Geology
300: Physical Geology
Geology
301: Physical Geology Lab
Geology
305: Earth Science
Geology
306: Earth Science Lab
Instructor: Arthur Reed
October 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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& older news articles) |
· (link to 2014
news articles) |
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news articles) |
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news articles) |
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· (link to 2011
news articles) |
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news articles) |
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news articles) |
· (link to 2017 news articles) |
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· (link to 2013
news articles) |
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news articles) |
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DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
This
is the ‘Achilles heel’ of the booming US natural gas industry that
could derail its future
The
Trump administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency may be weakening methane emissions rules affecting
private and public lands, but the private sector is taking unique
countermeasures. In a first for the industry, BP announced in September a new
technological plan to constantly monitor methane emissions at drilling sites
around the world, using drones and gas cloud imaging.
CNBC, 10-1-19
Pipeline
rules adopted years after deadly explosion, spills
U.S.
transportation officials on Tuesday adopted long-delayed measures that are
meant to prevent pipeline spills and deadly gas explosions but don’t
address recommended steps to lessen accidents once they occur. The new rules
from the Department of Transportation apply to more than 500,000 miles of
pipelines that carry natural gas, oil and other hazardous materials throughout
the U.S.
Associated Press, 10-1-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Monster
Alaska Quake of 1964 the Likely Culprit Behind Fungal Disease
Scientists
who have taken on the role of detectives to determine the origin of a deadly
fungal disease affecting people and wildlife in the Pacific Northwest announced
Tuesday they may have finally found the answer. Calculated travel time map for
the tectonic tsunami produced by the 1964 Prince William Sound earthquake in
Alaska. In a paper published in the journal mBio,
researchers revealed that the mysterious outbreak of the fungus Cryptococcus gattii that resulted in several hundred cases of infection
in North America was likely due to the Great Alaskan Earthquake of 1964 and the
subsequent tsunamis it caused.
Courthouse News Service, 10-1-19
DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
Madera
County Crops Worth $2 Billion in 2018
County
Agricultural Commissioner Stephanie “Stevie” McNeill presented the
2018 Madera County Crop and Livestock report to the Madera County Board of
Supervisors on Tuesday (October 1) — and the final tally on last
year’s overall ag output was impressive. In 2018, the gross value of
agricultural production in Madera County was $2,058,474,000 — an increase
of $85,025,000 — or 4.31 percent — compared to 2017 production.
Sierra News Online, 10-2-19
Appeals
Court Orders Second Look at Plan to Turn Napa Forest Into Vineyards
Officials
in California’s Napa County have been ordered by a state appeals court to
re-examine the environmental impact of a proposed vineyard in the Howell
Mountains east of Napa Valley.
Courthouse News, 10-1-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
Sea
level rise: SFO officials aren’t taking any chances
Worries
about projected sea level rise have been front and center this fall at a
variety of forums, not the least of which occurred at the United Nations last
month. It’s a subject near and dear to the hearts (and pocketbooks) of
San Mateo County residents and businesses. The low-lying (and
heavily-developed) land east of Highway 101 is especially vulnerable if the
water level in San Francisco Bay rises significantly — and that is the
generally-accepted prediction provided by scientists.
San Jose Mercury News column, 10-2-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
State
fines Chevron $2.7 million over oilfield leaks near McKittrick
California
oil regulators levied more than $2.7 million in fines against Chevron
Wednesday for alleged violations related to a series of west Kern oilfield
leaks that shone a harsh light on the industry even as the state said they
caused minimal environmental damage. The size of the civil penalty —
the second-largest issued under the state oil division's new office of
enforcement — was attributed to risks created by the leaks, as well as
their pervasiveness and the state's intention of keeping Chevron from
benefiting from sales of oil contained in the more than 1.25 million gallons of
fluid that since May have flowed to the ground in the Cymric Oil Field.
Bakersfield Californian, 10-2-19
Chevron
fined $2.7mil for Kern Co. oil seep
California’s
oil regulator announced $2.7 million in fines levied against Chevron centered
on a longstanding oil seep near McKittrick. The leak, which was traced back to
at least May, occurred in the Cymric Oil Field in Kern County. Wednesday’s
fine was the second-largest issued by the enforcement
arm of California’s Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources
(DOGGR). In analyzing the leak, DOGGR points to the likely culprit as
Chevron’s cyclic steam operations.
San Joaquin Valley Sun, 10-3-19
California
fines Chevron over Kern County oil leaks
California
regulators have fined Chevron $2.7 million for violations at a facility in Kern
County where there have been multiple oil leaks. The Department of
Conservation’s Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources said
Wednesday that Chevron illegally allowed uncontrolled oil releases at Cymric
oil field. The seep out of the ground where Chevron injects steam to extract
oil has been happening on and off for months.
Associated Press, 10-2-19
State
oil regulators issue $2.7M fine on Chevron for leaks near McKittrick
California
oil and gas regulators have issued a penalty of more than $2.7 million to
Chevron due to violations that led to oil leaks at the Cymric Oil Field. The
state Department of Conservation (DOC) said the violations stem from
Chevron’s steam injection work in the McKittrick area that led to leaks
on at least four occasions between May 10 and July 22 into a 41,947-square-feet
dry streambed.
KGET (Bakersfield television), 10-2-19
California
fines Chevron $2.7 million for surface oil spills at Cymric field in Kern
County
California
on Wednesday fined Chevron more than $2.7 million for allowing an oil spill at
the Cymric Oil Field in Kern County that lasted 113 days and covered
almost an acre of a dry streambed. Four “surface expression”
spills – water, steam and oil forced to the surface — occurred in
the field between May and July, Acting Oil and Gas Supervisor Jason R.
Marshall found. The spills caused “a significant threat of harm to
human health and the environment," Marshall said in his order levying the penalties.
Palm Springs Desert Sun, 10-3-19
HVI
Cat Canyon bankruptcy case shifts to California court
The
bankruptcy case for HVI Cat Canyon, formerly known as Greka
Energy, is on the move—at least geographically. After filing for
bankruptcy in the Southern District of New York U.S. Bankruptcy Court on July
25, HVI Cat Canyon’s case was transferred first to Texas and then to
California. On Aug. 14, Santa Barbara County and its Air Pollution Control
District filed a motion—that state agencies and other parties later
joined—requesting the case get moved to California.
Santa Maria Sun, 10-1-19
Environmentalists
to Map Methane Emissions in Largest US Oilfield
A
planned year-long study of methane emissions in the booming West Texas oil
patch aims to paint a clearer picture of just how much of the climate
change-causing pollutant is escaping from oil and gas sites. The advocacy group
Environmental Defense Fund announced the initiative Wednesday, describing it as
an effort to map and measure emissions through stationary and mobile monitors
scattered across the Permian Basin.
