aren’t growing carbon — they’re putting it back into the ground. With the help of compost and cattle, native grasses can sequester organic carbon, enriching the soil and removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

U.C. Santa Barbara Bottom Line, 5-29-18

Like It Or Not, the Water Is Coming: Will the Bay Area Defend Against Rising Seas, or Embrace Them?

You can shove water back from the land, or let the land flood, but either way, San Francisco Bay is getting higher.

KQED (San Francisco TV-radio), 5-29-18

Del Mar beachfront owners ponder city’s sea level-rise adaptation plan

Many Del Mar beachfront property owners and residents applauded the City Council’s decision by a 4-1 vote May 21 to endorse an “adaptation plan” that responds to predictions of the ocean’s impending rise. In favoring the adaptation plan, the council rejected the so-called “managed retreat” option.

Del Mar Times, 5-30-18

WATER

Drought or no drought: Jerry Brown sets permanent water conservation rules for Californians

Although he declared an end to California’s historic five-year drought last year, Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday signed two new laws that will require cities and water districts across the state to set permanent water conservation rules, even in non-drought years

Bay Area News Group, 5-31-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, & GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Greka Oil & Gas Fined Again

Greka Oil & Gas of Santa Maria just got slammed with a $12.5 million fine from the state conservation department’s Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) for 1,500 operating violations at an oil field located in Orange County. It was the highest fine ever levied in DOGGR history. Among other things, DOGGR accused Greka of falsifying records in at least 350 reports. Citing Greka’s longstanding history of abuses — most of which took place in the Santa Maria area — DOGGR also denied company requests to drill a new injection well.

Santa Barbara Independent, 5-31-18

Rural Livermore Oil Wells Get Extension

The Alameda East County Board of Zoning Adjustments approved Conditional Use Permits (CUP) for continued oil drilling on parcels along Patterson Ranch Road in rural Livermore.

The Independent, 5-31-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Emergency officials studying ways to improve disaster response following mudslide

Months after the Thomas Fire and Jan. 9 mudslide in the Montecito area, emergency officials in Santa Barbara County are looking for ways to improve their disaster response.

KSBY-Santa Barbara TV, 5-30-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

New member joins Placer Land Trust

Placer Land Trust is has announced the addition of Christine Pieper to the board of directors. Pieper grew up as a farmer’s daughter in Maryland with parents who were always committed to conserving their land, placing their farm in a permanent agricultural conservation easement. Well-versed in nonprofit fundraising, Pieper previously worked with the American Farmland Trust and the Potomac Conservancy. When she and her husband moved to Placer County in 2014, she immediately gravitated toward Placer Land Trust.

Placer Herald, 5-30-18

HIGH SPEED RAIL

As bullet train costs rise, only 31 percent of California voters want to keep paying for it

Californians still support the concept of a bullet train from Los Angeles to San Francisco, but after months of troubling disclosures about the project's cost and schedule, just 31 percent of voters across the state want to keep building it, according to a USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll.

Los Angeles Times, 5-29-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

NASA’s building new tools to manage water as climate dangers grow

After an unusually dry winter, a late-season storm finally soaked California in early March, piling up several feet of snow across the high granite reservoirs of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

MIT Technology Review, 5-28-18

Marin gets thousands for projects to combat sea-level rise

A host of Marin nature-based sea-level rise projects earned approval by a state panel this week as the county plans to gird against expected high seas in the coming decades.

Marin Independent Journal, 5-25-18

Forecast for California: More frequent wild weather swings

Many people are attracted to large parts of California for their reliably pleasant Mediterranean climate. It can be a welcome break for visitors weary of Nor’easters and scorching summers. But in coming decades, California and the rest of the West Coast could see increasingly wild swings in weather – a consequence of continued climate change.

Yale Climate Connections, 5-29-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

How The Leaning Tower Of Pisa Survived 600 Years Of Earthquakes

In August 1173, the construction for the bell tower of the Duomo of Pisa, Tuscany, began. Unfortunately, five years later the yet unfinished building began to tilt.

Forbes, 5-25-18

Preliminary 3.1-magnitude earthquake jostles Anza region

A preliminary 3.1-magnitude earthquake jostled the Anza region, sending shivers into the North San Diego County area Saturday.

KGTV (San Diego), 5-26-18

3.1-magnitude earthquake centered near Anza

A 3.1-magnitude earthquake rattled Inland Southern California late Saturday morning, May 26. The 11:51 a.m. quake, centered about 2.5 miles northeast of Anza, was felt in Temecula, Hemet, Anza, Palm Springs, Mountain Center, Palm Desert, Idyllwild, Rancho Mirage, Cathedral City and Winchester, among other places, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Riverside Press Enterprise, 5-26-18

3.0 earthquake strikes near South San Jose

A 3.0 earthquake struck near Seven Trees Monday, about 10 miles from South San Jose, according to the U.S. National Geological Survey.

Bay Area News Group, 5-28-18

Lava covers plugged well at Hawaii geothermal plant property

Lava from the Kilauea volcano covered at least one well Sunday at a geothermal power plant on the Big Island, according to a Hawaii County Civil Defense report.

Associated Press, 5-27-18

From pumpkins to cannabis? Half Moon Bay debates the future of family farms

For generations, famed grower “Farmer John” Muller has delighted residents of this small town, donating his time, tales, and truckloads of orange, white, green, red and butter-hued gourds.

Bay Area News Group, 5-28-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, & GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Canada to buy Kinder Morgan pipeline in bid to save project (via Dan Wynne, DOGGR—thank you!)

Canada will buy Kinder Morgan Canada Ltd’s (KML.TO) Trans Mountain pipeline for C$4.5 billion ($3.5 billion), the government said on Tuesday, in hopes of saving the project that faces formidable political and environmental opposition.

Reuters, 5-29-18

Our Ocean Backyard: Energy from offshore

Visions from more than half a century ago of mining the seafloor and feeding much of the world’s population from the sea have not come to fruition and it is unlikely that they will anytime soon.

Santa Cruz Sentinel column, 5-26-18

State appoints former industry geologist to head local oil regulatory office

A former geologist at Chevron and Exxon Mobil has been appointed to lead the Bakersfield office of California’s primary oil regulation agency.

Bakersfield Californian, 5-25-18

Plains All-American Pipeline Supervisor Testifies in Refugio Oil Spill Criminal Trial

Plains All-American Pipeline’s operations supervisor in Santa Barbara County happened to be in the Gaviota area for a drill the day of the Refugio Oil Spill, and the Santa Maria-based employee testified this week about her response to the May 19, 2015 spill.

Santa Barbara Noozhawk, 5-25-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

As more solar and wind come onto the grid, prices go down but new questions come up

Wind and solar energy are growing rapidly in the U.S. As these energy sources become a bigger part of the electricity mix, their growth raises new questions: How do solar and wind influence energy prices? And since power plants last for decades, what should policymakers and investors think about to ensure that investments in power infrastructure pay off in the future?

The Conversation, 5-23-18

The new solar mandate: A leap forward or a step back?

Moments before the California Energy Commission (CEC) voted to adopt new energy efficiency standards that included a requirement that all new homes in the state be equipped with rooftop solar, commissioner Andrew McAllister lightheartedly invoked the words of Neil Armstrong, the first human to step on the moon.

San Diego Union Tribune, 5-28-18

A federal judge in a climate change lawsuit is forcing oil companies to cough up internal documents

A federal judge wants the litigants in two high-profile climate change lawsuits against the five largest oil companies to make the case for whether he should consider the benefits of fossil fuels.

Vox, 5-29-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Applying machine learning tools to earthquake data offers new insights

For all that seismologists have learned about earthquakes, new technologies show how much remains to be discovered.

Science Daily, 5-23-18

Teaching machines to listen for earthquakes

Seismic waves are often studied to determine the magnitude and epicentre of an earthquake. Sound waves have been studied by machine learning algorithms to detect patterns in music and human speech.

Cosmos, 5-25-18

Quake expert reports to council

Lucy Jones, known to many as the “Earthquake Lady,” made a special visit to Moorpark last week. The stop was part of the seismologist’s ongoing efforts to prepare Southern California communities like Moorpark for the disruption and aftermath of a major earthquake.

Moorpark Acorn, 5-25-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Oil companies want SF, Oakland climate lawsuits dismissed

Five of the world’s largest oil producers urged a federal judge Thursday to dismiss lawsuits by San Francisco and Oakland that seek to hold the companies liable for climate change, arguing that the issue is one for Congress, not the courts.

San Francisco Chronicle, 5-24-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

What will we eat in 2050? California farmers are placing bets.

Chris Sayer pushed his way through avocado branches and grasped a denuded limb. It was stained black, as if someone had ladled tar over its bark. In February, the temperature had dropped below freezing for three hours, killing the limb.

