Geology
300: Physical Geology
Geology
301: Physical Geology Lab
Geology
305: Earth Science
Geology
306: Earth Science Lab
Instructor: Arthur Reed
August 2019 Earth Sciences topics/events making news…
...with emphasis on California
news
Remember
the principles of the scientific method when evaluating news stories!
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to 2016 news articles) |
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to 2009 & older news articles) |
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
5.0
earthquake felt near Ridgecrest
A magnitude
5.0 earthquake hit the Ridgecrest area on Thursday, the latest aftershocks from
the magnitude 6.4 and 7.1 temblors that hit in July, the U.S. Geological Survey
said. Thursday’s earthquake occurred 43 miles from California City,
65 miles from Tehachapi, 68 miles from Bakersfield and 70 miles from
Porterville.
Los Angeles
Times, 8-22-19
Earthquake
is California’s biggest since Ridgecrest
A
magnitude-5 earthquake Thursday in Inyo County’s Coso Basin was
California’s largest since July 6, the day of the 7.1 Ridgecrest quake.
The 1:49 p.m quake was among a cluster of quakes Thursday about 10 miles
northwest of the epicenter of the Ridgecrest quake.
Bay Area
News Group, 8-22-19
Small
Swarm Follows Magnitude 5.0 Quake Near Ridgecrest
A 5.0
magnitude temblor struck the Ridgecrest area Thursday afternoon, one of several
thousand aftershocks to rattle the region after two major quakes this summer.
KTLA (Los
Angeles television), 8-22-19
5.0-magnitude
earthquake hits in desert near Ridgecrest
A magnitude-5.0
earthquake struck
in the desert north of Ridgecrest on Thursday afternoon, Aug. 22, followed by
several quakes of magnitude 3 or higher. The seismic activity is a continuation
of aftershocks from the 6.4
and 7.1 quakes that
hit that area July 4 and 5, and is exactly what
experts have said to expect in the months and years to come in the deserts of Kern and
San Bernardino counties.
Los Angeles
Newspaper Group, 8-22-19
Magnitude
3.5 Earthquake Strikes Lake County Near Hidden Valley Lake
A magnitude
3.5 earthquake struck Lake County near the Napa County line Friday morning.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake struck at 7:16 a.m.
about 7 miles southeast of Hidden Valley Lake and 10 miles north of Middletown.
KPIX (San
Francisco television), 8-23-19
DIVISION
OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Can
Solar Grease the Wheel on Oil?
Nonrenewable
energy resources, like oil and coal, come from below ground, while renewables
like solar and wind power come from above ground. Michael Chiacos of the
Community Environmental Council calls the former “resources from
hell” and the latter “resources from heaven.” Deciding whether
or not Cat Canyon’s oil should be recovered currently has Santa Barbara
County in limbo.
Santa
Barbara Independent, 8-22-19
CLIMATE
CHANGE
Less
Snow, More Rain: How Tahoe’s Climate Balance Could Be Shifting
The iconic
image of Lake Tahoe is of a clear, blue lake surrounded by stunning snow-capped
mountains. But that picturesque sight could look very different by the end of
the century due to climate change. Those snowy mountains we’re used to
seeing could lose their white tips. And this would mean a major transformation
for life in Tahoe and beyond.
Capital
Public Radio, 8-22-19
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Magnitude
3.4 earthquake hits near Cabazon
A
3.4-magnitude earthquake hit near Cabazon Tuesday night, according to the U.S.
Geological Survey.
KABC (Los Angeles television), 8-21-19
ShakeAlert
early warning system expanding to Lake Tahoe with new federal earthquakes funds
A West
Coast-wide earthquake early warning system will expand into Lake Tahoe, eastern
California and the Mojave Desert with a boost of federal funds, officials at
the University of Nevada, Reno, announced Tuesday.
Sacramento Bee, 8-21-19
Earthquake
early-warning sensors being expanded to high-risk areas in California and
Nevada
An infusion
of federal funding will help expand or strengthen the U.S. Geological
Survey’s earthquake early-warning system around Lake Tahoe, Death Valley,
Mammoth and Bishop. The University of Nevada, Reno, which runs the seismic
network in eastern California, will use $1 million from the USGS to upgrade
obsolete seismic sensors.
Los Angeles Times, 8-21-19
San
Francisco cautious about early earthquake warning system
The San
Francisco Department of Emergency Management is evaluating when and how to
alert Bay Area residents in the event of an earthquake as proximity to San
Andreas and Hayward faults make timing tricky.
Government Technology, 8-21-19
Levin,
Harris, Feinstein call for federal funds to stabilize beach bluffs
Following
the deaths of three people from a bluff collapse on an Encinitas Beach earlier
this month, California’s two senators and Rep. Mike Levin on Wednesday
asked for federal funds for a long-sought project that could prevent such
tragedies in the future.
San Diego
Union Tribune, 8-21-19
DIVISION
OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
More
LA firefighters are suing SoCalGas over 2015 Aliso Canyon gas leak
Almost four
years after the Aliso Canyon gas leak broke out near Porter Ranch, the number
of firefighters who have filed a lawsuit against Southern California Gas Co.
over the 2015 gas leak continues to grow.
Los Angeles Newspaper Group, 8-20-19
West
Cat Canyon oil project decision delayed indefinitely
Almost
three months after oil company ERG requested to delay the discussion over its
West Cat Canyon Revitalization Project, the company that recently purchased ERG
has asked to do the same.
Santa Maria Sun, 8-20-19
DIVISION
OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
Sonoma
County surpasses $1 billion in annual agricultural production for first time
Sonoma
County’s crops produced by farmers in 2018 surpassed $1 billion in value
for the first time, riding the wave of continued popularity of their premium
wine grapes amid a shifting consumer marketplace during a post-drought era and
the emergence of legal cannabis products.
Santa Rosa
Press Democrat, 8-21-19
CLIMATE
CHANGE
Scientists
Have Been Underestimating the Pace of Climate Change
Recently,
the U.K. Met Office announced a revision to the Hadley Center historical
analysis of sea surface temperatures (SST), suggesting that the oceans have
warmed about 0.1 degree Celsius more than previously thought. The need for
revision arises from the long-recognized problem that in the past sea surface
temperatures were measured using a variety of error-prone methods such as using
open buckets, lamb’s wool–wrapped thermometers, and canvas bags. It
was not until the 1990s that oceanographers developed a network of consistent
and reliable measurement buoys.
Scientific
American, 8-19-19
DIVISION
OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Permitting
irregularity prompts state to idle 25 oil, steam wells in Kern
More than
two dozen Kern County oil and steam-injection wells have been idled because of
concerns they never received a proper regulatory review, state officials said
Tuesday.
Bakersfield Californian, 8-21-19
Kern
spill renews oil production controversy
California
has long been a top producer of oil. But that may change. Some hope that change
will accelerate under Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has called for a decrease in the
demand and supply of fossil fuels. A recent massive spill in Chevron’s
Cymric oilfield in Kern County, about 35 miles west of Bakersfield,
prompted a major regulatory shakeup and could bolster that view.
Capitol Weekly, 8-21-19
Newly
identified microbe has the potential to transform oil to gas
An oil seep
is a natural leak of crude oil and gas that rises up from fractures in the
seafloor. When these hydrocarbons leak out onto the sediment surface, they can
support highly diverse habitats in the darkest part of the ocean. A new study
led by scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology has
identified a microbe, an archaeon named Methanoliparia, that has the potential
to transform long-chain hydrocarbons into methane.
Earth.com, 8-20-19
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Scientists
finally know how big earthquakes start: With many smaller ones
The vast
majority of earthquakes we feel come soon after smaller ones, according to new
research that provides unprecedented insights into how seismology works.