Courthouse News Service, 10-2-19
Elizabeth
Warren is wrong to push for a ban on fracking
Sen.
Elizabeth Warren’s campaign has yet another program and another slogan
— this time, she wants to ban
fracking, the still-new technology in oil and gas drilling. Fracking
produced the most energy-independent U.S. in modern history, cut inflation,
boosted workers’ real incomes — and vastly reduced the most obvious
cause of climate change, electrical utility emissions.
MarketWatch commentary, 10-2-19
Could
squeezing more oil out of the ground help fight climate change?
To
secure a stable climate for future generations, humanity will need to
permanently bury gigatons of carbon dioxide (CO2). There is already too much in
the atmosphere — 415 parts per million, when scientists say 350 ppm is
the upper bound of safety — and we emit more
and more each year.
Vox, 10-2-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Top
State Lawmakers Question Chevron Oil Spill Fine
The
heads of the state legislative committees that oversee much of California's oil
and gas industry are questioning whether a fine issued by state regulators
against Chevron this week, for a massive uncontrolled release of crude
petroleum in a Kern County oil field, will be effective. California's Division
of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources on Wednesday announced that it slapped the
San Ramon-based oil giant with a $2.7 million fine for illegally allowing releases of
large amounts of oil at one of the company's well sites in the Cymric Oil Field
between May and July.
KQED (San Francisco TV/radio), 10-3-19
Trump
administration opens California to new oil drilling, possibly Bay Area, too
The
Trump administration’s latest effort to dramatically boost oil and gas
production is landing in California, with the Interior Department on Friday opening up 720,000 acres between the Bay Area and Fresno to
potential drilling. The move gives an immediate go-ahead to 14 drilling leases
in San Benito, Monterey and Fresno counties, mostly projects near existing
drill sites and pursued for years by fossil fuel companies looking to expand.
San Francisco Chronicle, 10-4-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
Saving
SF Bay may mean filling parts of it in, agency says
The
state agency created in 1965 to protect San Francisco Bay voted Thursday to do
something that might seem counterintuitive — to prepare for the threat of
sea level rise by making it easier to fill in portions of the bay. The
unanimous vote by the Bay Conservation and Development Commission is part of a
larger effort to create marshes and restore habitat that can serve as a buffer
against rising sea levels. In some cases, this would mean filling what now are
shallow waters so that native vegetation can take root and establish itself.
San Francisco Chronicle, 10-3-19
What
we’ll lose at the water’s edge
This
story begins with the color blue. When we map the
future of San Francisco Bay, we take what we have now and we add a layer of
blue — it’s almost always some shade of blue — to give us a
sense of where
the water will be in 25 years or 80 years, depending on this
predictive model or that.
San Francisco Chronicle, 10-3-19
The
Rising Tide: A Look at How Local Cities Are Addressing Sea Level Rise
Will
our “Spanish Village by the Sea” see the impacts of sea level rise?
The past month saw an increased amount of activism and engagement centered
around climate change and the potential threats of sea level rise, in light of the United Nations Climate Action Summit on
Sept. 23 in New York City. Millions participated in the Global Climate Strikes
from Sept. 20-27 to demand action on climate change. The nearest strike to San
Clemente was held in Laguna Beach.
San Clemente Times, 10-3-19
Net-Zero
Carbon Dioxide Emissions By 2050 Requires A New Nuclear Power Plant Every Day
More
than a decade ago, Gwyn Prins and Steve Rayner
characterized climate policy as an “auction of promises”
in which politicians “vied to outbid each other with proposed emissions
targets that were simply not achievable.” For instance, among Democrats competing for the presidency in 2020,
several, including Joe Biden, have committed to achieving net-zero carbon
dioxide emissions by 2050.
Forbes, 9-30-19
WATER
The
next big California vs. Trump fight is over water and endangered species
Just
how far will Gov. Gavin Newsom go in his high-profile fight with the Trump
administration over environmental protections? The next few months will provide
an answer, as Newsom is forced to take a stand on Trump rollbacks in a
long-contested battleground — the Northern California delta that helps
supply more than half the state’s population with drinking water and
fills irrigation canals on millions of acres of farmland.
Los Angeles Times, 10-4-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Trump
opening California public land to fracking, gas leases. Is it
‘reckless’?
The
Trump administration has finalized its plans to open hundreds of thousands of
acres of federal land in Central California to oil and gas leasing, paving the
way for more fracking to soon begin in the state. In its new oil and gas
leasing plans for California, BLM says it has sufficiently factored in those
environmental considerations. Critics, however, argue the agency has
consistently ignored relevant science.
Sacramento Bee, 10-5-19
Trump
administration opens California to new oil drilling; possibly Bay Area, too
The
Trump administration’s latest effort to dramatically boost oil and gas
production is landing in California, with the Interior Department on Friday opening up 720,000 acres between the Bay Area and Fresno to
potential drilling. But the action also opens the door for new leases in eight
other counties, raising the prospect of additional drilling in such spots as
the Santa Cruz Mountains, the East Bay hills and eastern Santa Clara County.
San Francisco Chronicle, 10-4-19
Is
the U.S. oil industry dominant? On the verge of oblivion? Neither
On
July 4, Britain seized an Iranian oil tanker in the Strait of Gibraltar, and on
July 19, Iran responded by seizing a British tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.
Oil markets barely responded. On Sept. 14, a drone attack on Saudi Arabia
disrupted 5.7 million barrels a day of export capacity. Within days, the Brent
crude oil benchmark price dropped back to its pre-attack levels. What has changed
to make that possible? At least part of the explanation lies in the strength
the United States has gained in the oil markets. That strength comes, in part,
from a very large, newly developed resource known as tight oil. While the
United States is not a swing producer or a dominant producer, tight oil in the
United States effectively blocks others from exercising dominance in oil
markets.
New
York Times, 10-7-19
Trump
administration ends five-year oil and gas drilling moratorium in California
The
Trump administration Friday announced it would make 725,000 acres of land in
California’s central coast open to oil and gas lease sales, ending a
five-year moratorium. The decision by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) made
the federal land available for fossil fuel production across Fresno, Monterey,
San Benito and other counties for the first time in half a decade.
The Hill, 10-4-19
A
vast new oil field in the North Sea has come on stream, drawing on new
technology for greater efficiency and far greater profits. It’s benefit
to the Norwegian government over five decades is estimated at £80
billion. So why has Norway done so much better out of North Sea oil? Some luck,
some choices, keeping work in-country - above all, being an investor as well as
levying tax.