Grist, 5-22-18

New proposal for up to 180 homes on former farmland in San Juan Capistrano puts lawsuit against city on hold

City Council members said they could support the level of development now being proposed by the owners of the last piece of privately owned farm land in San Juan Capistrano, which may be the way out of a lawsuit against the city.

Orange County Register, 5-24-18

New Restoration Effort Would Give Big Boost to Lake Tahoe Watershed

Conservationists in the Lake Tahoe region are celebrating the acquisition by the Tahoe Resource Conservation District of a 206-acre property, Johnson Meadow, in South Lake Tahoe.

Water Deeply, 5-24-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

California is shattering renewable records. So why are greenhouse emissions creeping up?

The green beacon that is the state of California is making clean-energy strides, according to new stats out this week. It’s harnessing a record amount of solar power, building more turbines to capture wind power records, and closing in on the moment when the grid goes 100 percent carbon free. And yet it’s also starting to generate more greenhouse gases.

Grist, 5-23-18

Honeybees may be dying in larger numbers due to climate change

Beekeepers in the U.S. reported an increase in honeybee deaths over the last year, possibly the result of erratic weather patterns brought on by a changing climate, according to the scientist leading an annual survey on the insects.

Bloomberg News, 5-24-18

Pruitt’s Anti-Climate Agenda Is Facing New Challenge From Science Advisers

Scott Pruitt, the embattled head of the Environmental Protection Agency, faces a broadening challenge to his efforts to roll back greenhouse gas regulations, as agency science advisers expand the list of policies they want to vet at an upcoming meeting.

Inside Climate News, 5-23-18

Hitting toughest climate target will save world $30tn in damages, analysis shows

Achieving the toughest climate change target set in the global Paris agreement will save the world about $30tn in damages, far more than the costs of cutting carbon emissions, according to a new economic analysis.

The Guardian, 5-23-18

California Air-Quality Official Takes a Swipe at Trump

California’s top air-quality official disputed the Trump administration’s description of a meeting about the future of fuel economy standards, suggesting it was actually a dud.

Bloomberg News, 5-24-18

GENERAL

Once Seen as Useless, Ecologists Now Fight to Restore California's Chaparral

When the Spaniards arrived in Southern California, the native landscape reminded them of the oak woodlands back in Spain -- full of lush, impenetrable and dense vegetation. They called it "chaparro," which eventually morphed into what we call it today, "chaparral."

KQED (San Francisco TV-radio), 5-24-18

“Floating village” eyed in San Jose’s Alviso area could ward off floods, quakes, rising seas

A “floating village” project is being eyed in north San Jose’s Alviso hamlet by tech company Arx Pax, using a technology that would deploy a group of pontoons beneath the buildings to protect the development from floods and earthquakes.

Bay Area News Group, 5-24-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Internal Records Reveal Mixed Messages, Missed Opportunities Before 1/9 Debris Flow

Nearly five months have passed since avalanches of rock and mud triggered by a ferocious winter storm ripped through Montecito and killed 23 people. For most, the 1/9 Debris Flow has faded from immediate memory, but for residents of the small seaside community, the tragedy remains etched in sharp relief across devastated neighborhoods and among brokenhearted families.

Santa Barbara Independent, 5-24-18

An Earthquake Early Warning App is Ready. Here’s Why You Can’t Have It Yet.

Imagine if you got a notification to your phone about a minute before the next big earthquake hits. What would you do with that time? It sounds like a far-fetched scenario, but the technology is actually available right now.

KTLA (Los Angeles television), 5-23-18

Machine listening for earthquakes: Algorithms pick out hidden signals that could boost geothermal energy production

In a new study in Science Advances, researchers at Columbia University show that machine learning algorithms could pick out different types of earthquakes from three years of earthquake recordings at The Geysers in California, one of the world's oldest and largest geothermal reservoirs.

Phys.org, 5-23-18

Getting the facts straight on Hawaii

There is a disjunct between media reports and what is actually happening on the ground in Hawaii. “Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano massively erupts,” screams the heading from the Google News section on the eruption while USA Today blared “Hawaii’s Big Island braces for major volcano eruption.”

Eureka Times-Standard column, 5-23-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Explosive eruption at Kilauea volcano, as lava threatens geothermal plant

Early Tuesday morning, local news outlets reported another explosive eruption at the Kilauea summit, the fourth to strike the 4,000-foot-high cauldron in three days. This ash plume arrived hours after Hawaii officials announced that lava had reached the grounds of a geothermal plant on Big Island.

PBS, 5-22-18

In Bay Area, six national sites would be threatened by offshore oil drilling, report says

Six national park sites in the Bay Area would be in danger of being slimed by oil — one of the most hard-hit areas in the country — if President Trump goes through with his plan to expand offshore oil drilling along the California coast, a national report on federal parks said Wednesday.

San Francisco Chronicle, 5-23-18

Battling oil

The Coalition to Protect SLO County has successfully gathered enough signatures to put a measure on the ballot this November to ban oil well expansion, fracking, and acidizing in the county, but their work has just begun. Over the coming months, they will have to counteract misinformation from the oil industry.

San Luis Obispo New Times commentary, 5-24-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Measure C will have chilling effect on Napa Valley agriculture

Measure C, the Napa County Watershed and Oak Woodland Protection Initiative on the June ballot in Napa County, is deeply flawed, confusing and an anti-agricultural land-use measure. The initiative goes too far in an attempt to curtail future agricultural operations.

San Francisco Chronicle commentary, 5-22-18

Proposition 68 targets state, local environmental needs

Proposition 68 on the June ballot seeks voter approval for the $4.1 billion California Clean Water and Safe Parks Act. Marin Conservation League urges a yes vote on this far-sighted and important measure

Marin Independent Journal commentary, 5-23-18

California Farmland Trust Created

The Central Valley Farmland Trust (CVFT) and the Brentwood Agricultural Land Trust (BALT) merged to form one organization dedicated to serving more California farmers, the California Farmland Trust. The two boards decided on merger in late 2017.

Livermore Independent, 5-24-18

WATER

Opponents of Delta tunnels deserve their day in court

It’s one thing to streamline environmental reviews for a major project, which happened for the Golden 1 Center in downtown Sacramento. It’s entirely another to dismiss any environmental lawsuits and prevent others from being filed.

Sacramento Bee editorial, 5-22-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

Florida Cities Are Most at Risk From Climate Change, Report Says

The picturesque Florida cities of Miami Beach and Sarasota carry high investment-grade credit ratings and are popular travel destinations. They’re also two of the most exposed U.S cities to climate change in the country, according to a new analysis by advisory firm Four Twenty Seven.

Bloomberg News, 5-22-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Hawaii geothermal plant plugs wells as lava flows nearby

Production wells at a geothermal plant under threat by lava flowing from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano have been plugged to prevent toxic gases from seeping out.

Associated Press, 5-22-18

State considers exempting local aquifers for oil work

State regulators are gathering public input before making an environmental recommendation that could have big implications for local oil production.

Bakersfield Californian, 5-22-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Watch out, Hawaii. California’s got some volcanoes, too

Yes, the Aloha State has the lava-lamp spotlight at the moment, as its Kilauea volcano exploded anew this week, sending a molten flow in the direction of the Puna Geothermal Venture plant, which just happens to be chock-full of flammable chemicals.

Bay Area News Group, 5-22-18

A 30-mile commute now takes 3 hours: Impacts of Hwy. 1 Mud Creek Slide closure hit hard

When landslides shut down part of Highway 1 between Cambria and Carmel, lives change and get more complicated. When the closure lasts more than a year, those complications can multiply exponentially.

San Luis Obispo Tribune, 5-22-18

Big mudslide blocks US 395 near Nevada-California state line

A huge mudslide has forced closure of U.S. Highway 395 at Topaz Lake just north of the Nevada-California state line. The California Department of Transportation says Monday’s mudslide is 100 feet in length and up to 4 feet deep.

Associated Press, 5-22-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Divisive referendum seeks to limit vineyard growth in storied Napa Valley

All those vines stretching in tight formation across the floor and up the hills give Napa Valley an aura of orderliness as well as prosperity. Farming has never been as predictable or as successful, those commanding regiments suggest.

Sacramento Bee, 5-23-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

National parks report on climate change finally released, uncensored

Backing away from attempts at censorship, the National Park Service on Friday released a report charting the risks to national parks from sea level rise and storms.

Center for Investigative Reporting, 5-18-18

Checking the math on cap and trade, some experts say it’s not adding up

As California accelerates its efforts to reduce greenhouses gases over the next decade, experts are pointing to vulnerabilities in its celebrated cap-and-trade system, weaknesses that could make the state’s goals difficult—even impossible—to reach.