Los Angeles Times, 8-20-19
The
earthquakes that rocked Kern County in early July are a potent reminder of the
East Bay's own seismic risk. While many East Bay residents have pondered the
impact of a strong quake on infrastructure such as highways, gas lines, and
water mains, few may have considered the consequences of such quakes on the
region's dams.
East Bay Express, 8-21-19
DIVISION
OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
Appellate
court turns back Hosking's fake cattle ranch
Inhabitants
of Julian who oppose the development of 1416 acres of local back country have a
newfound victory to celebrate. An appellate court has reversed the decision by
the county board of supervisors which would have allowed a 24-lot subdivision
to be built on the land.
San Diego Reader, 8-20-19
Vilsack
and Glickman: The next 30 years are critical for agriculture's future
For U.S.
farmers and ranchers, who are on the front lines in the battle against climate
change, tremendous challenges lie ahead: how to nourish an unprecedented
population while protecting and enhancing the world in which we all live. The next 30 years promise to be the most important in the history
of agriculture.
Des Moines Register commentary, 8-20-19
MINING
Walk
for Liberty organized to highlight mining issues
In response
to over regulation, the American Mining Rights Association sponsored a
“Walk for Liberty,” which began Aug. 13, and involves a 300-mile
trek along the “gold corridor” starting from the town of Vinton in
Plumas County and ending in the town of Oakhurst on Aug. 25. Activists plan to
gather at the Sacramento Capitol building Aug. 27 to have their voices heard
and to protest what is perceived to be laws antithetical to individual’s
sense of freedom and the attack on their rights as citizens.
Plumas News, 8-21-19
CLIMATE
CHANGE
Fears
of coastal climate change prompt Santa Cruz action
As coastal
climate change concerns heat up, the issue increasingly has been catalyzing
political debate locally. Looking to make proactive change, Santa Cruz’s
sustainability and climate action manager is about eight months into the
city’s Resilient Coast Santa Cruz initiative, which looks at and plans
for how the effects of sea-level rise will come home to roost along the
city’s West Cliff Drive, via worsening coastal storms, flooding and cliff
erosion.
Santa Cruz Sentinel, 8-20-19
GENERAL
Sequoia
National Forest visitors cautioned about irritating ‘poodle-dog
bush’
Visitors to
Sequoia National Forest in the southern Sierra Nevada area are being cautioned
about the growth of a native plant that can cause severe irritation similar to
poison oak and poison ivy. The U.S. Forest Service says poodle-dog bush appears
in areas that have recently been burned by wildfire, which has been occurring
more frequently in the forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument.
Bay Area News Group, 8-21-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Proposal
would allow oil companies keep injecting wastewater into Kern County aquifers
California
regulators are negotiating an agreement with two major oil companies that would
allow them to keep injecting millions of gallons of wastewater into potential
drinking water and irrigation supplies in the Central Valley for three years.
Palm Springs Desert Sun, 8-20-19
Bay
Area cities poised to follow Berkeley’s natural gas ban
Last month,
Berkeley became the first U.S. city to ban the installation of natural gas
lines in new residential buildings. It probably won’t be the last —
especially in the eco-conscious Bay Area. San Jose, Santa Rosa and Petaluma are
among the cities looking into phasing out natural gas in some new buildings as
a means of meeting climate goals.
San Francisco Chronicle, 8-19-19
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
California’s
Mount Shasta loses a historical eruption
When French
explorer Jean-Francois de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse, and his crew were
sailing along the coast of northern California on September 7, 1786, they
spotted a smoky plume in the sky that looked like volcanic ash. The
ship’s cartographers marked a volcanic eruption on their maps of the
region. This month, a team of scientists and historians doing a bit of
detective work concluded the plume was not caused by a volcano but likely a
grassland fire. So on August 6, Mount Shasta’s volcanic history became a
little shorter when the 1786 eruption was officially struck from the record.
Scientific American, 8-20-19
DIVISION
OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
Massive
hemp farm — up to 1,280 acres — could rise in San Bernardino
County’s Mojave Desert
The company
behind a controversial water pumping project is adding hemp to its farming
operations in the Mojave Desert. Cadiz Inc., which owns about 35,000 acres of
land with water rights in San Bernardino County, has partnered with Glass House
Group, a Long Beach-based cannabis and hemp company, to find out how well the
newly legalized crop grows in the desert.
Riverside Press
Enterprise, 8-19-19
Farm
To Solar Field Transformations Come With Controversy & Compromise
The
abandoned farm supports an ecosystem of “thousands of little
creatures.” Advocacy groups argue that converting a 40-acre
farm to solar facility would decimate forest and grassland, ruin premium
farmland, destroy wildlife habitat, and unalterably harm the property’s
soil. Farm to solar field transitions like this one on historic Wingover Farm
in Rhode Island are becoming more common yet increasingly contentious.
Clean
Technica commentary, 8-19-19
DIVISION
OF MINE RECLAMATION
Reclamation
funds dwindle while Congress dawdles
Last year,
a backyard in Butte, Mont., collapsed without warning. No one was hurt, but a
30-foot sinkhole yawned where a children's wading pool once sat. At the bottom
was a century-old mine shaft that had never made the state's list of abandoned
mines needing attention.
Environment
& Energy News Greenwire, 8-19-19
CLIMATE
CHANGE
Sea
level rise: California’s new reality
While
wildfires have gotten much of the attention in California as consequences of
climate change, it’s really rising sea levels that will likely wreak the
most damage. With more than 25 million people living near the coast, some $150
billion worth of property is at risk.
Capitol
Weekly, 8-19-19
How
Much Hotter Are The Oceans? The Answer Begins With A Bucket
If you want
to know what climate change will look like, you need to know what Earth's
climate looked like in the past — what air temperatures were like, for
example, and what ocean currents and sea levels were doing. You need to know
what polar ice caps and glaciers were up to and, crucially, how hot the oceans
were.
NPR,
8-19-19
DIVSION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
LA
Superior Court judge orders SoCalGas to release documents related to the 2015
gas leak
A judge has ordered the Southern California Gas Co. to release
documents related to the 2015 Aliso Canyon Gas gas leak. Under the ruling
issued Thursday by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carolyn Kuhl, the utility
must release more than 165 documents and communications with AECOM, an independent
engineering consultant, within 10 days.
Los Angeles
Daily News, 8-17-19
SOUND
OFF: Why we paid attention to our 'ignorant' governor's thoughts about oil
(Commentary)
Newsom didn't come to Kern County and spout his opinion about the
McKittrick leak; he reiterated what he as governor sees as California's energy
future, and he seemed to concede that bringing his vision to fruition, at least
as far as the Kern County oil industry is concerned, is wrought with challenges.
Bakersfield
Californian, 8-16-19
The
U.S. rig count is falling -- here's why oil production keeps rising anyway
After plunging between late 2014 and mid-2016, the number of rigs
drilling for oil in the U.S. rebounded sharply over the following two and a
half years. However, a sharp drop in oil prices last fall caused oil companies
to start cutting back on drilling activity. As a result, the U.S. oil rig count
has fallen steadily during 2019 and is now significantly lower than it was a
year ago. Nevertheless, domestic crude production has continued to rise.
Nasdaq,
8-17-19
On August 14 ERG’s "West Cat Canyon Revitalization Plan
Project" – one of three proposed projects to drill new oil wells in
Northern Santa Barbara County’s Cat Canyon – was dropped from the
agenda of the August 14 Santa Barbara County Planning Commission at the request
of the applicant. Facing unlikely approval and a recent ownership change, the
project applicant for the pending oil project withdrew their item and asked for
continuance to a later date.