BBC News, 10-6-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Sharp
jolt felt across Bay Area from 3.5-magnitude quake off San Mateo County coast
A
3.5-magnitude earthquake struck off the San Mateo County coast early Saturday,
jolting residents across the Bay Area. The quake struck at 8:41 a.m. about
3½ miles southwest of Colma, according to the
U.S. Geological Survey.
San Francisco Chronicle, 10-5-19
Did
you feel it? 3.5 earthquake rattles Bay Area Saturday morning
Did
you feel it? Thousands of people in the Bay Area did, when a 3.5 magnitude
earthquake hit Saturday morning at 8:41 off the coast of Pacifica. Luckily,
there were no reports of damage, but it's a great wake up call for all of us to
be ready for the next big one.
KGO (San Francisco television), 10-5-19
MINING
Mining
powers modern life, but can leave scarred lands and polluted waters behind
Modern
society relies on metals like copper, gold and nickel for uses ranging from
medicine to electronics. But, mining operations are
major water pollution sources and can cause problems that persist for
generations. Their global footprints also directly reshape significant portions
of Earth’s topography, leaving indelible evidence of human presence.
The Conversation, 10-3-19
DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
California
wineries, fearing recession, cut grape output. Farmers are worried
Throughout
California, the wine industry is facing a major oversupply problem, and some
farmers say it could drive them out of business. Fueled by a high-yielding crop
in 2018 and slowing wine sales, wineries are cutting back on production. Grape
growers, faced with an unprecedented challenge, are scrambling to find buyers,
with many resorting to selling for rock-bottom prices before the grapes begin
to rot on the vine. The predicament raises a troubling question: Is this a sign
that the California wine industry is headed for an economic downturn?
San Francisco Chronicle, 10-4-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
California
is feuding with this SoCal city over ‘planned retreat’ from sea
level rise
Del
Mar is gearing up for a tussle with the California Coastal Commission over the
best way to adapt to rising sea levels, an issue with statewide implications.
The city north of San Diego has taken the position that one of the Coastal
Commission’s basic strategies, called “managed retreat” or
sometimes “planned retreat,” will not work in Del Mar.
Los Angeles Times, 10-6-19
In
a climate crisis, is geoengineering worth the risks?
Geoengineering
ideas have been around for decades. Few such ideas have progressed past the
thought experiment stage, due in part to concerns that the cure could be worse
than the disease. But as dire warnings about climate change’s impacts
increasingly dominate the news, geoengineering may once again be getting a
closer look.
Science News, 10-6-19
San
Francisco Bay study gives 20-year window into marine life, climate impacts
For
San Francisco marine biology researchers, 20 years is priceless in what it can
tell about the changing nature of the bay’s wildlife, especially in the
face of a changing climate. These long-term databases are rare for the region, but
the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Tiburon has accomplished this
milestone as of this year. The now 20-year-old study by the center’s
Marine Invasions Lab has been tracking the presence of invasive and native species,
mainly invertebrates, throughout the bay and delta, giving researchers insights
into how extremes such as droughts, heavy storms and warming waters can affect
our backyard ecosystems.
Marin Independent Journal, 10-4-19
Report:
San Diego has unique edge to tackle climate change
The
Earth’s coastal and polar areas are on thin ice, a new climate report
warns, but San Diego may be in a better place than others to weather those
changes if it acts swiftly, several authors said.
San
Diego Union-Tribune, 10-7-19
New
study assesses local coastline vulnerability
Santa
Barbara County residents love their coastline. But drastic changes are in store
in coming decades as temperatures and sea levels rise, bringing massive impacts
to local ecology and human systems. To help local coastal and land use managers
prepare, a multidisciplinary team of researchers has synthesized projected
changes to the Santa Barbara coast that are expected as a result of the warming
climate, as well as options for adaptation.
Santa Barbara Edhat, 10-5-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Trump:
"California Open for Fracking"
On
Friday the Trump administration formally announced it will permit the leasing
of over 700,000 acres of federal land in central California for new oil and gas
development, ending a five-year prohibition on fracking in the state.
Energy and Capital, 10-7-19
Newsom
cleaning up some Brown messes (Commentary)
Corruption
and waste quietly abounded during the eight years of ex-Gov. Jerry
Brown’s second go-‘round as governor of
California, but there are signs current Gov. Gavin Newsom means to clean up at
least some of those messes.
Ventura County Star, 10-7-19
DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
State’s
oldest dairy calling it quits
Years
of low dairy milk prices is forcing California’s oldest dairy to end operations.
A complete dispersal auction of the Giacomazzi Dairy
near Hanford, which has operated 126 years, is set for October 25. It’s
not only California’s oldest dairy still in operation, but it’s
also the oldest west of the Rocky Mountains.
Fresno Business Journal, 10-7-19
Almonds
are top commodity in 2018
Madera
County farmers produced about 4 percent more in 2018 than they did the year
before, according to County Agricultural Commissioner Stephanie McNeill, who
gave the annual crop report at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting.
The top
crop, as usual, was almonds, at $730.66 million in gross value, including nut
meats, hulls and shells, up about 1 percent from the year before.
Madera Tribune, 10-5-19
Way
out past Denair, a family farms in a way that could help save the planet
Seventeen
years after it started to go organic, Burroughs Family Farms thrives in the
foothills east of Denair. The 2,600-acre spread produces almonds, beef, milk,
chickens, eggs and olive oil without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. Rosie
and Ward Burroughs and their children have emerged as leaders in the movement.
Modesto Bee, 10-5-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
California
needs to kick its driving habit to reach 2030 climate goals, new report says
Car-dependent
California needs to hit the brakes hard if it wants to meet its aggressive
climate change mandates, a new, independent report warns. The study for the San
Francisco-based policy nonprofit Next 10 concludes that while California has
beat its own deadline for short-term greenhouse gas reductions, largely thanks
to its increasing use of renewable energy, it is decades behind on other goals.
At its current annual rate of cutting emissions by 1.15%, the state won't meet
its 2030 target until 2061, and could be more than 100 years late in meeting
its 2050 target.
Palm Springs Desert Sun, 10-8-19
Blunt
warning says Californians must step up to meet climate goals
A
California think tank is sounding the alarm that the state isn’t on track
to meet ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goals without dramatically picking
up the pace. Complicating the effort, the think tank reported today that even
where the state has found success, climate-warming gases produced by
2018’s wildfires vastly outstripped pollution cuts across the economy the
previous year.