CalMatters, 5-22-18

GENERAL

Mike Stoker's appointment as EPA Region 9 chief met with mixed reactions

Environmental groups and Sen. Dianne Feinstein are raising concerns about the appointment of former Santa Barbara County Supervisor Mike Stoker as head of the Environmental Protection Agency's Region 9 office, while others say he's the right pick for the job.

Lompoc Record, 5-22-18

WATER

The high hurdles to California water storage

Recent California Water Commission hearings determined who will receive a portion of the $2.7 billion in water bond money voters approved several years ago.

Western Farm Press, 5-21-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Arizona prepares for mass exodus of Californians in event of catastrophic earthquake

The state of Arizona started a full-scale, three-and-a-half-day-long exercise Monday to prepare for a mass exodus of Californians in the event of a catastrophic earthquake.

San Francisco Chronicle, 5-21-18

A California volcano once obliterated a forest and propelled ash 280 miles. Experts say it offers a warning

Lassen Peak had been rumbling for days. Glowing hot rocks bounded down the slopes. Lava was welling up into a freshly created crater. Then, on this day 103 years ago, it exploded in a way California would never forget.

Los Angeles Times, 5-22-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Toxic Wastewater From Oil Fields Endangers California’s Water Supply, Scientists Tell NBC Bay Area

Fred Starrh’s family near Shafter, California, used to have good clean water under their land which they used for their crops. Starrh said that was before oil companies next door started dumping their waste into open, unlined “percolation ponds” near their farm.

KNTV (San Jose), 5-18-18

How California Undercuts Its Efforts to Combat Climate Change

California Governor Jerry Brown has long been calling for drastic action on climate change, which he has called an "existential threat" to the state, the country, and the world. And as the Trump administration has scaled back national efforts for climate action, the leader of the nation's most populous state has become increasingly influential.

Pacific Standard, 5-22-18

California Water Agency Concerned as Neighboring Geothermal Plant Expands

The town of Mammoth Lakes, in California’s eastern Sierra Nevada, is generally known for two things: epic skiing in winter, thanks to the very high elevation of its ski mountain; and volcanic activity, because the mountain is a simmering volcano.

Water Deeply, 5-22-18

WATER

Five Things to Know About Water Bonds on Upcoming California Ballots

Californians this year will vote on not one but two water bond measures totaling $13 billion. Given that the state still hasn’t spent all of the $7.5 billion from the Proposition 1 water bond passed in 2014, it raises a crucial question: Does California really need another $13 billion in water bonds?

Water Deeply, 5-21-18

A Washington bomb set to go off in California's delta tunnels water war

A congressman set off a legislative bomb in California's water wars last week. Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Corona) inserted a rider into an Interior Department appropriations bill that would exempt from all judicial review the intensely contested Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta twin tunnels project. Passage of the rider — it's scheduled for a House committee vote Tuesday — would mean that the water diversion scheme wouldn't have to follow federal or state law.

Los Angeles Times, 5-21-18

State Water Project allocation rises to 35 percent

Farmers receiving allocations from the State Water Project can expect a bigger allotment this year than they anticipated as recently as last month, thanks to late-season precipitation.

Bakersfield Californian, 5-22-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

Proposition 70: Who Decides How to Spend California Climate Funds

Proposition 70 is about money raised by California's cap-and-trade program to control climate emissions. Under that program, industries buy permits at a state auction allowing them to emit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.

KQED, 5-22-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

It Could Happen Here: Calif. Volcanoes Most Likely to Erupt

It's not only a possibility in the Hawaiian Islands.

SFGate, 5-18-18

The ‘Big One’ is a threat even if you don’t live in California

Everyone knows Los Angeles has an earthquake problem. The second-largest U.S. city sits atop 100 geological faults; a big earthquake is an inevitable part of its future. And almost everyone is afraid of that big earthquake. Many non-Californians cannot imagine how anyone can live in the state.

MarketWatch commentary, 5-18-18

3.5-magnitude quake hits near Palomar Mountain, rattling parts of North San Diego County

A 3.5-magnitude near Palomar Mountain rattled parts of North San Diego County Saturday. The quake struck about 24 miles east of Temecula just before 12:30 p.m. Saturday, according to the USGS. The earthquake had a depth of about 1.6 miles.

KGTV (San Diego), 5-19-18

3.5 earthquake breaks near Palomar Observatory, jostling North County

A magnitude 3.5 earthquake occurred at 12:26 p.m. Saturday 10 miles north-northeast of San Diego County’s Palomar Observatory, lightly shaking parts of North County, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

San Diego Union Tribune, 5-19-18

3.5-magnitude earthquake rattles Riverside County

A magnitude-3.5 earthquake shook parts of Riverside County on Saturday, May 19. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the temblor at 12:26 p.m. with an epicenter near the Cahuilla Indian Reservation and about 9 miles southwest of Anza.

Riverside Press Enterprise, 5-19-18

What it's like to live in a California town that experiences thousands of earthquakes a year

When Cheryl Rose and her husband bought their 46-acre property deep in California's Inland Empire, they felt like they had struck real estate gold. With enough space for their 15 Norwegian Fjord horses, goats and chickens to roam, and a view of rolling hills, mountains and lakes, the parcel was a bargain for the price.

Palm Springs Desert Sun, 5-18-18

Sunday marks one year since massive landslide closed Highway 1

This Sunday marks one year since a massive landslide wiped out a portion of Highway 1, closing the iconic road to traffic north of San Luis Obispo County.

KSBY (San Luis Obispo television), 5-18-18

38 years ago, Mount St. Helens blew her top

Before May 18, 1980, the United States had seen only one serious volcanic eruption. The nation certainly had not seen ash shoot 80,000 feet in the air, nor had it seen destruction on the scale and magnitude it was about to see that morning.

Seattle Post Intelligencer, 5-19-18

These are the California volcanoes most likely to erupt first

It's not only a possibility in the Hawaiian Islands. A chain of about 40 volcanos runs along the West Coast between Canada and Mexico and all have the potential to become active. (The potential for each peak is outlined in the gallery above.)

San Francisco Chronicle, 5-18-18

Montecito mudslide victims get chance to recover lost items

Property owners and families affected by the January mudslide will get a chance to view unclaimed items found in the debris on Saturday.

KEYT (Santa Barbara television), 5-18-18

Seismologist: How cities respond to major quake will determine whether residents stay

Economists are often asked when the next recession is. Meteorologists are asked when it’s going to rain. And if you’re seismologist Lucy Jones, you’re always going to be asked about the “big one.”

Ventura County Star, 5-17-18

Continental shelf shape leads to long-lasting tsunami edge waves during Mexican earthquake

The shape of the continental shelf off the southern Mexican coast played a role in the formation of long-lasting tsunami edge waves that appeared after last September's magnitude 8.2 earthquake, according to researchers speaking at the SSA 2018 Annual Meeting.

Science Daily, 5-17-17

DIVISON OF MINE RECLAMATION

BLM Approves Two Exploratory Projects in The California Desert

The Bureau of Land Management has approved two exploratory projects in the California desert, the Perdito Exploration Project and the Green Planet Group sampling project.

Mariposa Sierra Sun Times, 5-20-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Builders bring ‘smart’ homes with Apple and Amazon to Ontario, aiming at millennials, boomers

Hundreds and hundreds of new homes, some equipped with new-age “smart home” technology from the likes of Apple and Amazon, are transforming a large swath of former Inland Empire dairy land that developers for decades had essentially skipped over.

Los Angeles Newspaper Group, 5-21-18

Got several years and several million dollars? You probably still can’t plant a Napa Valley vineyard

Leslie Caccamese understood that owning a vineyard in Napa Valley wouldn’t be easy. But she could not have imagined just how difficult it would be.

San Francisco Chronicle, 5-17-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, & GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Three-year study found no relationship between methane concentrations in groundwater and proximity to natural gas wells

A study of drinking water in Appalachian Ohio found no evidence of natural gas contamination from recent oil and gas drilling.
PhysOrg, 5-19-18

This November, we'll have a chance to protect San Luis Obispo County from Big Oil

On May 1, the Coalition to Protect San Luis Obispo County delivered to the County Clerk signatures of 20,473 local registered voters, all of whom signed an initiative to ban new oil wells in San Luis Obispo County.

San Luis Obispo Tribune commentary, 5-19-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

Del Mar considers unpopular 'planned retreat' strategy due to rising sea level

Herb Montgomery and his wife, Janet, have lived in Del Mar's low-lying Beach Colony just east of Camino Del Mar for 20 years. He knows the ocean is creeping closer to his property and he says the city has an obligation to protect his home, valued at $3.2 million, from the rising waters.

Los Angeles Times, 5-20-18

Sea-level rise and the precious commodity of sand

Humans use more sand than any other natural resource besides air or water. It’s used in concrete and asphalt, which build the world’s buildings and roads. Sand is also needed to make glass. The sand used to construct towns and cities leads to development that then impedes sand’s natural flow from watersheds, diminishing one of its best sources of replenishment.