Santa
Barbara Edhat, 8-17-19
Between
a highway and an oilfield, Lost Hills residents question their air quality
More than 5,000 wells, the nearest only a quarter mile away from
Lost Hills, stretch toward the horizon to the northwest and southeast. Air
quality is a perennial concern in Lost Hills. But it’s hard for Lost Hills residents to know
what’s in their air. The nearest government-funded air monitor is 30
miles away in Shafter.
Valley
Public Radio, 8-16-19
Scientists:
Conventional oil impacts groundwater more than fracking
While many protests against the oil and gas industry focus on the
effects of fracking on the environment, scientists say that as far as
groundwater is concerned, conventional oil and gas exploration and production
could affect underground water supply much more than hydraulic fracturing
could.
Oil Price,
8-16-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
A
terrifying preview of ‘The Big One’ — a giant quake that may hit
Southern California
Californians have been waiting for the quake they call “the
big one” since 1906. That was when San Francisco experienced an estimated
magnitude-7.9 temblor along the San Andreas fault, killing more than 3,000,
injuring 225,000 and laying waste to much of the city. So what might that
earthquake look like today? “The Big One,” a podcast from KPCC in
Los Angeles, gives a terrifying preview of what it could be like if a
magnitude-7.8 earthquake hits Southern California.
Washington
Post, 8-17-19
Scientists
trying to understand no-name fault that caused largest Ridgecrest earthquake
Scientists had no idea the fault that caused a 7.1 magnitude earthquake
in Ridgecrest, California, existed until the area was rocked by the quake on
July 5. Almost immediately, research began to understand the unnamed fault and
help local officials prepare for the next big seismic event, according to a
press release from the University of California Riverside.
The Weather
Channel, 8-15-19
Nevada’s
governor wants Yucca earthquake review
Gov. Steve Sisolak and Nevada’s federal delegation are
calling on the federal government to reevaluate the dangers posed by a plan to
store nuclear waste in an active seismic zone that includes Yucca Mountain in
the wake of powerful earthquakes that shook a nearby California town earlier
this month.
Las Vegas
Review-Journal, 8-17-19
Earthquake
kits selling fast in Bay Area after recent tremors
Redfora, a San Francisco company that sells earthquake bags, said
it went from selling hundreds of kits to thousands in one week after the recent
quakes.
San
Francisco Chronicle, 8-16-19
FORESTS & WATERSHEDS
‘Radical’
tree trimming: Critics say PG&E’s rush to stop fires may hurt
California forests
While PG&E is under pressure to chop trees to protect a power
grid that has sparked some of California’s most catastrophic wildfires,
critics say the work is not only environmentally harmful but counterproductive.
In places such as coastal Sonoma County, the Santa Cruz Mountains and the
Sierra foothill towns of Butte County, many residents who fear the
state’s worsening infernos are also frustrated with how many redwoods,
old firs and landmark oaks are coming under the ax in the name of fire safety.
San
Francisco Chronicle, 8-15-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
The
end of Cabernet in Napa Valley?
Cabernet Sauvignon grapes make America’s favorite wine, and
they are the lifeblood of Napa Valley, our country’s most famous wine region.
But Cabernet, like all of California agriculture, is under threat. As
Napa’s wine industry continues to confront rising temperatures,
increasingly frequent wildfires, intermittent drought and erratic weather, a
small but growing contingent of vintners is becoming more vocal about the need
to address climate change head-on.
San
Francisco Chronicle, 8-16-19
Rising
sea levels leave coastal cities with hard choices
In this summer of alarming international climate news, it’s
clear that California must adapt to its own growing threats. Not only is the
state becoming more susceptible to catastrophic wildfires and crop-killing
drought, its coast is at risk of erosion. But, as experts advocate for
“managed retreat” from eroding coastlines, communities are pushing
back.
Capital
& Main, 8-12-19
Climate
change will create serious upheaval. What will our role be?
Chances are, most Americans will survive the onslaught of
climate-caused catastrophe. The disasters are expected to be
far greater along low-lying African and Asian shores, among impoverished
populations that rely on the seas for their living but lack the resources to
protect themselves in the event of flooding. Those might sound like distant
affairs or none of our affair. But there already are warnings of tremendous
political upheaval that would result from such disasters, and a refugee crisis
that makes past mass migrations look small. What will our role be in rescuing
them, either by welcoming them here or caring for them in their home countries?
How many people can we save?
Sacramento
Bee, 8-17-19
GENERAL
New
maps show how little is left of West Coast estuaries
The most
detailed study ever done of coastal estuaries concludes that nearly 750,000 acres
of historic tidal wetlands along the West Coast, including enormous swaths of
Bay Area habitat, have disappeared largely as a result of development.
San Francisco Chronicle, 8-17-19
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Earthquake
shook L.A. skyscrapers so hard some got vertigo
If you were
sitting in the lobby of one particular downtown Los Angeles skyscraper when
energy from the magnitude 7.1
Ridgecrest earthquake arrived, you might have felt a few seconds of light shaking. But
up on the 50th floor, the experience was terrifying. The building —
equipped on each floor with seismic sensors — swayed back and forth for
perhaps two to three minutes and as much as one foot in each direction, said
Caltech research professor of civil engineering Monica Kohler.
Los Angeles
Times, 8-15-19
After
criticism over lack of warnings, California's earthquake alert app gets an
upgrade
The first
smartphone app in the country designed to alert the public before an earthquake
has lowered the warning threshold across Los Angeles County, Los Angeles Mayor
Eric Garcetti says. Starting this month, earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or higher
will draw alerts on ShakeAlertLA; the previous threshold was 5.0.
CNN, 8-14-19
Critics
blast Oregon’s repeal of building ban in tsunami zones
With
sunlight sparkling off surrounding Yaquina Bay, workers are putting up an
ocean-studies building, smack in the middle of an area expected to one day be
hit by a tsunami. Experts say it’s only a matter of time before a shift
in a major fault line off the Oregon coast causes a massive earthquake that
generates a tsunami as much as seven stories tall.
Associated
Press, 8-16-19
Bluff
stabilization efforts to commence in Del Mar
With bluff
collapses in coastal North County increasing, North County Transit District and
the city of Del Mar are gearing up for another round of bluff stabilization
efforts. Such efforts are meant to safeguard the railroad corridor in Del Mar,
which runs directly through the city’s 1.6-mile stretch of beachside bluffs.
Set to break ground in early September and be completed in May of 2020, the
project — termed DMB4 — will involve repairing three seawalls on
the beach below the tracks, removing concrete debris from aging infrastructure,
stabilizing areas where bluffs are failing and repairing stormwater drainage
facilities.
Encinitas
Coast News, 8-15-19
DIVISION
OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
ERG
sold; new owner TerraCore may add solar power to Cat Canyon oil development
project
A continued
hearing for the ERG West Cat Canyon Revitalization Project scheduled for
Wednesday was continued indefinitely by the Santa Barbara County Planning
Commission at the request of the company that has purchased ERG. TerraCore,
headquartered in Denver, Colorado, has purchased ERG, and a company official
asked that the hearing be postponed to allow the company to evaluate the feasibility
of adding a solar power component to the project.
Santa Maria
Times, 8-15-19
Fracking
boom tied to methane spike in Earth’s atmosphere
Scientists
have measured big increases in the amount of methane, the powerful
global warming gas, entering the atmosphere over the last decade. Cows or wetlands
have been fingered as possible sources, but new research points to methane emissions
from fossil fuel production—mainly from shale
gas operations in
the United States and Canada—as the culprit.
National
Geographic, 8-15-19
Texas,
Oklahoma Want More Say in Handling Fracking Wastewater
Texas and
Oklahoma are seeking federal permission to regulate fracking wastewater under
their own programs, raising concern among environmentalists who fear that oil
and gas companies will eventually be allowed to discharge toxic chemicals into
streams and rivers. The states, both big oil and gas producers, are asking the
Environmental Protection Agency to delegate authority to them to administer
programs governing the discharge of wastewater from drilling.