CalMatters, 10-8-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Trump
forcibly expands oil and gas drilling in California. Will Newsom fight back?
(Commentary)
President
Donald Trump’s attempts to forcibly expand oil and gas drilling in
California have taken his political beef with our state to a toxic new low.
Though Gov.
Newsom’s election initially excited environmentalists, they have waited
in vain for the bold action that’s urgently needed to counter the fossil
fuel industry’s aggressive Trumpian strategy.
Sacramento Bee, 10-9-19
Local
oil company agrees to pay $464,000 over dumping allegations
One
of Kern's largest oil producers has agreed to pay nearly half a million dollars
to settle accusations it hauled oilfield waste from six different local leases
to a facility in Ventura County, where the company allegedly dumped the
hazardous waste at a site not permitted for such uses. The $464,000 settlement
announced Tuesday ends a years-long case between Chatsworth-based California
Resources Corp. and district attorneys' offices in four counties, including
Kern, which will receive $50,000 for its prosecutorial assistance.
Bakersfield Californian, 10-8-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Berkeley
elementary school deemed at risk during major earthquake
Parents
of schoolchildren at Oxford Elementary are uneasy following a report indicating
the school may be unsafe during a major earthquake. A new report found the
school faces an “elevated risk” during an earthquake, thanks to its
location in the Berkeley Hills. It’s in a landslide zone, and the report
says it could move up to 20 feet in an earthquake.
KPIX (San Francisco television), 10-7-19
DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
We’re
back, baby! Fresno top ag county once again
For
the first time since 2013, Fresno County is the top agricultural county in
California and the U.S. This news comes with the Tuesday morning release of the
2018 Tulare County crop and livestock report, which shows sales of agricultural
goods produced there last year totaled more than $7.21 billion, a 2.5% increase
from ag sales in 2017.
Fresno Business Journal, 10-8-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
Wildfires
a massive threat to California’s progress in cutting greenhouse gases,
report says
The
wildfires that raged last year from Paradise to Malibu made for
California’s deadliest, most destructive fire season on record. But the
eruption of blazes marked another distinction for California, as one of the
worst for the climate. In 2018, fires released more than 45 million metric tons
of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Those state emissions estimates are
highlighted in a report that a San Francisco organization released Tuesday that
identifies rising pollution from wildfires, transportation and landfills as among
the biggest obstacles standing between California and its ambitious climate
goals.
Los Angeles Times, 10-8-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
The
Real History Of Fracking: Oil, Bombs And Civil War
Over
the past twenty years, the most important and most exciting development in the
United States energy sector has been hydraulic fracturing, also referred to as
fracking. This controversial drilling technique made it possible for producers
to extract oil and natural gas from shale rock, a fine-grained, clastic
sedimentary rock, composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay and tiny
fragments of other minerals. This revelation sparked a veritable boom in U.S. crude production.
Oilprice.com, 10-9-19
DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
Tulare
County's ag industry grew, but not as fast as Fresno's exploding almond crop
A
lush bounty of pomegranates, citrus, pistachios, grapes and dairy brightened up
the Tulare County supervisors' boardroom on Tuesday. Agricultural
Commissioner/Sealer Tom Tucker said the display was a living testament to the
county's $7.2 billion ag industry during his reveal of the 2018 Tulare County
Crop and Livestock Report. But, Fresno leapfrogged Tulare and Kern counties for
the top spot this year, raking in $7.8 billion in gross value, a 12.8% increase
over 2017.
Visalia Times Delta, 10-8-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
3.4
magnitude earthquake shakes San Jose
According
to the USGS, an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 3.4 shook parts of
Santa Clara County including San Jose.
KGO (San Francisco television), 10-9-19
Magnitude
3.4 earthquake rattles South Bay
A
magnitude 3.4 earthquake rattled the South Bay early Wednesday morning,
according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The USGS said the quake hit around
2:15 a.m. roughly five miles east-northeast of Alum Rock at a depth of about
five miles. It was felt as far north as Vallejo and as far south as Salinas.
Bay Area News Group, 10-9-19
Small
magnitude 3.4 earthquake strikes Alum Rock area
A
small magnitude 3.4 earthquake struck the Alum Rock area of San Jose at 2:15
a.m. according to the USGS.
KNTV (San Jose television), 10-9-19
Determining
whether the worst earthquake has passed
When
a big earthquake occurs, it is hard to tell if it will be followed by a larger
quake or by only smaller ones. A method has been developed that aims to
distinguish between these scenarios while events are still unfolding.
Nature, 10-9-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Saddleridge fire approaches Aliso Canyon natural gas
facility, site of massive 2015 blowout
The
Saddleridge fire was burning close to the Aliso
Canyon gas facility, which was the site of the largest release of methane in
U.S. history.
Los Angeles Times, 10-11-19
Feds
open more county land for drilling
In
another stunning rebuke to California environmentalists and local officials,
the federal Bureau of Land Management on Oct. 4 approved a plan to open 789,500
acres of public lands and underground federal mineral rights across
California’s Central Coast to new oil and gas drilling. The plan
identifies specific targets in San Benito County—including areas
surrounding Pinnacles National Park.
San Benito.com, 10-10-19
Chevron
proposes to bury impacted soil from 1994 Guadalupe Oil Field leak
Chevron
is proposing a new way to dispose of impacted soil from the old Guadalupe Oil
Field, a site they have been cleaning up for more than two decades. Since 2006,
Chevron has removed nearly 70,000 truckloads of non-hazardous impacted soil and
taken it to the Santa Maria Regional Landfill. However, instead of moving more
piles to the landfill, Chevron is proposing to bury it on-site.
KSBY (San Luis Obispo television), 10-10-19
DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
Governor
signs Aguiar-Curry’s legislation to preserve small family farms,
agricultural open space
Gov.
Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill 872 by Assemblymember
Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) into law late Wednesday night. AB 872
addresses an inequity in California’s complicated property tax
reassessment laws to help save small family farms. This new
protection will ensure that if a small, family-owned farm was incorporated
prior to Prop 58, it will receive the same family heritage protections that
proposition intended.
Lake County News, 10-11-19
Tulare
County walnut growers, bombarded with tariffs, remain hopeful during harvest
After
a devastating 2018, Tulare County walnut growers are on the rebound. That's according
to longtime Visalia walnut grower Sam Sciacca who spent last Wednesday
harvesting truckloads of walnuts out of his 30-acre orchard along Lovers Lane.