Coast News Group, 5-17-18

Earth just had its 400th straight warmer-than-average month thanks to global warming

It was December 1984, and President Reagan had just been elected to his second term, Dynasty was the top show on TV and Madonna's Like a Virgin topped the musical charts.

USA Today, 5-17-18

California is turning farms into carbon-sucking factories

In a grand experiment, California switched on a fleet of high-tech greenhouse gas removal machines last month. Funded by the state’s cap-and-trade program, they’re designed to reverse climate change by sucking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

Grist, 5-11-18

NASA’s Jim Bridenstine Agrees Humans Are Responsible for Climate Change

It's no secret that the Trump administration has filled cabinet positions and other senior staff jobs with people who reject or ignore established climate science.

Wired, 5-11-18

A little extra global warming will mean a lot more habitat loss for plants and animals, study says

What difference does half a degree Celsius of global warming make? To many plants and animals, and especially insects, it could mean the difference between life and death, according to a new study.

Los Angeles Times, 5-18-18

California solar output sets new record: Cal-ISO data

Total California solar output hit a new record this week, placing sun-driven generation at the top of the overall California generation mix so far this month

Platts, 5-18-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

California bill seeks to clarify mudslide insurance

The California Senate has approved legislation clarifying insurance coverage following mudslides near Santa Barbara.

Associated Press, 5-17-18

Dangerous volcanoes: Five of the most threatening active volcanos around the world

There are 1,500 active volcanoes in the world, but these five pose some of the biggest threats to human life, according to AccuWeather.

AccuWeather, 5-17-18

Supervisors Approve Like-for-Like Rebuilding Ordinance Changes for Montecito Debris Flow Recovery

The goal of the like-for-like rebuilding ordinance amendments the Board of Supervisors approved on Tuesday is to give Montecito residents a streamlined process to rebuild their homes destroyed or damaged in the Jan. 9 debris flow.

Santa Barbara Noozhawk, 5-15-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, & GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

What’s Next for Platform Holly?

California State Lands Commission staffers presented updates Monday on the soon-to-be-decommissioned Ellwood oil fields off Goleta’s coast. Venoco filed for bankruptcy just over a year ago, and the commission is chipping away at closing facilities the oil company once operated — the Ellwood Onshore Facility petroleum processing plant, two oil wells at Ellwood Beach Piers 421, and 30 oil wells at Platform Holly.

Santa Barbara Independent, 5-16-18

Wasco plant prepares to ramp up oilfield wastewater treatment work

It makes Edison-area oilfield operator Michael Unsell sick to think about the roughly 40 billion gallons of wastewater that get flushed deep underground every year as part of local oil production.

Bakersfield Californian, 5-18-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

Will Trump's pick to run EPA in California show up for work?

The White House may have finally found someone to take on the stress of overseeing President Trump's fossil fuel-friendly environmental agenda in the heart of hostile territory: California and nearby states. But there's one glaring problem. The guy officials have queued up to lead the Environmental Protection Agency's headquarters in San Francisco doesn't want to live anywhere near San Francisco.

Los Angeles Times, 5-17-18

Planning for all the possibilities

A recent report suggests that sea level rise driven by climate change will swamp coastline wetlands of California in less than a century, erasing thousands of acres of marshes that support a wide range of wildlife — and those creatures have, essentially, no place to go.

Lompoc Record editorial, 5-16-18

Yearlong Bay 'Challenge' Ends with Lofty Plans for Staving Off Sea Level Rise

Design teams from around the world unveil their visions today for a ring of ambitious projects circling San Francisco Bay, all aimed at increasing "resilience" to the challenges of rising sea levels and other growing threats to communities.

KQED (San Francisco TV/radio), 5-17-18

Prop. 68 will prepare California for climate change

California’s safe drinking water and natural resources are increasingly threatened by drought, wildfires, floods and mudslides.

Sacramento Bee commentary, 5-17-18

Prop. 68 means more debt and higher taxes

It’s time, Californians, to hold on to our collective wallets. “It does NOT raise taxes,” proponents of Proposition 68 insist in the official state voters’ guide. Then where do they think the money will come from to repay the $4 billion in bonds that are supposed to go for parks and “climate adaptation,” whatever that is?

Sacramento Bee commentary, 5-17-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Hawaii’s Kiluea Volcano Erupts from Summit, Sends Huge Plume Into Sky

Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano erupted from its summit before dawn Thursday, shooting a dusty plume of ash about 30,000 feet into the sky.

FOX 40, 5-17-18

Magnitude 3.2 earthquake strikes near Morgan Hill

The United States Geological Survey reports a preliminary magnitude 3.2 earthquake struck near Morgan Hill, CA on Wednesday.

San Francisco Chronicle, 5-17-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, & GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

SoCal Gas will ramp up gas injections

With summer heat on the horizon, state regulators have allowed the Southern California Gas Company to temporarily increase storage injections at the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility, much to the displeasure of residents in the area who’d rather see the facility shut down.

Los Angeles Newspaper Group, 5-16-18

Packed Town Hall On Decommissioning Goleta Oil Platform

On Monday, May 14 at 6:00 PM, the California State Lands Commission held a packed town hall meeting at the Goleta City Hall on the decommissioning process for Platform Holly, the offshore oil platform near Ellwood and UCSB, as well as pier 421, the oil platform on Haskell's beach, and the Ellwood Onshore Facility (EOF), the oil processing plant near the Bacara.

Santa Barbara Edhat, 5-16-18

Livermore Oil

Recent letters in this paper made numerous claims of facts that actually promoted largely uninformed and extremely misleading suppositions. They are rife with incendiary language and one must conclude they may be designed to stir up unfounded fear of E&B Natural Resources (E&B) among Livermore area residents.

Livermore Independent letter, 5-17-18

Platform Holly Meeting, Part 2

At the second of two appearances by State Lands Commission staffers in as many days, the Goleta City Council was formally told of the plans so far to plug and abandon Platform Holly, Pier 421, and the Ellwood Onshore Facility, receiving a report heard at the Town Hall meeting the night before.

Santa Barbara Independent, 5-16-18

Monterey County cuts deal, will not appeal Measure Z ruling

When the oil companies, landowners and mineral rights owners sued Monterey County late last year, the plaintiffs’ side of the courtroom was packed with lots of lawyers

KAZU (Monterey County NPR), 5-16-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Hemp Legalization Poised to Transform Agriculture in Arid West

Amid all the excitement around marijuana legalization in America, another newly legal crop has received comparatively little attention: hemp. And yet hemp may prove to be even more transformative, especially in the West’s arid landscapes.

Water Deeply, 5-16-18

GENERAL

Mapping changes in world’s water, NASA scientists find 'human fingerprint' in many areas

Using measurements from Earth-observing satellites, NASA scientists have tracked changes in water supplies worldwide and they’ve found that in many places humans are dramatically altering the global water map.

Palm Springs Desert Sun, 5-16-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

Study: US Insurers Unprepared for Climate Change Disasters

Most U.S. insurance companies have not adapted their strategies to address the dangers of climate change, making them likely to raise rates or deny coverage in high-risk areas, said a study released Tuesday.

Voice of America, 5-15-18

Prop. 68 will prepare California for climate change

California’s safe drinking water and natural resources are increasingly threatened by drought, wildfires, floods and mudslides.

Sacramento Bee commentary, 5-16-18

Trump has a messaging problem on climate

It was noteworthy because of his job title and how infrequently it occurs, but here was Scott Pruitt, head of the Environmental Protection Agency, talking about climate change.

Environment & Energy Publishing, 5-16-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Monterey County settles with oil industry, won’t appeal Measure Z ruling

Monterey County will not appeal a Superior Court judge’s ruling striking down much of voter-approved Measure Z, which sought to establish some of the nation’s toughest restrictions on oil and gas operations.

Monterey Herald, 5-15-18

Fracking ban case settled in Monterey County

A settlement agreement has been reached with plaintiffs who sued to halt the start of Measure Z, preserving the county's right to defend a March court ruling that leaves the fracking ban in place, Monterey County officials announced Tuesday.

Salinas Californian, 5-15-18

County reaches settlement with plaintiffs over Measure Z

Monterey County is ducking out of the fight over Measure Z, the 2016 ballot initiative that called for a ban on fracking, wastewater injection and new oil wells in the county.

Monterey County Weekly, 5-15-18

Settlement reached in Measure Z lawsuit

A settlement has been reached in a highly-contested battle involving Monterey County and oil companies. It's a win for both sides as a costly legal battle between Monterey County and big oil is done, at least for now.