Bloomberg,
8-15-19
CLIMATE
CHANGE
July
was the hottest month ever recorded on Earth
July was
the hottest month recorded on Earth since modern temperature record-keeping
began in 1880, federal scientists reported Thursday. The announcement from NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, provided a clear preview of the future, and the latest warning
sign that the planet continues to warm steadily from climate change, largely
driven by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and gasoline,
which trap heat in the atmosphere.
Bay Area
News Group, 8-16-19
Are
We Doomed by Climate Change?
Mediterranean
climates, like California’s, typically follow boom and bust cycles,
marked by a predictable shift between cold and wet and hot and dry. But the
changing climate will amplify that pattern with weather that is, at times,
wetter and at other times hotter. California’s recent drought was the
state’s worst in centuries, scientists have said. It began in December
2011, and lasted more than five years, killed or mortally injured more than 100
million trees, exacerbated the state’s groundwater deficit and pushed
fish species toward extinction.
Comstock’s
Magazine, 8-15-19
GENERAL
Cal
Channel to end broadcasting after three decades
The
California Channel, a decades-old public broadcaster that has historically
provided on-demand video access to the Legislature, the state Supreme Court and
the Capitol community, will cease operations in October. Supported by the
California Cable and Telecommunications Association since 1993, it’s one
of the few services that offer one-on-one interviews with all candidates for
the state’s elected offices. The Cal Channel has long been viewed as
California’s version of C-SPAN, which covers Congress.
Capitol
Weekly, 8-15-19
A
law just for Trump’s presidency? California measure aims to protect
state’s environment
California
is considering a far-reaching law that would lock current environmental
protections into place and would only be in effect until the end of Donald
Trump’s presidency. The premise of the Senate Bill 1 is simple: to
maintain environmental and worker safety standards that the state has had in
place for decades, even if the federal government rolls them back.
Sacramento
Bee, 8-16-19
California
is burning 26 times less than it did in 2018. Why?
The number
of acres burned in California through the beginning of August 2019 is 26 times
less than the number of acres burned at the same point in 2018, according to new statistics from Cal Fire. Through August 11 of this year, 23,748 acres
of California land not controlled by the federal government had burned. At the
same point last year, 618,996 acres had burned. Though to be fair,
Scott McLean, a fire captain with Cal Fire, said 2018 was a record year for
acreage burned in California at 1.8 million acres burned by wildfires.
San
Francisco Chronicle, 8-14-19
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
2
quakes in 2 days, no warning from ShakeAlertLA. Now the app is getting reworked
A new
version of Los Angeles’ earthquake early warning app will now alert users
of weaker shaking, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Wednesday. The change comes
after many Angelenos were upset they didn’t receive notice before shaking
arrived in L.A. from two powerful quakes 125 miles north of Los Angeles on July
4 and 5.
Los Angeles Times, 8-14-19
LA’s
early warning app will now send alerts for magnitude 4.5 earthquakes
Users of
the city’s early warning earthquake app were let down that two big July
earthquakes near Ridgecrest in Kern County didn’t trigger alerts. They
could soon be getting a lot more. Mayor Eric Garcetti, along with scientists at
Caltech and members of the U.S. Geological Survey, announced today that the
ShakeAlert LA app will now send alerts when quakes of a 4.5 magnitude or
greater register on the USGS’s regional sensor network.
Curbed, 8-14-19
Making
sense of a '7.1' earthquake
The fault
underneath the town of Ridgecrest, California, has no name because scientists
did not discover it until the 7.1 magnitude earthquake it produced on July 5.
Now, Abhijit Ghosh, an associate professor of geophysics at UC Riverside, is
racing to understand everything he can about the unnamed fault to help
officials prepare for the next big shake.
Phys.org, 8-14-19
Quake
damage estimate tops $5B at California Navy base
Earthquakes
that struck California last month caused more than $5 billion in damage to
Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, a sprawling desert facility where some of
the military’s most advanced weapons are tested, according to an estimate
made public Wednesday.
Associated Press, 8-14-19
DIVISION
OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Study:
Fracking responsible for rising methane levels in atmosphere
Rising
levels of the potent greenhouse gas methane in the atmosphere have been linked
to emissions from the shale oil and natural gas industry, a new study from
Cornell University reveals.
Houston Chronicle, 8-14-19
ERG
Resources proposal delayed as company’s new owner studies solar addition
The ERG
Resources proposal to expand drilling operations in Cat Canyon has been delayed
indefinitely while the oil firm, now under new ownership, prepares plans for a
solar project for the site.
Santa Barbara Noozhawk, 8-14-19
Groups
urge state to protect aquifers from oil, gas operations in Santa Barbara County
On Tuesday,
groups submitted a letter to California’s key resource agencies
responsible for preserving and managing the state’s natural resources,
urging the agencies to protect drinking water and safeguard public health from
the pending request for exemption from federal safe drinking water rules in the
Cat Canyon Oil Field in Santa Barbara County.
Santa Barbara Noozhawk, 8-14-19
New
study: Fracking prompts global spike in atmospheric methane
As methane
concentrations increase in the Earth's atmosphere, chemical fingerprints point
to a probable source: shale oil and gas, according to new Cornell University
research published in Biogeosciences, a journal of the European Geosciences
Union.
Phys.org, 8-14-19
CLIMATE
CHANGE
Wet
winter doesn’t end climate change risk to Colorado River
Snow
swamped mountains across the U.S. West last winter, leaving enough to thrill
skiers into the summer, swelling rivers and streams when it melted, and largely
making wildfire restrictions unnecessary. But the wet weather can be
misleading.
Climate
change means the region is still getting drier and hotter.
Associated Press, 8-15-19
DIVISION
OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
California
Natural Resources secretary probing 'dummy' files at oil and gas agency
California
Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot said Tuesday that his agency was
conducting an internal review of thousands of permits issued to petroleum
companies in wake of a Desert Sun report on so-called "dummy" files
created by the state oil regulator.
Palm Springs Desert Sun, 8-13-19
Truck
Fire at Beverly Hills High School is Contained by BHFD
Shortly
after 5 p.m. Tuesday, the Beverly Hills Fire Department and Beverly Hills
Police responded to a fire on the campus at Beverly Hills High School emitting
thick black smoke that could be seen for miles. According to Deputy Fire Chief
Joe Matsch, the smoke was coming from the upper athletic field when “oil
got into the flare unit and ignited.”
Beverly Hills Courier, 8-13-19
Fire
breaks out at oil facility near Beverly Hills High School
Firefighters
were quick to put out a fire that broke out at an oil facility near Beverly
Hills High School Tuesday afternoon.
KTTV (Los Angeles television), 8-13-19
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Groundbreaking
earthquake catalog may have just solved a seismic mystery
For
decades, scientists have searched for clues that would signal an impending earthquake.
Teams have analyzed electromagnetic activity, weather patterns, and more only
to scratch them off the list as potential harbingers of rocky destruction. Now,
though, a high-resolution catalog of millions of earthquakes in Southern
California may have cracked the mystery.
National Geographic, 8-13-19
What
are earthquakes, and what causes them?
Along with
tsunamis and volcanic eruptions, earthquakes are among the most destructive
types of natural disasters. Strong earthquakes devastate entire regions,
reshaping surface terrain, toppling buildings and other structures, and
injuring and killing large numbers of people.
NBC News, 8-13-19
CLIMATE
CHANGE
Trump
plans to end methane curbs that oil companies want to keep
The Trump
administration is readying a plan to end direct federal regulation of methane
leaks from oil and gas facilities, even as some energy companies insist they
don’t want the relief.