Sciacca said the bottom fell out of walnut prices last year partly as a result
of a retaliatory Chinese tariff levied against U.S. walnuts. But,
Sciacca said he has reason to be optimistic this year, despite ongoing tariff
troubles, dwindling irrigation and escalating heat from climate change. That's
because walnut prices are expected to nearly double compared to last year, from
60-70 cents per pound to an estimated $1.20 per pound, according to Sciacca.
Visalia Times Delta, 10-10-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Quake
threat looms over Anderson Dam project
The
prospect of another typical winter rainy season—the third in a
row—combined with continued anxiety about the long-dormant Calaveras and
Hayward faults has public water experts accelerating their efforts to improve
the capacity and stability of Santa Clara County’s biggest body of water,
the Anderson Reservoir.
Morgan Hill Times, 10-10-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
California
wildfires are bad. Climate change will make them even worse, new study says
As
bad as wildfires have been in Northern and Central California in recent years,
another new study shows that climate change could make them even worse in the
coming years. That study, published by researchers from Brown University in the
journal Environmental Research Letters, found that “climate has been the
main driver of fire on a regional scale” in the Sierra Nevada region,
according to Richard Vachula, the study’s lead
author.
Sacramento Bee, 10-10-19
SFO
plans to surround airport with 10-mile wall to protect against rising bay
waters
Concerned
that rising waves will flood runways and buildings in the coming years,
officials at San Francisco International Airport are moving ahead with a $587
million plan to build a major new sea wall around the entire airport.
San Jose Mercury News, 10-10-19
GENERAL
EPA's
war on California (Commentary)
Trump’s
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) claims to be a friend of the states, as
it boasts loudly about its support for “cooperative federalism” and
its plans to “rebalance the power between Washington and the
states.” But its actions tell a different story.
The Hill, 10-9-19
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Can
the ground open up during a large earthquake?
We’ve all seen popular natural
disaster movies that show the ground opening up during
a large earthquake. Despite the way Hollywood depicts the destruction, the U.S.
Geological Survey says the ground can’t open up
during a large earthquake. In the spirit of debunking this myth, we’ve
decided to take a look at some other popular
earthquake myths.
KGTV (San Diego television), 10-13-19
Ghost
forest reveals clues to the Cascadia Subduction Zone’s last earthquake
The Cascadia Subduction Zone could produce
the largest earthquake the west coast has seen in decades. The last time it
went off was nearly 320 years ago. Scientists measured tree rings near the
Washington and Oregon coasts from multiple “ghost forests,” which
are areas of dead trees that have been invaded by saltwater. Scientists say the
trees were killed when the land they were growing on suddenly dropped between
six and eight feet, turning the land into a salt marsh.
KING (Seattle television), 10-11-19
LA
business owners need to be ready for a huge earthquake, or ‘you risk
losing it all,’ group says
The responsibility to protect the public
and all of your employees should there be an earthquake is inherit
to property owners and employers. And that protection can be viewed as an investment,
too. That message was the overarching theme on Thursday at a seminar held in
Downtown Los Angeles, where representatives from the Los Angeles Business
Federation, Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, Optimum
Seismic Inc. and the Southern California Association of Governments discussed a
24-page report on encouraging and creating incentives for property owners to
upgrade their buildings to make them resilient against earthquakes.
Los Angeles Daily News, 10-10-19
Will
there ever be earthquake warnings like there are with severe weather?
There is no earthquake season. The is no
earthquake alley. There are no earthquake warnings, but like weather,
scientists can issue an earthquake forecast with probabilities. One expert said
he doesn't think predicting the exact time and place for the next earthquake
will happen in his career, but he hopes science will get closer soon.
KUSA (Denver television), 10-11-19
How
to prep for the next Big Quake in one hour a day. Four days. Day one
Between red flag wildfire warnings,
electricity shutoffs and the shaky terrain we occupy, are you feeling less than
secure about how ready you are for emergencies? That’s exactly how many
of us in KQED science are feeling. We asked science reporter Peter Arcuni to lead us through a four-day prep, in one hour a
day, leading up to Thursday's 30th anniversary of the Loma Prieta
earthquake.
KQED (San Francisco TV-radio), 10-14-19
The
ground shook and buildings fell
Nearly 30 years ago, on Oct. 17, 1989, the
Masonic Temple clock tower in Hollister was frozen at 5:04 pm, the exact time
the 6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake shook the Bay Area and
Central Coast, causing massive destruction and claiming 67 lives. No Hollister
residents were killed in the quake, but the city was forever changed.
San Benito.com, 10-10-19
Like
I was sayin’: An earthquake, a World Series, 30
years of memories (Commentary)
I was a young sports editor, covering Game
3 of the World Series between the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s at
Candlestick Park. I didn’t even feel it. I heard it, but I didn’t
feel the second-biggest earthquake to hit Northern California in the past
century. Thirty years ago this week – at 5:04
p.m. Oct. 17, 1989 – the Loma Prieta earthquake
hit the Bay Area, killing 63 people and causing $6 billion of damage.
Fairfield Daily Republic, 10-13-19
DIVISION
OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Gov.
Gavin Newsom signs bill limiting oil and gas development
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday
signed a law intended to counter Trump administration plans to increase oil and
gas production on protected public land. The measure bars any California
leasing authority from allowing pipelines or other oil and gas infrastructure
to be built on state property. It makes it difficult for drilling to occur
because federally protected areas are adjacent to state-owned land.
Los Angeles Times, 10-12-19
CA Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed Uduak-Joe Ntuk to the position
"Supervisor of the Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources"
which operates under the California Department of Conservation.
Long Beach Report, 10-12-19
Gov.
Newsom taps LBCC trustee to help California transition away from fossil fuels
A Long Beach City College board member
will soon split his time between here and Sacramento to help the state become
less dependent on fossil fuels. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Saturday, Oct. 12,
that he appointed Uduak-Joe Ntuk
as the new supervisor of the Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources at
the California Department of Conservation.
Long Beach Press-Telegram, 10-14-19
DIVISION
OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
County
snuffs out farmers' plans for roadside hemp sales
Local farmers recently raised what seemed
like a simple question: Anyone growing hemp legally in Kern County ought to be
able to sell it on the side of the road just like growers of other crops,
right? The idea was never to get customers high — unlike its twin,
marijuana, hemp has very little THC and so isn't psychoactive. But consumers
could still buy and smoke the stuff as a tobacco alternative, as they do in
other parts of the country.
Bakersfield
Californian, 10-14-19
Pistachio
production, revenues on the rise in Kern
If pistachios were a football team —
and sometimes it does seem like they compete against almonds — they would
be climbing the tree-nut power rankings. Due partly to an exceptional 2018
harvest, pistachios surged two places last year to seize the No. 3 spot in
Kern's ranking of top-grossing crops. They came in just behind almonds and
table grapes, the county's sales leader.