KION (Salinas television), 5-15-18

CPUC OKs Temporary Increase in Aliso Canyon Injections

The California Public Utilities Commission on Thursday voted unanimously to allow Southern California Gas to temporarily increase gas injections into Aliso Canyon, but it denied a request to increase the storage facility’s allowable capacity.

RTO Insider, 5-14-18

Investigation: Officials Can’t Say Porter Ranch Is Safe 2 Years After Gas Leak Was Capped

Some residents of Porter Ranch say they’re still getting sick more than two years after the Aliso Canyon gas leak.

KCBS-TV (Los Angeles)

State Lands Commission holds town hall meeting regarding Platform Holly

The States Lands Commission staff held a town hall meeting on Monday to update the community on Platform Holly, Piers 421, and the Ellwood Onshore Facility at Goleta City Hall.

KEYT (Santa Barbara television), 5-14-18

California Is Dismantling an Iconic Offshore Oil Rig

In a Monday night hearing, the California State Lands Commission announced that Platform Holly, one of the state's most iconic offshore oil rigs off the coast of Goleta in Santa Barbara County, will be fully decommissioned by mid-2019. But environmental advocates worry that the fossil fuel era is far from over in California.

Pacific Standard, 5-15-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Earthquake rattles Giants game, fans go to bat with geological jokes

A small earthquake rattled a San Francisco Giants game Monday night, moments before the Giants' Chris Stratton threw a pitch.

San Francisco Chronicle, 5-14-18

3.8 quake strikes near Oakland

A shallow magnitude 3.8 earthquake was reported Monday evening two miles from Oakland, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 7:18 p.m. Pacific time at a depth of 5.6 miles.

Los Angeles Times, 5-14-18

Is It Possible to Predict Earthquakes?

Northern California's Hayward Fault is often called the most dangerous fault in America: It's the country's most urbanized fault, meaning an earthquake there has the potential to cause significant destruction, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

LiveScience, 5-15-18

Seismologist Says California Is Waiting For Its Next ‘Big One’

Former U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Lucy Jones was the go-to person in Los Angeles for information about earthquakes for more than a generation. In 2014, she became L.A.’s first city seismologist and risk adviser.

KPBS (San Diego television), 5-15-18

Alameda County explains why earthquake alert came 90 minutes late

A small earthquake was felt by thousands Monday evening in the Bay Area, prompting many news organizations, including ABC7 News, to send out push alerts within 10 minutes.

KGO (San Francisco television), 5-15-18

Lessons from Montecito: Science's Credibility Is At Stake

For applied scientists—that intrepid cadre who get their hands dirty in the sometimes dangerous world beyond the ivory tower, participating in difficult decisions with little time and major consequences—getting the right answer is only half the battle.

Wired, 5-14-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Farmland trust sounds alarm over vanishing farmland

Across the nation, large swaths of what once was fertile farmland have been swallowed up by housing and commercial development to keep pace with the growing population and economy.

Capital Press, 5-15-18

Brown's revised budget boosts 'climate smart' ag

Gov. Jerry Brown's $137.6 billion revised budget proposal for fiscal 2018-19 seeks to boost "climate smart" agriculture, including $60 million in one-time grant funding to help growers replace old diesel-powered vehicles and equipment and put in more resource-efficient systems.

Western Farm Press, 5-11-18

WATER

A ban on Delta tunnels lawsuits slips into federal spending plan

With the California Delta tunnels proposal facing an uncertain future, one of the state's Republican congressmen has come up with a way to help the multibillion water project, known formally as California WaterFix, reach completion: ban environmental lawsuits. Sacramento Bee, 5-15-18

Facing Climate and Water Pressures, Farmers Return to Age-Old Practice

This spring in California several orchards around Solano and nearby counties sported a new look: lush carpets of mixed grasses growing as tall as 3ft beneath the trees’ bare branches. By summer the scene will change as farmers grow and harvest their nut crops, but the work of the grasses will continue unseen.

Water Deeply, 5-15-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

Dismal Western Snowpack Is a Climate "Warning Sign"

It’s only May, and it’s already shaping up to be a stressful summer for many western states.

Environment & Energy News, 5-14-18

Climate Change Is Making Droughts Worse In The Western US

A new study from NASA reinforces the idea that droughts are getting worse and could become more frequent in the Western U.S. The culprit is human-caused climate change.

KPBS (San Diego television), 5-15-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Magnitude 3.5 earthquake shakes San Francisco Bay Area, centered near Oakland

An earthquake with preliminary magnitude of 3.8 rattled the San Francisco Bay Area Monday night. The quake was later downgraded to a 3.5.

SFGate, 5-14-18

Hawaii volcano eruption costs tourism industry millions

People nixing vacations to Hawaii's Big island has cost the tourism industry millions of dollars as the top attraction, Kilauea volcano, keeps spewing lava.

Associated Press, 5-14-18

Hawaii Volcano Raises Concerns of Eruptions Along West Coast

The West Coast is home to an 800-mile chain of 13 volcanoes, from Washington state's Mount Baker to California's Lassen Peak

NBC Channel 7-San Diego, 5-13-18

WATER

Seawater Intrusion Threatens Some of California’s Richest Farmland

California’s Salinas Valley, one of the world’s most productive farming areas, faces a groundwater emergency. The problem is seawater intrusion into freshwater aquifers, which are the region’s lifeblood.

Water Deeply, 5-14-18

November Water Bond Promises $8.7 Billion Towards Securing California’s Future

California voters are being presented with two upcoming water bond propositions in the June and November elections. In June, Prop 68 will present voters with a $4 billion Parks and Water Bond, and in November the Water Supply and Water Quality bond will present voters with an $8.7 billion bond.

The Planning Report, 5-11-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Oil industry allies challenge California regulator's funding request

A group of California lawmakers wants to block a funding increase for the regulatory agency that oversees the state's oil and gas industry, unless it tackles a backlog of applications for dozens of drilling projects.

Sacramento Bee, 5-14-18

The Aliso Canyon gas leak was a disaster. There are 10,000 more storage wells out there just like it

The blowout at the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage well was one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S history. It went on for 118 days in 2015 and 2016 — 25 days longer than the Deepwater Horizon oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. More natural gas escaped from that single leaking 10-inch-diameter pipe than 80,000 homes would use in a year. Thousands of residents in Porter Ranch evacuated after complaining of headaches and nosebleeds. Estimates peg costs at nearly $1 billion. Continuing restrictions on storage at Aliso Canyon are still disrupting gas delivery to power plants.

Los Angeles Times, 5-15-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

The problem with California going all-in on solar energy

The California Energy Commission has approved a new regulation requiring all new home construction to include solar panels. This, in spite of California having the highest housing costs in the country and a widespread housing shortage.

The Hill commentary, 5-11-18

Volcanoes. Geysers. Earthquakes. Mother Earth sure seems angry right now

Like they say, when it rains, it pours ... and erupts and flows and shakes and swelters and blows and generally wreaks havoc around the country.

CNN, 5-14-18

Shrinking glaciers, bigger fires and hotter nights: How climate change is altering California

California may be a leader in the fight against climate change, but the state is increasingly hard hit by symptoms of the unrelenting rise of greenhouse gases, a new state assessment finds.

Los Angeles Times, 5-11-18

GENERAL

Are electric cars worse for the environment?

If you believe the headlines, traditional automobiles are speeding toward a dead end. All those V8s, V6s and turbocharged vehicles we’ve grown to love will soon be replaced by squadrons of clean, whisper-quiet, all-electric vehicles. And if you believe the headlines, the environment will be much better off.

Politico, 5-15-18

DIVISION OF MINE RECLAMATION

Lompoc Stone mining company wins appeal for right to expand operations

Operators of the Lompoc Stone mining operation will be allowed to expand the operation by 28.5 acres after the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors upheld an appeal of a deemed denial on a split vote.

Santa Maria Times, 5-11-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Swarm of earthquakes hits seismically active region along California border

A swarm of small earthquakes hit a town near the U.S.-Mexico border Saturday and continued into Sunday.

Los Angeles Times, 5-13-18

Debris removal complete on 96 percent of Thomas Fire properties, full completion due in June

Five months after the Thomas Fire ravaged through Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, state officials said Friday they have completed debris removal on more than 96 percent of properties enrolled in state assistance programs.

Ventura County Star, 5-11-18

Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano has lessons for California

Red ash began rising from the Puu Oo vent on Hawaii’s Kilauea after a magnitude 5.0 earthquake May 3. The vent’s crater floor collapsed April 30, triggering the first earthquake and a major shift in magma.

Los Angeles Newspaper Group, 5-11-18

Hawaii Volcano Raises Concerns Of Eruptions Along West Coast

The eruption of a Hawaii volcano in the Pacific "Ring of Fire" has experts warily eyeing volcanic peaks on America's West Coast that are also part of the geologically active region.