Bloomberg, 8-14-19
California,
21 states, sue Trump administration to block weaker air pollution rules
California
and 21 other states on Tuesday sued the Trump administration in an attempt to
overturn its new rules on pollution from power plants, which the states
described as an illegal giveaway to the coal industry that would worsen smog
and climate change.
Bay Area
News Group, 8-13-19
Is
carbon sequestration an effective way to combat climate change?
Though
there is scientific consensus regarding the potential for agricultural soils to
sequester carbon, there have been three main barriers to scaling this potential
effectively: the cost of measuring and monitoring soil carbon levels, the
technologies available to replace chemicals and fertilizers, and the incentives
for growers to begin making the transition to regenerative practices.
Forbes, 8-13-19
DIVISION
OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL
Decision
time for clean energy (Commentary)
Our County
Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors face a choice this week to
promote a future of clean energy development in the County or double down on
our past history of high risk and polluting oil development.
Santa Barbara Edhat, 8-12-19
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Earthquakes
shakes up groundwater systems
After an
earthquake, regional stream flows will sometimes increase because of an influx
of groundwater being released from aquifers. This phenomenon is well documented,
but the details of the underlying mechanisms remain somewhat mysterious. A new study looking at the effect of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake in
Japan on groundwater systems in China is shedding some light on how
Earth’s subsurface can be affected by large earthquakes.
EOS.org, 8-13-19
Big
quake could shutter local businesses
Forty
percent of small businesses never reopen after a natural disaster and another
25% that reopen fail within a year, emergency management experts warned last
week at a forum on how Santa Monica businesses can prepare for earthquakes.
Last month’s Ridgecrest earthquakes prompted local leaders to hold an
information session for the city’s business community on how to protect
buildings, employees and tenants from earthquakes and other hazards. Speakers
at the forum told businesses that a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on the San Andreas
Fault will cause $96 billion in business damages.
Santa
Monica Daily Outlook, 8-13-19
CLIMATE
CHANGE
Clean
energy powers California climate emissions drop
California
is continuing to lower its greenhouse gas emissions, but the transportation
sector remains a stubborn obstacle in the state’s aggressive fight
against climate change, new data show.
San Francisco Chronicle, 8-12-19
California’s
greenhouse gas emissions declined by about 1% in 2017, with a continued shift
toward renewable electricity keeping the state ahead of schedule in meeting its
2020 climate target, according to a report released Monday by air quality
regulators.
Los Angeles Times, 8-12-19
If
you’re concerned about climate change and water supply, California farms
can help show the way
In a 2018
Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) survey, 80 percent of respondents
said climate change is a serious threat to California’s future. And 72
percent cited water as a concern, with drought and water supply named most
frequently as our biggest environmental issue. If you see yourself in these
statistics, you should be cheering the efforts of California farmers.
California Farm Water Coalition, 8-9-19
Rising
sea levels leave coastal cities with hard choices
In this
summer of alarming international climate news, it’s clear that California
must adapt to its own growing threats. Not only is the state becoming more
susceptible to catastrophic wildfires and crop-killing drought, its coast is at
risk of erosion.
Capital & Main, 8-12-19
WATER
SGMA
rollout coming along smoothly
The
implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) has
presented some challenges, however it appears the overall process is
progressing smoothly overall.
Ag Net West, 8-13-19
GENERAL
The
U.S. loses a football field-sized patch of nature every 30 seconds
Between
2001 and 2017, the lower 48 states lost more than 24 million acres to human
development. This figure, detailed in a new report published by the Center for
American Progress (CAP) in conjunction with Conservation Science Partners
(CSP), amounts to a loss of roughly one football field-sized patch of land
every 30 seconds.
Smithsonian, 8-12-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
California
oil regulators made ‘dummy’ approval files for risky drill permits,
records show
Just as chefs
and cleaners use steam to remove stubborn bits of dirt from pots and carpets,
oil companies in California use steam injection to extract the state's uniquely
heavy, hard-to-pump petroleum. The process, while effective, is also dangerous
and environmentally destructive, experts say. Employees inside California's
embattled Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources, or DOGGR, say
higher-ups are using empty "dummy" files that allow petroleum firms
to avoid upfront reviews of the risky projects and keep operations moving.
Palm Springs Desert Sun, 8-12-19
Community
Voices: Kern County’s way of life is under attack (Commentary)
Kern County
is one of the leading oil-producing counties in the nation and the benefit of
this industry is not just seen in our county, but globally, as our oil fields
help power California and much of the world. The
industry also fosters stability and economic growth as well as enhances the
health, education and economic development within our communities.
Unfortunately, the livelihoods of those who rely on the domestic oil industry
are under attack.
Bakersfield Californian, 8-11-19
Is
the end of Kern oil production really upon us? Sure sounds like it
Our days as
a capital of crude oil production are numbered — California is seeing to
that. Kern County hasn't reached the end of the road but the signpost is
visible on the horizon. T-intersection ahead: Prepare to make a choice.
Bakersfield Californian, 8-10-19
Well-plugging
costs add wrinkle to San Francisco’s Planned oil pullout
This much
is clear about San Francisco's plan to withdraw itself from Kern County oil
production: It isn't going to be cheap. Question is, who's going to pay for it? The answer has yet to emerge from ongoing negotiations between the
city and Chevron Corp., which has for decades operated 82 active wells on San
Francisco's behalf in the Kern River Oil field.
Bakersfield Californian, 8-10-19
Santa
Maria oil company files for bankruptcy as attorney urge judge to rule in
federal case
A Santa
Maria oil company known for dozens of spills has filed for bankruptcy
reorganization as a years-long federal court case — potentially bringing
millions of dollars in civil penalties — nears conclusion.
Santa Barbara Noozhawk, 8-11-19
EPA
proposes rolling back states' authority over pipeline projects
Democrats,
environmentalists and state officials have lambasted a new proposal
from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that would limit states’
ability to stall the construction of pipelines. The regulation targets a
portion of the Clean Water Act known as Section 401, which states have used to
block controversial pipeline projects, arguing they pose a risk of
contaminating drinking water.
The Hill, 8-9-19
MINING
Cemex
mine and crickets when it’s not a ‘win’ (Commentary)
After we
broke the news last week that Cemex had filed a lawsuit seeking to restore its
federal contracts for sand and gravel mining in Soledad Canyon, a few logical
follow up questions came up. Among them: The lawsuit was filed in May. Why
didn’t the community know sooner?
Santa Clarita Signal, 8-11-19
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
3.0
earthquake reported in Monterey County
A
3.0-magnitude earthquake was reported north of Soledad in Monterey County at
6:46 a.m. Sunday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Bay Area News Group, 8-11-19
Isabella
Dam Escapes Damage From Ridgecrest Quakes, Seismic Upgrades Still On Track
One of the
biggest fears during any earthquake is that the movement could damage major
infrastructure. The recent Ridgecrest earthquakes jolted less than 50 miles
away from Lake Isabella, where the Isabella Dam is in the midst of a $600
million improvement project by the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Valley
Public Radio, 8-9-19
FORESTS
& WATERSHEDS
Feds
Extend Review For Controversial Forest Plan
The U.S.
Forest Service has extended public comment period on a controversial plan to relax environmental
permitting for new logging and forest management projects across millions of
acres of federal forest lands. The proposal would upend long-held
environmental practices that have been in place since 1970, and make it easier
for timber harvesting and bulldozing forest roads in all 20 of
California’s federal forests, including national forests in Mendocino,
Tahoe, Los Padres, and Lassen.
KQED (San
Francisco TV/radio), 8-11-19
GENERAL
This
high-tech solution to disaster response may be too good to be true.