Bakersfield
Californian, 10-11-19
CLIMATE
CHANGE
Close
to home: Finding local solutions for global climate change (Commentary)
In February, the Santa Rosa City Council
made addressing climate change a tier one priority and appointed our first
climate action subcommittee. Over the past few months, we have begun advancing
significant policy changes aimed at building a more efficient and resilient
city. If Santa Rosa is going to meet the challenge, we need to focus our
efforts in four categories: transportation, energy-efficient buildings, solid
waste reduction and carbon sequestration.
Santa Rosa Press Democrat, 10-13-19
Russian
scientists say they've found the highest-ever 'flares' of methane in Arctic
waters
Russian
scientists studying Arctic waters found the most powerful ever methane jets
shooting up from the seabed to the water's surface, they said Friday. Igor Semiletov, the chief scientist aboard a vessel carrying 65
scientists on a 40-day research voyage, told CNN via satellite phone that he
found amounts of methane in the air over the East Siberian Sea up to nine times
the global average.
CNN, 10-12-2019
Ocean
overlooked when it comes to climate change (Commentary)
A
growing majority of Americans now understand and accept the scientific basis of
climate change: The carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases we release
into the atmosphere are making our planet warmer and our weather more
destructive. Here in California we are painfully aware that the risk of
wildfires, drought and more powerful storms comes hand in hand with climate
change. But there’s another side of the issue that gets too little
attention. It’s the story of how, for decades, the ocean has been quietly
defending us against the full impacts of climate change.
San Francisco Chronicle, 10-11-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND
GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
New
Chevron Crude Spills Emerge in Kern County Oil Field
Thousands
of gallons of crude petroleum began spouting out of the ground near a part of
Chevron's steam injection well network in a Kern County oil field over the
weekend, prompting a new cleanup effort and state response. The two new spills,
one of which covered the length of two football fields, are in the northwestern
portion of the Cymric Oil Field, in the same area where a larger uncontrolled release of
234,000 gallons of oil has taken place since August.
KQED (San Francisco TV-Radio), 10-15-19
Lithium
will fuel the clean energy boom. This company may have a breakthrough
Gaze across the Salton Sea, a sparkling
oasis in the California desert, and you’ll see white plumes of steam
rising against the hazy Chocolate Mountains. The steam comes from 11 geothermal
power plants, nestled between the accidental lake and the verdant farm fields
of the Imperial Valley. The geothermal plants could soon contribute to
California’s war against climate change in a new way: by producing
lithium, a key ingredient in batteries that power electric cars and store solar
power for use after dark.
Los Angeles Times, 10-14-19
Saddleridge
fire: No methane leaks from Aliso Canyon gas facility, officials say
Tests conducted over the weekend at the
Aliso Canyon gas facility showed no detectable levels of methane in the wake of
a large wildfire that has charred a 7,900-acre swath in the hills of the
northern San Fernando Valley.
Los Angeles Times, 10-14-19
Saddleridge
fire now 45% contained, day after flames pop up at Aliso Canyon natural-gas
facility
Firefighters had blocked the Saddleridge fire’s path on 45% of its perimeter by
Tuesday morning, a slight uptick from the night before as they push for full
contain of the Sylmar-area blaze that has gobbled up 8,391 acres so far.
On Monday,
flames were seen at the Aliso Canyon natural gas facility north of Porter
Ranch, firefighters said, as the facility’s workers spotted “an
active flame” burning in a four-by-four-foot area of soil on the SoCalGas
property that had to be extinguished. SoCalGas said none of its equipment was
damaged. And no methane leaked out, according to the Los Angeles Fire
Department.
Los Angeles Daily News, 10-15-19
DIVISION
OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
East
Bay water district considers buying giant cattle ranch that straddles four
counties
The
Alameda County Water District is considering shelling out $72 million for a
fourth-generation, 50,500-acre cattle ranch — touted as the largest
potential land sale in the state — to preserve water quality, officials
say. Much of the property lies in watersheds that feed into critical water
supply facilities for millions of Bay Area residents, including Lake Del Valle,
Calaveras Reservoir and Alameda Creek.
Bay Area News Group, 10-14-19
Cannabis-related bills signed into law by
California Gov. Gavin Newsom are significant steps in both providing marijuana
businesses with the ability to write off business costs on state tax returns as
well as normalizing cannabis as an agriculture commodity for cultivators.
Marijuana Business, 10-15-19
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
4.5
quake in Pleasant Hill felt throughout Bay Area
A 4.5 earthquake centered in Pleasant Hill
rocked the San Francisco Bay Area on Monday night. The quake struck at 10:33
p.m. and was felt sharply throughout central Contra Costa County. The U.S.
Geological Survey reported that the earthquake was felt as far as Chico to the
north, Lake Tahoe to the east and Fresno to the south.
San Francisco Chronicle, 10-15-19
San
Francisco Bay Area rattled by 4.5 earthquake, followed by more aftershocks
A magnitude 4.5 earthquake was felt widely
in the San Francisco Bay Area at 10:33 p.m. Monday, with the epicenter in the
Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill areas. Moderate shaking was felt in the Pleasant
Hill, Walnut Creek and Concord areas, an intensity that can overturn unsecured
objects, such as books and picture frames, and is capable of breaking dishes or
windows. Weak shaking was felt in San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose,
according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Los Angeles Times, 10-15-19
Magnitude
4.5 earthquake shakes San Francisco Bay area days before Loma Prieta anniversary
A magnitude 4.5 earthquake in the San
Francisco Bay Area Monday evening rattled residents, mere days before the 30th
anniversary of one of the most dangerous earthquakes in the area's history. The
quake occurred at 10:33 p.m., with the epicenter in Pleasant Hill and Walnut
Creek, just over 25 miles from San Francisco, according to the U.S. Geological
Survey.
USA Today, 10-15-19
Magnitude
4.5 quake jolts East Bay
Just before bedtime for some and well
after it for others, one of the biggest East Bay earthquakes in years jolted
residents, an event that experts said Tuesday should serve to be a wake-up call
for everyone. The magnitude 4.5 quake hit late Monday amid a small swarm of
quakes in the area, U.S. Geological Survey officials said Tuesday morning.