Associated Press, 5-12-18

Magnitude 3.3 Earthquake Rattles Southern California Desert

A magnitude 3.3 earthquake has rattled the Southern California desert.

Associated Press, 5-12-18

Series of earthquakes strike San Diego County area

A series of earthquakes struck 14.3 miles east-southeast of Ocotillo Wells in San Diego County on Saturday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

KABC (Los Angeles television), 5-12-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Oil industry allies challenge California regulator's funding request

Sacramento Bee, 5-14-18

Earth Talk: Can fracking directly cause earthquakes?

Geologists used to believe that "fracking" — or hydraulic fracturing, the process of drilling down into the earth and injecting water, chemicals and sand at high pressure to release and capture the gas or oil contained in the rock — couldn't actually cause earthquakes. But conventional wisdom started to change in 2009, when the ground started shaking across Oklahoma in the wake of the state's new fracking boom.

E/The Environmental Magazine, 5-13-18

Locals raise concerns about Playa Del Rey gas storage facility

Nestled in between Marina del Rey and El Segundo is Playa del Rey. Home of the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve and the beach, this community provides a contrast to the Los Angeles concrete jungle. But the region’s Playa del Rey Natural Gas Storage Facility has recently come under scrutiny by local organizations and community members.

Santa Monica Daily Press, 5-12-18

Texas gains 8 rigs as US rig count rises to 1,045

The number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. increased by 13 this week to 1,045.

Associated Press, 5-11-18

Price jump spurs oilfield activity, hopes of local hiring

Surging petroleum prices have reinvigorated local oilfield activity to the point that unless there's a drop-off in the next few months, Kern County may soon begin to recover the thousands of jobs lost during the downturn of 2014.

Bakersfield Californian, 5-12-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

Shrinking glaciers, bigger fires and hotter nights: How climate change is altering California

California may be a leader in the fight against climate change, but the state is increasingly hard hit by symptoms of the unrelenting rise of greenhouse gases, a new state assessment finds.

Los Angeles Times, 5-11-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Grand jury's Tuteur probe critical of ag tax breaks, not so Napa County Supervisors

The 2017-18 Napa County Grand Jury took a close and critical look at the Williamson Act in its investigation of Assessor John Tuteur. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday also probed the topic, expressing a positive view of the program in general while wanting in the future to look at more specifics.

Napa Valley Register, 5-9-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

These Are The Potential Consequences Of Renewing Sanctions For Iran's Oil Importers

President Trump announced Tuesday that the United States will withdraw from the Iran deal and reimpose sanctions, especially on Iran's oil sector. These sanctions will be far less effective than those imposed in 2012, with their success or failure largely outside of U.S. control. In fact, they will likely have consequences that go against the stated objectives of the Trump administration.

NPR, 5-10-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

Rising sea levels could damage city facilities, beaches, roadways in Encinitas

Changing global climate conditions over the next century will likely result in storm-tossed waves tearing out portions of Coast Highway 101 in Cardiff far more frequently in the decades to come.

San Diego Union Tribune, 5-9-18

Will City Hall Finally Get Serious about Accelerating Climate Change?

Finally, some potentially good news. The Los Angeles City Council has taken a long over due baby step to create a new City department, whose mission will be adaptation to and mitigation of climate change.

CityWatch L.A. commentary, 5-10-18

WATER

California's Brown stresses support for water tunnel project

Gov. Jerry Brown is stressing the importance of putting his ambitious plan to reroute California's water system on stable footing before he leaves office next year. Brown spoke Thursday to a gathering of the state's public water agencies.

Associated Press, 5-10-18

Gov. Jerry Brown warns that delta tunnels project could be jeopardized if momentum is not maintained

Gov. Jerry Brown warned local water agency officials throughout California on Thursday that unless the delta tunnels project gets needed state and federal permits soon and continues advancing, the major infrastructure project may not happen in their lifetime.

Los Angeles Times, 5-10-18

GENERAL

How California regained title of world’s 5th largest economy

California has regained its lofty perch as the world’s fifth-largest economy. Last year’s ranking — using the gross domestic product yardstick — is another example of the state’s revival from the financial pain inflicted by the Great Recession. By this math, California’s economy has rebounded from its post-recession standing low set in 2012 when it ranked as just the tenth-biggest economy on the planet.

Southern California Newspaper Group, 5-11-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

4.2-magnitude quake hits Northern California

A magnitude-4.2 earthquake has struck Northern California above San Francisco but there are no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

Associated Press, 5-19

Santa Barbara County says watersheds recovering slowly from fires

The areas in Santa Barbara County adjacent to lands damaged by recent wildfires will be at risk for years, according to county, state, and federal officials.

Santa Maria Sun, 5-9-18

Will your building hold up in a major earthquake?

One of the most earthquake-prone urban areas in the nation, Los Angeles is likely to be rocked by a major temblor within the next few decades. As nerve-wracking as it may be, preparing for the big one is part of living in LA.

Curbed Los Angeles, 5-9-18

As Hawaii volcano erupts, let's remember that California has at least 19

Stunning images of the Kilauea volcano eruption in Hawaii have wowed people all over the U.S. and the world, and led to surprising reminders for some Californians that the state has volcanoes of its own.

At least 19, to be more precise, with seven of them considered to be “high threat” or “very high threat” volcanoes, per the U.S. Geological Survey in California.

San Diego Union Tribune, 5-9-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

In California, Climate Change Is an ‘Immediate and Escalating’ Threat

There are many reasons—rooted in culture, politics and economy—that California has become a leader in the fight against global warming.

Inside Climate News, 5-9-18

Climate Change Ruining California’s Environment, Says Report

There is “unequivocal” evidence that man-made climate change is having a ruinous effect on California’s environment, according to a new report from the California Environmental Protection Agency.

The Daily Beast, 5-9-18

Think Solar Is Upending California’s Power Grid Now? Just Wait

California just mandated that nearly all new homes have solar, starting in less than two years. Now, it’s going to have to figure out what to do with all of that extra energy.

Bloomberg, 5-9-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

District looks ahead at Salt River work this year

In the coming construction season, the Humboldt County Resource Conservation District hopes to restore about 2,500 feet of waterway during the latest phase of the Salt River Restoration Project.

Eureka Times-Standard, 5-8-18

Report: America is losing its best farmland

The United States is losing its best farmland to development, even as the country’s population booms, according to a new report from the nonprofit conservation organization American Farmland Trust.

San Francisco Chronicle, 5-8-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, & GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Environmentalists fight decision to allow oilfield wastewater dumping in Kern County

An environmental group is fighting a decision by state regulators to allow the continued dumping of oilfield wastewater in western Kern County.

KGET (Bakersfield television), 5-8-18

ALISO CANYON

SoCal Summer Power Risks Said to Continue from Aliso Canyon, Pipeline Outages

Inadequate natural gas supplies for electricity generation in Southern California again will hover over the region this summer and cast doubts about next winter, according to an assessment unveiled by the California Energy Commission (CEC).

NGI Shale Gas Daily, 5-9-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

For the moment, California volcanoes are quiet

Hawaii owes its very existence to volcanoes like Kilauea, currently ripping through Leilani Estates in Pahoa – but volcanoes also are a fact of life in California, albeit a subterranean one.

KXTV (Sacramento television), 5-8-18

Magnitude 4.5 earthquake is latest warning of San Andreas' power

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake shook a large portion of Southern California on Tuesday, and was felt from San Diego to Santa Clarita, authorities said.

Los Angeles Times, 5-8-18

California is Volcano Country

The Kilauea eruption on Hawaii's Big Island is a reminder of the volcanic potential here in California. Three California volcanoes are considered very high threat by the US Geological Survey: Mount Shasta, Mount Lassen, and the Long Valley Volcanic Region near Mammoth.

KTXL (Sacramento television), 5-8-18

Caltech, USGS say earthquakes in our local area 'surprisingly active'

The California Institute of Technology and the U.S. Geological Survey held a news conference Tuesday following the recent shaking in our valley. The unexpected 4:49 a.m. shaking alarm clock jolted many valley residents awake.

KESQ (Palm Springs television), 5-8-18

Nearly a year after massive Mud Creek slide, project intensifies

Nearly a year after the largest landslide ever on the Big Sur coast dumped more than 6 million cubic yards over Highway 1, Mud Creek was a bustling work site Monday as crews worked on multiple projects with an eye on the projected opening of mid-September.

Monterey County Herald, 5-8-18

WATER

California Water District Approves up to $650M for Tunnels

A Northern California water agency voted Tuesday to support Gov. Jerry Brown's plan to build two massive tunnels to remake the state's water system. The Santa Clara Valley Water District board voted 4-3 Tuesday to support the $17 billion project and to commit up to $650 million to help pay for it, The Mercury News in San Jose reported.