The company
called One Concern has all the characteristics of a buzzy and promising Silicon
Valley start-up: young founders from Stanford, tens of millions of dollars in
venture capital and a board with prominent names. Its particular niche is
disaster response. But interviews and documents show the company has often
exaggerated its tools’ abilities and has kept outside experts from
reviewing its methodology.
New
York Times, 8-9-29
DIVISION
OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Porter
Ranch residents demand action over Aliso Canyon at hearing
Passionate
pleas were made by Porter Ranch residents demanding lawmakers take action over
the Aliso Canyon gas facility at a public hearing organized by state leaders
Tuesday.
The hearing at the Porter Ranch Community School was set to investigate why the
accident occurred.
KABC (Los
Angeles television), 8-8-19
SoCal
Gas accused of setting up an ‘astro-turf’ group to plead its case
to regulators
Swathing
itself in all the humility of a grass-roots organization representing the
interests of natural gas users, big and small, Californians for Balanced Energy Solutions applied last March to be named an official party
to a Public Utilities Commission proceeding on the future of gas usage in the
state. “Our goal,” the organization said, “is to educate
Californians about the importance of natural and renewable gas for improving
the environment and providing for a strong economy.”
Los Angeles
Times column, 8-8-19
DIVISION
OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
In
wealthy Silicon Valley, a $500 million plan to save threatened farmland
With a
swipe of his harvesting knife, Sam Thorpe frees a handful of spinach from its
roots in the soil. “In the winter it’s so sweet it’s like
candy,” he says, examining the small yield in his palm. For the past four
years, Thorpe and his family have built a reputation among Silicon Valley
restaurateurs and farmers markets for the rich, organic produce they grow as
Spade & Plow.
Reuters,
8-8-19
How
California is leading the food security fight
Human-caused
climate change is dramatically degrading the Earth's land and the way people
use the land is making global warming worse, a new United Nations scientific report says. That creates a vicious cycle that
is already making food more expensive, scarcer and less nutritious. "The
cycle is accelerating," said NASA climate scientist Cynthia Rosenzweig, a
co-author of the report. "The threat of climate change affecting people's
food on their dinner table is increasing." If people change the way they
eat, grow food and manage forests, it could help save the planet from a far
warmer future, scientists said.
KCRA
(Sacramento television), 8-8-19
Farmers
Don’t Need to Read the Science. We Are Living It.
any farmers
probably haven’t read the new report from the United Nations warning of threats to the global
food supply from climate change and land misuse. But we don’t need to
read the science — we’re living it.
Here in the
San Joaquin Valley, one of the world’s most productive agricultural
regions, there’s not much debate anymore that the climate is changing.
New York
Times commentary, 8-9-19
CLIMATE
CHANGE
A
clean energy breakthrough could be buried deep beneath rural Utah
If you know
anything about solar and wind farms, you know they’re good at generating
electricity when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing, and not so good at
other times. Batteries can pick up the slack for a few hours. But they’re
less useful when the sun and wind disappear for days at a time — a
problem the Germans call “dunkelflaute,” meaning “dark
doldrums.”
Los Angeles
Times, 8-8-19
Sorry,
But We Can’t Just Hack Our Way Out Of Climate Doom
The release
yesterday of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s report
on land use has
resurfaced an uncomfortable reality. On top of everything it says about how we
must fundamentally
change our food system, cutting emissions alone is not enough to stave off disaster—we
as a species have to suck CO2 out of the atmosphere to avoid catastrophic
warming.
Wired,
8-9-19
A
cliff collapse. Three deaths. More bluff failures expected with rising seas
When we go
hiking in California’s rugged mountains, we know to look out for bears and
lions. When we set off into the vast, bone-dry high desert of Joshua Tree, who
doesn’t bring extra water? When we stand too close to the edge of a
coastal bluff, everyone yells to step back.
Los Angeles
Times, 8-9-19
DIVISION
OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
State
Agency Hopeful Chevron's Massive Kern County Spill Is Finally Over
State
regulators say they're cautiously optimistic that a major release of crude oil
from a Chevron well in Kern County — an episode that has continued for
three months — is finally over. Chevron told state officials Wednesday
that more than 1.3 million gallons of oil and water have flowed to the surface in the
Cymric oil field, 35 miles west of Bakersfield, since May 10. An estimated
one-third of that, or 445,130 gallons, is believed to be crude petroleum.
KQED (San
Francisco TV/radio), 8-7-19
The
Gas Field Next Door: Living Amid Old Storage Wells at Risk of Leaks
More
Americans than previously estimated live within a city block of aged,
underground natural gas storage wells, some more than a century old and most of
them lacking modern designs to prevent major leaks, according to researchers from Harvard University. Using satellite imaging,
researchers estimate that 20,000 homes and about 53,000 people across six
states live within 650 feet of natural gas wells.
FairWarning.com,
8-8-19
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Report:
Thousands Of Angelenos Live In Apartments That Aren’t Earthquake-Proof
Thousands
of Angelenos live in apartments that haven’t been earthquake-proofed,
according to a
new report. The
non-profit organization Crosstown, based out of USC’s Annenberg School for Communications and
Journalism, studied data from the Los Angeles Department of
Building and Safety.
KCBS (Los
Angeles television), 8-6-19
Though
term ‘Big One’ may be misleading, earthquake preparedness remains
essential
Anyone who
attended elementary, middle or high school in California will remember those
routine earthquake safety drills where we had to crawl underneath our desks and
wait for our teachers to tell us it’s time to come out. Though they may
have often seemed tedious and perhaps even unnecessary, the recent series of
earthquakes in Ridgecrest – felt all the way down here in Westwood
– serve as a reminder of the importance of earthquake preparedness.
UCLA Daily
Bruin, 8-7-19
Plan
To Stabilize Del Mar Coastal Bluffs Moves Forward
Work to stabilize
the coastal bluffs through Del Mar is moving forward, following a vote Monday
by the Del Mar City Council. Council members approved an encroachment permit
Monday night, allowing SANDAG to work on a 1.6 mile stretch of coastline. This
is Phase 4 of SANDAG’s bluff stabilization project, which began 18-years
ago.
KPBS (San
Diego radio), 8-7-19
MINING
City
takes ‘wait-and-see’ approach on Cemex suit
Members of
Santa Clarita’s subcommittee on the Cemex issue said Tuesday there was no
public announcement in response to the international mining corporation’s
recently filed lawsuit because the city is not a party in the
litigation. The decision runs contrary to years of campaigning by the
Santa Clarita City Council, which fought a very public campaign against the
mine, then engaged in a truce, then declared a victory against the mine earlier
this year.
Santa
Clarita Signal, 8-7-19
CLIMATE
CHANGE
Climate
change, sea levels eat away at iconic coastline
If we
needed a reminder about the instability of the California coastline and the
potential for danger, we needed only to look south on Friday. A cliff collapsed
in the San Diego County town of Encinitas, killing three people in the rubble
that fell onto the beach below. It’s an increasingly common and
frightening occurrence.
Half Moon
Bay Review, 8-7-19
Back-to-back
low snow years will become more common, study projects
Consecutive
low snow years may become six times more common across the Western United
States over the latter half of this century, leading to ecological and economic
challenges such as expanded fire seasons and poor snow conditions at ski
resorts, according to a study.
American
Geophysical Union, 8-8-19
DIVISION
OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
SoCalGas
didn’t show up for a Porter Ranch hearing on Aliso Canyon. Here’s
why
A state
hearing Tuesday on the future of Aliso Canyon had one notable absence among its
participating residents, high-profile public officials and consultants: the
voice of the Southern California Gas Co., which has been blamed for the massive
natural gas breach nearly four years ago that uprooted thousands of residents
and left many concerned about their health.