Bay Area News Group, 10-14-19
Pleasant
Hill earthquake jolts memories of 1989 Loma Prieta
temblor
Just
days before the 30th anniversary of the Loma Prieta
earthquake, a 4.5 magnitude temblor and more than two dozen aftershocks early
Tuesday brought back memories for many of that deadly and destructive 1989
October afternoon. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the 2.5 quake
struck at 10:23 p.m. Monday about a mile south of Pleasant Hill, near I-680,
and was followed nearly 10 minutes later by the 4.5 temblor. Since that time,
the USGS was recorded more than two dozen aftershocks ranging from 2.1 to 1.0.
CBS San Francisco, 10-15-19
Grand
Jury report raises alarms about water security following an earthquake
First
the electrical grid, now the water supply is being identified as one of the
necessities of modern life that may be at risk in case of disaster. The
2018-2019 Sonoma County Grand Jury report, issued in July, addresses several
areas of concern that county residents and governments should be aware of, and
prepare for. One of them is found in the “water report,” a 17-page
document that poses the question, “Will there be water after an
earthquake?”
Sonoma Index-Tribune, 10-14-19
Prepping
for the Next Big Quake, One Hour a Day. Four Days. Day Two
Between
red flag wildfire warnings, electricity shutoffs and the shaky terrain we
occupy, which manifested in a magnitude 4.5 quake in
the East Bay Monday night, are you feeling less than secure about how ready you
are for emergencies? That’s exactly how many of us in KQED Science are
feeling. So we asked science reporter Peter Arcuni to lead us through a four-day prep, devoting just
one hour of time per day, leading up to Thursday's 30th anniversary of the Loma
Prieta earthquake.
KQED (San Francisco TV-radio), 10-14-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
County
Supervisors pass resolution opposing Trump Administration’s oil drilling
and fracking
Santa
Barbara County Supervisors on Tuesday approved and adopted a resolution
"opposing the leasing of federal public lands in Santa Barbara County for
oil and gas development as part of the Bureau of Land Management's Resource
Management Plan." The resolution was sponsored by First District Supervisor
Gregg Hart in response to the Trump administration’s plan to open more
than 1 million acres of lands throughout the coastal and interior regions of
central California to new oil drilling and fracking.
Santa Barbara Noozhawk, 10-15-19
Opinion:
No fracking on our public land
This
matter concerns an attempt to foist on us oil leasing and hydraulic fracturing
in 1.6 million acres of our federally-protected public
lands here on the Central Coast. The entire Trump Administration scheme to
frack here is in pursuit of short-term profit for a few, and more oil and gas
than we need or can ever safely use.
Santa Barbara Edhat, 10-15-19
Study
linking fracking to Permian Basin earthquakes stirs public debate
A
new study from the University of Texas at Austin blames hydraulic fracturing
for causing some earthquakes in the Permian Basin of West Texas, dispelling the
widely held view that oilfield wastewater disposals wells were solely
responsible for the man-made tremors.
Houston Chronicle, 10-15-19
Flames
near SoCalGas Aliso Canyon facility spark concern after Saddle Ridge Fire
Days
after the Saddle Ridge Fire raged through the area, a small blaze burned near
the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility - the site of a massive gas leak
in 2015. The
company said there have been no new gas leaks and there was no damage to the
facility. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
KABC (Los
Angeles television), 10-15-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
One
of the many unanswered questions in earthquake science is how earthquakes grow,
and whether predicting the final magnitude of an earthquake is possible when it
is still small and developing. A new comprehensive study of almost 100,000
earthquakes in Japan suggests that large or small, quakes look alike in the
first 0.2 seconds.
Temblor, 10-14-19
Second
earthquake felt across Northern California; 4.7 temblor hits near Hollister
A
magnitude 4.7 earthquake hit the Hollister area in San Benito County Tuesday,
hours after the San Francisco Bay Area was rattled by a 4.5 temblor in the East
Bay’s Contra Costa County 100 miles away.
Los Angeles Times, 10-15-19
Did
Pleasant Hill quake trigger fuel tank explosion in Crockett? It’s one
possibility
An
explosion at an oil storage facility in Crockett on Tuesday afternoon sent a
huge fireball into the air in west Contra Costa County, shaking buildings and
rattling windows for miles around and igniting a fire that burned for hours.
Officials were investigating whether the explosion was triggered by a 4.5 quake
that struck Pleasant Hill in the central part of the county 15 hours earlier.
San Francisco Chronicle, 10-16-19
In
California, hidden earthquake faults lie beneath us — some very dangerous
The
earthquakes that shook Northern California over the past two days were a
surprise to geologists in only one way — one of them ruptured an area in
Contra Costa County where no faults had been detected before.
San Francisco Chronicle, 10-15-19
Towers
in earthquake country — designers say the new ones are safe to their core
Jack
Moehle, a professor of structural engineering at UC
Berkeley, helped craft the guidelines for what is known as performance-based
seismic design. In simple terms — and little about the design of tall
buildings is simple — performance-based design concentrates the seismic strength
of a tower in its spine, the central core. “There is no doubt in my mind
that these buildings are much safer, in so many ways, than what came before
them,” said Mark Schwettmann, a design director
in the San Francisco office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.
Sa Francisco Chronicle, 10-15-19
Bay
Area earthquakes struck on unusual section of San Andreas fault
The
magnitude 4.7 earthquake Tuesday east of Monterey Bay hit on a unique section
of the San Andreas fault that has long generated interest from scientists.
Tuesday’s quake occurred along a section that is notable for not having
had dramatically large earthquakes in the modern historical record.
Los Angeles Times,
4.7-Magnitude
earthquake strikes near Hollister hours after Bay Area quake
A
magnitude-4.7 earthquake struck a remote area of Central California on Tuesday.
But a seismologist said there was no connection to a slightly smaller quake
hours earlier in the San Francisco Bay region.
KTLA (Los Angeles television), 10-15-19
Seismologists
weigh in on Bay Area earthquake, 26 aftershocks follow
A
magnitude 4.5 earthquake rocked the Bay Area Monday night, the largest temblor
to strike the region in five years. Three foreshocks preceded the quake (the
largest measuring 2.5) and 26 aftershocks followed, according to Keith Knudsen,
deputy director of the USGS Earthquake Science Center in Menlo Park.
San Francisco Chronicle, 10-15-19
Thirty
years after the Loma Prieta earthquake, a look at
what has changed in the Bay Area
The
Loma Prieta earthquake rocked the Bay Area 30 years
ago on Thursday, but the effects of the 6.9-magnitude shock are still evident
to this day. The lessons learned from Loma Prieta
strengthened building codes that will help ensure fewer lives will be lost
during our next seismic event and remind us that “the big one” is
not a possibility but an inevitability, calling on us to make the necessary
preparations.