Associated Press, 5-8-18

Gov. Brown accused of behind-the-scenes manipulation in vote of water tunnel project

Two nonprofit groups are accusing Gov. Jerry Brown of improperly working with Metropolitan Water District board directors behind the scenes to put pressure on a key vote for a massive water tunnel project.

Southern California Public Radio, 5-7-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change ruining California’s environment, report warns

Bigger, more intense forest fires, longer droughts, warmer ocean temperatures and an ever shrinking snowpack in the Sierra Nevada are “unequivocal” evidence of the ruinous domino-effects that climate change is having on California, a new California Environmental Protection Agency report states.

San Francisco Chronicle, 5-8-18

6 charts from new report show how much California’s climate has already changed

Warmer days — and nights. Rising sea levels. Less water available in summer. A report released Wednesday by state officials says climate change is affecting California’s ecosystem already in ways great and small.

Sacramento Bee, 5-8-18

On Climate Change, a Disconnect Between Attitudes and Behavior

Do our behaviors really reflect our beliefs? New research suggests that, when it comes to climate change, the answer is no. And that goes for both skeptics and believers.

Pacific Standard, 5-4-18

Scientists Say Ocean Circulation Is Slowing. Here’s Why You Should Care.

Scientists have found new evidence that the Atlantic Ocean's circulation has slowed by about 15 percent since the middle of the last century. If it continues to slow, that could have profound consequences for Earth's inhabitants.

Inside Climate News, 5-7-18

ALISO CANYON

SoCalGas Natgas Supply Could Fall Short, Utility Warns

Southern California Gas cautioned on May 8 that pipeline outages and restrictions on the Aliso Canyon gas storage facility could reduce its ability to deliver natural gas this year to a level even lower than California state regulators and others have predicted.

Reuters, 5-9-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Unsealed Tuteur transcripts show Napa grand jury in action

Unsealed transcripts show the 2017-18 Napa County grand jury building its corruption or willful misconduct case against Assessor John Tuteur, with a related look at whether wealthy wine country landowners receive undeserved tax breaks.

Napa Valley Register, 5-7-18

Our View: Creating rules in a vacuum

It seems clear that when it comes to making the rules on legal marijuana, it’s still a work in progress. That much was evident last Tuesday when the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors reached a sort-of agreement on making marijuana a qualifying crop to meet requirements of the state’s Williamson Act, while sort-of deciding marijuana growers won’t have the same rights as those who grow other kinds of crops.

Lompoc Record, 5-7-18

Yolo Habitat Conservation Plan heads for final approval

Western burrowing owls, valley elderberry longhorn beetles and giant garter snakes are among the dozen species protected under the 50-year conservation plan local governments will consider for approval over the next two months.

Davis Enterprise, 5-8-18

Analysis: Here’s what’s important for land, sea and air in state’s fight with Trump

The punch-counterpunch sparring between the Trump administration and the state of California over rollbacks of federal environmental regulations is often described as a war of words, with neither the president nor Gov. Jerry Brown giving an inch.

CalMatters, 5-7-18

Hill Ranch along Highway 46 West permanently protected

The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County has permanently protected the 1,779-acre Hill Ranch along Highway 46 West through a voluntary agricultural conservation easement.

KEYT-TV (Santa Barbara), 5-7-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

4 earthquakes strike California

A series of four temblors struck California in about 12 hours, two of them near the small town of Cabazon, according to the US Geological Survey. Just before 5 a.m. (8 a.m. ET) Tuesday, two small earthquakes struck within minutes of each other, roughly 7 miles north of the Southern California city of 4,000. Cabazon is about 45 miles east of the Los Angeles suburb, Riverside.

CNN, 5-8-18

Magnitude 4.5 earthquake rattles Southern California

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.5 shook a large portion of Southern California early Tuesday morning, authorities said.

Los Angeles Times, 5-8-18

4.5-magnitude earthquake jolts the Cabazon area in Riverside County, smaller shaker follows

A 4.5-magnitude earthquake centered in Cabazon struck the Inland Empire at 4:49 a.m. Tuesday, May 8, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Southern California Newspaper Group, 5-8-18

Earthquake centered near Cabazon shakes Southern California Tuesday morning

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake shook the Coachella Valley Tuesday morning and it was followed by a smaller one just a few minutes later.

Palm Springs Desert Sun, 5-8-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, & GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

SoCalGas lifts estimated cost of Aliso Canyon natgas leak to $954 mln

Southern California Gas Co (SoCalGas) on Monday boosted its estimated cost for the massive leak at its Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility between October 2015 and February 2016 to around $954 million, up 4.4 percent from the estimate of $913 million last quarter, according to a quarterly report with U.S. financial regulators.

Reuters, 5-7-18

The cost of the Porter Ranch gas leak is closing in on $1 billion

The nation’s largest-ever natural gas leak has now cost Southern California Gas Company close to $1 billion. And that’s the tab before any legal damage awards or settlements.

Southern California Public Radio, 5-7-18

WATER

$650 million vote set on Delta tunnels project: Are taxpayers protected?

In a vote that could give Gov. Jerry Brown’s $17 billion Delta tunnels plan new momentum, Silicon Valley’s largest water agency on Tuesday will consider changing course and endorsing the controversial project to make it easier to move water to the south.

Bay Area News Group, 5-7-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

Opinion: Climate change is this generation’s defining issue

Each generation has opportunities to distinguish itself and leave the world a better place than they found it. In some cases, that means going to war, as the Greatest Generation did. Others undertake major social change, like the baby boomers focused on the civil rights movement. After more than 40 years in public service, I am convinced that combating the effects of climate change is the single most important issue faced by this and subsequent generations.

Bay Area News Group, 5-4-18

California sees slowing population growth

It’s time for some fun with numbers, dissecting a new state report on population trends. The big number is 39.8 million. That’s the state Department of Finance’s latest calculation of California’s population as of Jan. 1.

CalMatters commentary, 5-7-18

Texas Produces Double The Renewable Power As California At Almost Half The Price -- Blame Regulation

The electricity markets in the two most-populous states couldn’t be more different. California government heavily regulates electricity while Texas allows free market competition in most of the state.

Forbes, 5-7-18

California to become first U.S. state mandating solar on new homes

For seven years, a handful of homebuilders offered solar as an optional item to buyers willing to pay extra to go green.

Mercury News, 5-4-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Pressure Mounts to Solve California’s Toxic Farmland Drainage Problem

Many Americans know the name Kesterson as the California site where thousands of birds and fish were discovered with gruesome deformities in 1983, a result of exposure to selenium-poisoned farm runoff. Thirty-five years later, it is one of the oldest unresolved water problems in the state.

Water Deeply, 5-2-18

353-home Ranchos project goes to planning commission

A Gardnerville Ranchos project that has been on the books for a dozen years is seeking several alterations to the original plan approved in 2006.

The Record-Courier, 5-7-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

4 earthquakes strike California

CNN, 5-8-18

Magnitude 4.5 earthquake rattles Southern California

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.5 shook a large portion of Southern California early Tuesday morning, authorities said.

Los Angeles Times, 5-8-18

4.5-magnitude earthquake jolts the Cabazon area in Riverside County, smaller shaker follows

A 4.5-magnitude earthquake centered in Cabazon struck the Inland Empire at 4:49 a.m. Tuesday, May 8, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Southern California Newspaper Group, 5-8-18

Earthquake centered near Cabazon shakes Southern California Tuesday morning

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake shook the Coachella Valley Tuesday morning and it was followed by a smaller one just a few minutes later.

Palm Springs Desert Sun, 5-8-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, & GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

SoCalGas lifts estimated cost of Aliso Canyon natgas leak to $954 mln

Reuters, 5-7-18

The cost of the Porter Ranch gas leak is closing in on $1 billion

The nation’s largest-ever natural gas leak has now cost Southern California Gas Company close to $1 billion. And that’s the tab before any legal damage awards or settlements.

Southern California Public Radio, 5-7-18

WATER

$650 million vote set on Delta tunnels project: Are taxpayers protected?

Bay Area News Group, 5-7-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

Opinion: Climate change is this generation’s defining issue

Bay Area News Group, 5-4-18

California sees slowing population growth

CalMatters commentary, 5-7-18

Texas Produces Double The Renewable Power As California At Almost Half The Price -- Blame Regulation

Forbes, 5-7-18

California to become first U.S. state mandating solar on new homes

For seven years, a handful of homebuilders offered solar as an optional item to buyers willing to pay extra to go green.

Mercury News, 5-4-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Pressure Mounts to Solve California’s Toxic Farmland Drainage Problem

Water Deeply, 5-2-18

353-home Ranchos project goes to planning commission

A Gardnerville Ranchos project that has been on the books for a dozen years is seeking several alterations to the original plan approved in 2006.