Southern
California Newspaper Group, 8-6-19
CLIMATE
CHANGE
Give
Up Your Gas Stove To Save The Planet? Banning Gas Is The Next Climate Push
As more
cities and states try to cut carbon emissions, some are taking aim at a new
target: natural gas inside homes. Buildings, through heating and cooking, use
almost a third of the natural gas consumed in the U.S. In July, Berkeley,
Calif., became the first city in the country to ban natural gas in new buildings,
starting next year. City officials say new efficient electric appliances have
lower carbon footprints than gas-powered furnaces and water heaters.
KQED (San
Francisco TV/radio), 8-5-19
California
Struggles to Sprawl in an Environmentally Responsible Way
The Los
Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 4 to 1 in April to give final
approval to plans for Centennial, a 19,333-home planned community
with more than 10 million square feet of commercial space situated 60 miles
north of downtown Los Angeles. Dozens of representatives from trade unions and
working-class neighborhoods had urged the supervisors to approve the plan,
calling it a case study for how to develop a community. They described the
urgent need for housing in the county, where the median home price was $618,500
as of Aug. 1, according to Zillow, up from $350,000 seven years ago.
Bloomberg
News, 8-6-19
LA
County Adopts One of Nation’s Most Ambitious Sustainability Plans
The Los
Angeles County Board of Supervisors yesterday unanimously adopted the OurCounty
Sustainability Plan, one of the boldest, most comprehensive regional approach
to sustainability ever issued by a county in the United States. The plan,
drafted over the course of two years with the help of nearly 1,000 community
and expert stakeholders from every part of the County, sets forth an ambitious
agenda that looks to transform the region in the years and decades ahead.
Santa
Monica Mirror, 8-7-19
Forty years
ago this summer, a small group of atmospheric and ocean scientists met in Woods
Hole, Massachusetts, to project the future impacts on Earth's climate from
atmospheric release of carbon dioxide (CO2) from fossil fuel combustion. Frank
Press, head of the United States Office of Science and Technology Policy and
Science Adviser to President Carter, requested that the National Academy of
Sciences conduct the study for the benefit of policymakers.
Science
Magazine editorial, 8-2-19
WATER
Groundwater:
Agencies react to rejection of alternative plans
Six regions
of California that considered themselves to be managing groundwater sustainably
have been informed otherwise by state officials, who rejected alternatives to
preparation of groundwater sustainability plans for the regions. Three of the
applicants have agreed to form groundwater sustainability agencies as required
under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. The remaining three—in
Humboldt, Lake and Napa counties—face decisions on how to proceed.
Ag Alert,
8-7-19
GENERAL
Tech
millionaire fined $3.76M after destroying wetlands for winery
Kevin
Harvey, a
professional investor who made millions in Silicon Valley, destroyed protected
wetlands in Mendocino County to build a winery. As a result, he will pay more
than $3.76 million in fines. That’s according to the State Water
Resources Control Board, which announced
that it reached a settlement agreement with Harvey and his Rhys Vineyards company
last week.
SF Curbed,
8-5-19
California's
largest recycling business closes all 284 centers, lays off 750
California's
largest operator of recycling redemption centers shut down Monday and laid off
750 employees. RePlanet closed all 284 of its centers, and company president
David Lawrence said the decision was driven by increased business costs and
falling prices of recycled aluminum and PET plastic, the San Jose Mercury News
reported.
Associated
Press, 8-6-19
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Nevada’s
first recorded earthquake death? This could be it, caused by Ridgecrest
temblors
For all the
power of the Ridgecrest earthquakes — the strongest with an epicenter in
Southern California in nearly two decades — the only death related to the
temblors may have actually occurred outside the state. The death in Nevada is
illustrative of the significant earthquake risk the Silver State, though not as
bad as California, still endures.
Los Angeles
Times, 8-6-19
Things
to know about last week's California cliff collapse
Three
family members enjoying a day at a San Diego area beach were killed Friday when
a huge slab of the cliff above them plunged onto the sand. The collapse has
raised questions about the stability of bluffs along California's 1,000-mile
(1,600-kilometer) coast. Here are things to know:
Associated
Press, 8-5-19
CLIMATE
CHANGE
What
Does Climate Change Really Mean to California’s Water Resources?
Whether you
are a water utility manager, elected official, or homeowner, future water
availability is a concern. There are several factors fostering that concern and
one of them is climate change. In fact, these days, climate change is a rapidly
growing global hot topic (no pun intended).
Maven’s
Notebook blog, 8-6-19
Commentary:
Climate changing California’s ag landscape
Change can
be easy, or changes can be difficult. We don’t have to like them, or we
can welcome them with open arms. Change can be good for us or it can be bad for
us. But like it or not, change is a universal certainty from which there is no
escape. Some have said the only way to prepare for change in our lives is to
embrace it and, if possible, plan for it.
Western
Farm Press, 8-6-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
New
method helps to predict earthquake activity from wastewater disposal
A team of
geoscientists from Arizona State University have developed a new way of
predicting seismic activity via wastewater disposal. This wastewater, a
byproduct of oil and gas drilling called brine, is often disposed of by being
injected into deep rock formations, which can trigger earthquakes. These quakes
were hard to predict due to the amount of factors at play, however, the team has
finally developed a method to do just that.
Earth.com, 8-2-19
San
Fernando Valley neighbors will testify on 2015 gas leak
San
Fernando Valley residents will testify Tuesday, Aug. 6, at a state oversight
hearing focusing on the Aliso Canyon underground storage facility.
Activists
from Food & Water Watch, Save Porter Ranch, Consumer Watchdog and the Aliso
Canyon Community Action Committee will demonstrate at a rally before the
hearings, calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to shut down the facility.
Los Angeles Daily News, 8-2-19
Smith,
Stern to hold Aliso Canyon oversight hearing
Assemblywoman
Christy Smith, D-Santa Clarita, and Sen. Henry Stern, D-Canoga Park, are
inviting residents to a joint oversight hearing in Porter Ranch on Tuesday,
when the two will join state officials for a discussion about the effects of
the gas leak that struck Aliso Canyon and was discovered by Southern California
Gas Co. on Oct. 23, 2015.
Santa
Clarita Signal, 8-1-19
MINING
Feds
respond to new Cemex lawsuit
Within
months after the city of Santa Clarita and mining opponents declared victory in
the decades-long battle with Cemex due to a government ruling, international
mining conglomerate Cemex has filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to
overturn the decision.
Santa Clarita Signal, 8-1-19
Cemex
issues challenge to federal agencies over Soledad Canyon mine
In the aftermath
of a “landmark” decision that struck down a proposed Cemex mine in
Soledad Canyon earlier this year, the company has filed a lawsuit against
several federal agencies, officials said Friday.
KHTS (Santa Clarita radio), 8-2-2019
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Encinitas
beach cliff collapse area is ‘still active’
The cliff
collapse that killed three women Friday in Encinitas, Calif., remains active
and it is unclear when the area will reopen. Encinitas Lifeguard Capt. Larry
Giles said Saturday the lifeguard tower near the scene was moved away from the
area Saturday morning, and that officials have determined that “the area
is still active.” He said a geologist assessing the scene was
“concerned about the areas to the side of the current failure
failing.”
Los Angeles Times, 8-4-19
Court
gives Hollywood skyscraper opponents big win
Opponents
of a proposed development that would put two skyscrapers adjacent to the
Capitol Records building in Hollywood declared victory Thursday in response to
an appeals court panel ruling that the project's environmental review failed to
meet state standards.
Hollywood Patch, 8-1-19
Strong
earthquake kills four in Indonesia
A powerful undersea
earthquake that struck off the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Java has
killed four people and damaged hundreds of buildings, the nation's disaster
agency said on Saturday.