The Record-Courier, 5-7-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

West Hollywood creates list of buildings that need earthquake retrofitting

City officials in West Hollywood want to get ahead of the next massive earthquake that could strike Southern California at any moment. A list of hundreds of structures that could be at risk if a large earthquake strikes was created so officials know which buildings may need to be retrofitted.

KABC-TV (Los Angeles), 5-3-18

Homeowners Rebuild With Concrete Construction Following Wine Country Wildfires

Seven months after the devastating wine country wildfires in Napa and Sonoma counties, homeowners who lost everything are starting to rebuild. Some are turning to a newer type of construction that’s been billed as better at withstanding disasters.

KPIX-TV (San Francisco), 5-4-18

Why do people live near an erupting volcano? Volcanologist explains

The most active volcano on Earth has captured our fascination again. Not to mention our fear and respect: 1,700 people had to flee their homes as lava broke the surface near their community Thursday and Friday.

CNN, 5-6-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, & GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

New Mexico gains 6 rigs as US rig count rises to 1,032

The number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. increased by 11 this week to 1,032. At this time a year ago there were 877 active rigs.

Associated Press, 5-4-18

Classes build, demonstrate gas and oil rig

Some high school students are learning to make robots and three-dimensional items using laptop computers and other technology. At the Lawrence County Career and Technical Center, members of one class are getting their hands dirty, learning to drill for oil and gas

Associated Press, 5-6-18

Should we ban fracking? SLO County voters will likely be asked to decide in November

A measure to ban fracking in San Luis Obispo County that could also prevent a controversial expansion of the Arroyo Grande Oil Field will likely appear on the November ballot this year.

San Luis Obispo Tribune, 5-5-18

WATER

Separating water and politics isn't easy in California

The 2014 water bond included a novel funding approach designed to take at least some of the politicking out of deciding which projects get public money. This week's tortured deliberations by the California Water Commission showed just how tough it is to do that.

Los Angeles Times, 5-5-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Offshore wind farms coming to California — but the Navy says no to large sections of the coast

Fans of renewable energy anticipate a bonanza blowing off the coast of California. But a map released by the U.S. Navy puts large swaths of the state off limits to future offshore wind farms — including all of San Diego and Los Angeles, extending up to the Central Coast.

San Diego Union Tribune, 5-6-18

Grants help farming operations, cut back on greenhouse gasses

A four-generation farming family in Vacaville is using a conservation easement to reunite a piece of a farming homestead that dates back more than 100 years.

Fairfield Daily Republic, 5-5-18

Grants help farming operations, cut back on greenhouse gasses

A four-generation farming family in Vacaville is using a conservation easement to reunite a piece of a farming homestead that dates back more than 100 years.

Daily Republic, 5-5-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Volcanic ‘curtain of fire’ sends people fleeing Hawaii homes

The Kilauea volcano sent more lava into Hawaii communities Friday, a day after forcing nearly 1,500 people to flee from their mountainside homes, and authorities detected high levels of sulfur gas that could threaten the elderly and people with breathing problems.

Associated Press, 5-4-18

600 earthquakes shake Hawaii in 4 days, fear of volcanic eruption increases

A rush of moving magma on Hawaii's Kīlauea volcano has triggered hundreds of earthquakes in recent days and caused the crater floor at Puu Oo to collapse.

SFGate, 5-3-18

Study: Over 800 West Hollywood Buildings Could Be Damaged in an L.A. Earthquake

While the concern over a major earthquake is a day-to-day affair for Californians, residents of West Hollywood might be a little more nervous than usual after the city has cited more than 800 buildings that could be at risk of damage or collapse and may need to be retrofitted.

Fortune, 5-3-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Measure D

First of all we want everyone to understand what changes the Agricultural Community is requesting.

The Independent, 5-3-18

Funding available for farm land conservation

The California Department of Conservation and the Strategic Growth Council have announced funding is available for the fourth consecutive year for projects that protect agricultural land and reduce greenhouse gases.

Imperial Valley Press, 5-3-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Earthquake injures at least 76 in southwest Iran: state media

An earthquake injured at least 76 people and damaged buildings in the southwestern Iranian city of Sisakht on Wednesday morning, state media reported.

Reuters, 5-1-18

Slow watershed recovery from Thomas fire leaves Montecito in continuing danger

Slower than normal recovery of the watershed damaged by the Thomas fire means for several years Montecito residents will be at risk for a repeat of the flooding and debris flows that devastated the community in January, according to a combined report delivered Tuesday to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors.

Lompoc Record, 5-2-18

County Leaders Tackle the Hard Facts of Montecito’s Future

Fifty scientists, engineers, and emergency officials met Monday at the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) for an all-day symposium to evaluate the 1/9 Debris Flow — and what they had to say was not reassuring.

Santa Barbara Independent, 5-3-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

America's most populated areas lose 175,000 acres of tree cover every year

Forests are essential to combating climate change. They drink up huge amounts of planet-heating carbon from the atmosphere and provide shelter for species struggling to adapt to global warming. For that reason, experts have called for measures to protect forests. But what about trees in cites?

Popular Science, 5-2-18

WATER

Santa Clara Valley Water District delays $650 million vote on Brown’s Delta tunnels project

After a five-hour packed public hearing, the board of Silicon Valley’s largest water provider late Wednesday night put off a closely watched vote until next week on whether to provide up to $650 million to support Gov. Jerry Brown’s $17 billion plan to build two giant tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to make it easier to move water south.

Bay Area News Group, 5-2-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, & GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Trump proposes easing oil, gas leasing restrictions in West

The Trump administration wants to ease restrictions on oil and gas leasing and other activities across a huge swath of the American West that were put in place to protect an imperiled bird.

Associated Press, 5-2-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Century-old Seismograms Explain A 1906 Quake And Help Pinpoint Future Earthquake Hazards

A team of seismologists used 102-year-old seismograms to explain a deadly earthquake that struck Taiwan in 1906 - and to help predict future earthquake hazards along the country's complex networks of faults.

Forbes, 5-1-18

Opinion: How Silicon Valley can prevent earthquake catastrophe

What’s the difference between a disaster and a catastrophe? Preparation. California is earthquake country, but here in Northern California we’re out of practice for this particular Golden State hazard.

San Jose Mercury News, 5-1-18

San Diego’s downtown earthquake fault, kept quiet for years, now surfaces

San Diego government agencies discovered an active earthquake fault nearly 10 years ago under the Central Embarcadero on the downtown waterfront, yet they didn’t alert the public, the state, or the company currently undertaking a billion-dollar redevelopment of the land.

inewsource (San Diego), 5-2-18

Series of small quakes hits off Southern California coast

Three small earthquakes hit the Channel Islands area on Tuesday morning, less than a month after a 5.3 magnitude temblor was felt across Southern California.

The other 'Big One' would be a nightmare for the Bay Area

A new report published by the U.S. Geological Survey backed by key academic, local and industry partners, reveals the type of scenario the Bay Area could live if a 7.0 magnitude earthquake fractured the Hayward Fault under the Oakland area.

The Weather Network, 5-1-18

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Santa Barbara County supervisors make cannabis qualified crop for agricultural preserve status

Cannabis will be considered a qualifying crop for meeting requirements of the Williamson Act and other agricultural preserve contracts, but it won’t be afforded the protections other crops receive under Santa Barbara County’s Right to Farm Ordinance.

Lompoc Record, 5-1-18

Can Sacramento County save its farmers? Not if Elk Grove expands

On Feb. 7, four Sacramento LAFCo commissioners began unraveling of decades of agricultural protection, orderly urban growth and open space planning that relied on a firm urban limit at Elk Grove’s southern boundary.

Sacramento Bee commentary, 5-1-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

California Sues Trump’s EPA Over Weakened Clean Car Rules

Eighteen states on Tuesday sued the Environmental Protection Agency, challenging the agency’s planned rollback of auto emission standards. The lawsuit, led by California, argues that President Donald Trump’s EPA violated the Clean Air Act and failed to follow its own regulations when it announced last month that it was scrapping national vehicle emissions standards aimed at cutting oil consumption, air pollution and carbon emissions.

Huffington Post, 5-1-18

California joins lawsuit to halt Trump’s emissions plan

An angry Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday announced a lawsuit by California and 16 other states against the Trump administration to stop it from rolling back aggressive national fuel economy standards championed by the state

Tribune News Service, 5-2-18

California sues over plan to scrap car emission standards

California and 16 other states sued the Trump administration on Tuesday over its plans to scrap standards on vehicle greenhouse gas emissions, which help set gas mileage rules.

Associated Press, 5-1-18

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, & GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Fracking chemicals “imbalance” the immune system

Chemicals commonly found in groundwater near fracked oil and gas wells appear to impair the proper functioning of the immune system, according to a lab study released today.

Environmental Health News, 5-1-18

Los Angeles Times, 5-1-18

(news updated as time permits…)

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