Reuters, 8-2-19
Appeals
court: Environmental analysis for Hollywood skyscrapers is ‘fatally defective’
A California appeals court
determined Wednesday that the environmental analysis of a $1 billion,
skyline-altering development next to Hollywood’s iconic Capitol Records
building is “fatally defective.”
Curbed Los Angeles, 8-2-19
AHF
praises California Court of Appeal for ruling halting the Millennium Hollywood
Project
AIDS
Healthcare Foundation (AHF) today showered praise on the California Court of
Appeal for its ruling Wednesday throwing out the environmental impact report
(EIR) for Hollywood Millennium’s planned massive luxury housing
development in the heart of Hollywood. The ruling upholds the trial
judge’s 2015 invalidation of Millennium Hollywood’s illegal
development project.
Business Wire, 8-2-19
California
Hospitals Question 2030 Earthquake Standards
A Southern
California hospital spent $72 million on a building designed to do two things
after an earthquake: stay standing and stay open. But when a pair of strong
earthquakes struck the region last month, the hospital couldn’t use it.
Associated
Press, 8-4-19
Huge
swaths of SF vulnerable to fire and earthquake disaster
After
the 1906
earthquake and fire, San Francisco took special pains to build new firefighting
infrastructure to ensure that, when the next big one came, future generations
would not have to rely on the easily damaged civilian water mains that failed
back in the day. But the city’s
most recent civil grand jury warns that the extant Auxiliary Water
Supply System (AWSS) created for emergency firefighting leaves outlying
neighborhoods like the Sunset and Bayview neglected, putting those residents in
critical danger during a major fire or other disaster.
Curbed San
Francisco, 8-5-19
CLIMATE
CHANGE
Sea
level rise is not ‘climate fear porn’ – it’s a threat
to all of California
On Friday,
three people died when a huge chunk of a limestone cliff collapsed onto a beach
in Encinitas, located north of San Diego. That danger will grow; in Southern
California, sea level rise could cause cliff erosion rates to double the
historical rate by 2100, according to U.S. Geological Survey researchers.
San Luis Obispo Tribune, 8-1-19
GENERAL
By and by,
as construction of the initial bullet train segment in the San Joaquin Valley
stalled due to mismanagement, cost overruns and stiff local opposition,
advocates of the regional urban transit projects began to chip off pieces of
the other $9 billion in bonds that voters had approved. Now, as the bullet
train project gasps for air, more diversions of voter-approved bullet train
bonds may be in the offing. Improving transit in the state’s most
congested urban areas, advocates of the new scheme contend, is more important
than the patched-together system that Newsom has proposed.
CalMatters column, 8-5-19
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
A
Gentle Introduction To Earthquake Insurance Because Planning For Calamity Is
Scary
Earthquakes
happen in California. They're probably happening
right now. They will
happen
again (and I don't know if you've heard, but there's a Big
One coming).
Preparing for an earthquake is one thing; recovering from one is another. Even
if you have renters insurance or homeowners insurance, you might not have
earthquake insurance because it's a totally separate insurance beast.
LAist,
8-1-19
San
Diego Explained: An Earthquake Could Impact San Diego's Water Supply
Earthquakes
could have a major impact on San Diego’s water supply, even if they happen
far away. That’s because San Diego’s water comes from hundreds of
miles away, through threads of metal and concrete that connect us to distant
rivers and reservoirs. Our biggest source of water is the Colorado River, which
is diverted into Southern California from the Arizona border through a 242-mile
water system that includes 92 miles of tunnels.
Voice of
San Diego, 8-1-19
FORESTS
& WATERSHEDS
Feinstein
Working on Bill to Speed Up Logging, Other Forest Projects to Head Off Wildfire
Risks
California
Sen. Dianne Feinstein has joined with a Montana Republican to craft a bill that
would expedite logging and other forest management projects near electrical
transmission lines and roads in an effort to head off catastrophic wildfires.
The bill is also aimed at slowing or stopping lawsuits that block logging
projects on federal land.
Associated
Press, 8-1-19
CLIMATE
CHANGE
Poll
Finds Voters Behind CA Confronting Global Warming, but are They Willing to Pay?
Public
Policy Institute of California’s extensive
polling on the environment turned up solid support from likely voters for the state to
take a leading roll in confronting climate change. But when asked if they were
willing to pay, the answers were mixed.
Fox &
Hounds, 8-1-19
Yes,
sea levels are rising. Here’s why you should care — even if you
live in Fresno
Poor
California. As if wildfires, mudslides, droughts and the threat of the Big One
aren’t enough, now sea level rise is on the list of California disasters
that will make life more risky — and far more costly — in the
future. One example: Under the worst-worst-case scenario of a 10-foot rise, San
Luis Obispo County could lose
1,178 homes, valued at $392 million, by 2100, according to Climate Central,
San Luis
Obispo Tribune editorial, 8-1-19
WATER
SJ
sues state water agency over drilling for tunnel project
San Joaquin
County has filed a lawsuit in Superior Court asking the state Department of Water
Resources to abide by local drilling permit requirements to protect wildlife
and water quality in accordance with California law. According to the county,
DWR began geotechnical well drilling in San Joaquin and Sacramento counties in
June to collect data the agency says it needs for a proposed Delta tunnel
project. The controversial tunnel project would carry water diverted from the
Sacramento River to the existing state and federal water pumps in the south
Delta for export to points south.
Stockton
Record, 8-1-19
Appetite
for California almonds still growing, but farmers feel squeeze from new water
rules
The
California almond has proved resilient under fire. During the late years of
California’s most recent drought, from 2015 through 2016, the almond came
under attack from a variety of sources, including news outlets such as Mother
Jones, Forbes and the New Republic, labeling it a horticultural vampire. It was,
they said, sucking California’s groundwater reserves dry, leaving behind
brittle, drought-stricken trees and causing the dusty land in San Joaquin
County to cave
in.
Sacramento
Bee, 8-2-19
DIVISION
OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Conflict
of Interest -- local oil, gas regulators invested in oil companies
Documents
leading to last month’s ousting of Ken Harris, the top oil regulator in
the state, also reveal that state officials overseeing Ventura County’s
oil and gas operations have investments in oil companies. Consumer Watchdog
obtained the documents, called 700 forms, for various state oil and gas
regulators. All public employees in decision-making positions are required to
fill out a 700 form to report significant assets and investments. Reporting by
the Desert Sun newspaper on the contents of those forms led to Gov. Gavin
Newsom calling for Harris, then head of the California Department of
Conservation (DOC), Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR), to
be fired. Jason Marshall has been named interim head of DOGGR.
Ventura
County Reporter, 7-31-19
Lawsuit
threatens Arroyo Grande Oil Field aquifer exemption
The Center
for Biological Diversity is threatening to sue the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) over its decision earlier this year to exempt portions of the
Arroyo Grande Oil Field from the Safe Drinking Water Act. Maya Golden-Krasner,
the center's climate deputy director and senior attorney, said that the federal
agency didn't complete its due diligence before issuing a decision in April,
violating both the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental
Protection Act.
San Luis
Obispo New Times, 8-1-19
CLIMATE
CHANGE
The
California Coastal Commission has encouraged cities to include a strategy
called “managed retreat” in plans to prepare for sea level rise.
But the commission may be retreating from that position.
KPBS (San
Diego radio), 8-1-19
How
Sea-Level Rise Will Change Orange County
If you want
to see how rising sea levels will change Orange County over the course of this
century, you have to go to Balboa Island. For much of the 19th century, what we
now call Balboa Island was just a sandbar in Newport Bay—an obstacle to
navigation in what then-owner James McFadden thought of as an ideal commercial
port, according to the Balboa Island Museum.
Orange
County Weekly, 8-1-19
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