San Francisco Business Times, 10-14-19
The
epicenter: Rediscovered photos show Loma Prieta
quake’s Santa Cruz devastation
While
the TV cameras focused on San Francisco and Oakland, the destruction wrought by
the Loma Prieta earthquake spread through communities
far to the south. As the 30th anniversary of the quake approaches, a search
through our photo archive turned up dozens of dramatic photos — most
never published — from the aftermath of the quake in Santa Cruz and
Watsonville.
San Francisco Chronicle, 10-16-19
Bay
Area earthquakes are latest warning of destructive seismic danger in East Bay
Two
moderate earthquakes in Northern California 100 miles from each other in less
than 15 hours unnerved the Bay Area just days before the 30th anniversary of
the Loma Prieta earthquake. Monday’s
quake was the latest reminder that seismic forces put the East Bay at high risk
of a major earthquake, including from the dangerous Hayward fault, which runs
along heavily populated areas.
Los Angeles Times, 10-15-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
SFO
to spend more than $1 billion to hold back the bay
Building
airports on low, flat, somewhat isolated coastal areas with good visibility
made sense at one time, but not so much now that sea level rise is a serious
threat. As government officials around the world look for ways to protect their
coastlines against the effects of climate change in the decades to come,
planners at San Francisco International are moving ahead with a proposal to
build a 10-mile-long seawall around the facility to protect it from the rising
waters of San Francisco Bay.
San Francisco
Chronicle, 10-15-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
San
Diego company says it can extract lithium from geothermal brine
Lithium-ion
batteries are central to modern life; from mobile phones to electric vehicles.
But the United States lacks a major source of lithium. That could change,
thanks to research being conducted on the shores of the Salton Sea. A San
Diego-based company says it's come up with a way to remove lithium from
geothermal brine, as reported in the Los Angeles Times.
KPBS (San Diego television), 10-16-19
How
Elizabeth Warren could 'vaporize' America's oil boom
Elizabeth
Warren doesn't just pose a threat to Wall Street. Her rising 2020 polling
numbers are also striking fear in the heart of Big Oil. Warren's aggressive
plan for fighting the climate crisis could have profound consequences for the
oil and gas industry. Although an outright fracking ban seems unlikely to get
through Congress and the courts, such a move would halt America's historic
shale oil boom in its tracks, drive up gasoline prices, threaten good-paying
jobs and make the nation more dependent on foreign oil.
CNN, 10-17-19
State
officials on Wednesday shut down the Contra Costa County fuel storage facility
whose tanks caught fire until it can be determined that operations can safely
continue.
San Francisco Chronicle, 10-16-19
Santa
Barbara County takes a stand against BLM’s oil, gas leasing plan on a
split vote
A
resolution opposing a U.S. Bureau of Land Management plan to open public lands
to oil and gas leases in eight counties was approved Tuesday by the Santa Barbara
County Board of Supervisors, but with only three members supporting it.
Santa Maria Times, 10-16-19
Governor
signs Muratsuchi’s bill to help California fight fracking, drilling
Gov.
Gavin Newsom on Oct. 12 signed Assemblymember Al
Muratsuchi’s (D-Torrance) Assembly Bill 342, one of several bills to move
California away from fossil fuels. This bill will help California fight the
Trump Administration’s plan to frack and drill for oil in national and
state parks and other federal protected lands by prohibiting new pipelines and
other infrastructure on state lands that would support new oil and gas
production.
Rafu Shimpo, 10-16-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Earthquake
warning app will give anyone in California the chance to prepare
On
Thursday, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services will
unveil an app created by UC Berkeley that will give all Californians who
download it on iOS and Android phones the chance to get earthquake early
warnings from any corner of the state. Authorities will also begin issuing
quake early warnings through the Wireless Emergency Alerts system, offering
text message alerts even for people who have not downloaded the app.
Los Angeles Times, 10-17-19
California
earthquake alerts system debuts statewide
Earthquake
early warning alerts became publicly available throughout California on
Thursday, the Governor's Office of Emergency Services said. The system's
statewide debut coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake that ravaged the San Francisco Bay area
on Oct. 17, 1989, as well as the annual Great Shakeout safety drill.
KPBS (San Diego television), 10-16-19
Starting
Thursday, California will send earthquake warning alerts to cell phones
On
the 30th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake,
California plans to introduce an early-warning earthquake system with the
ambitious agenda of buzzing the cell phones of anyone in a danger zone.
San Francisco Chronicle, 10-17-19
Thirty
years after Loma Prieta, is San Francisco ready for
the next ‘big one?’
Striking
just days before the 30th anniversary of the Loma Prieta
earthquake — a magnitude 6.9 temblor that killed 63 people on October 17,
1989 — the string of seismic events beginning Monday night provided a
reminder of the very real threat earthquakes present for the region. Still, the
question remains: 30 years later, are San Francisco and its residents more
prepared for the next “big one?”
San Francisco Examiner, 10-16-19
What
four USGS seismologists are doing to prepare for the 'Big One' in the Bay Area
Being
prepared is a common theme among scientists who study earthquakes and the four
SFGATE talked to all offered specific advice that's helpful to anyone in the
earthquake-prone Bay Area.
San Francisco Chronicle, 10-17-19
Magnitude
3.6 earthquake strikes near Pinnacles, CA
The
United States Geological Survey reports a preliminary magnitude 3.6 earthquake
struck near Pinnacles, CA on Thursday.
San Francisco Chronicle, 10-17-19
Loma
Prieta quake: ‘It can seem like
yesterday’
Everyone
thought it was the Big One. Windows shattering, buildings exploding into
flames, the horrifically collapsed Cypress Structure — how could the Loma
Prieta earthquake feel like anything other than that
back when it hit at 5:04 p.m. on Oct. 17, 1989? Turned out that 6.9 magnitude
wasn’t quite what seismologists had been warning about for decades. But
it was bad enough. For
those of us who lived it, it’s much more than pictures and numbers. Close
your eyes and think back just a bit, and it can seem like yesterday.
San Francisco Chronicle, 10-17-19
California
to unveil earthquake alert system Thursday
Scientists
cannot yet predict when the next deadly earthquake will strike, but emergency
response authorities in California plan to unveil the first statewide quake
warning system Thursday, which marks the 30th anniversary of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
NPR, 10-16-2019
WATER
State
letter chides SLO County for diminished role of agriculture in groundwater plan
The
California State Board of Food and Agriculture called out San Luis Obispo
County in a letter expressing concern about irrigated agriculture's
"limited" involvement in crafting groundwater plans over the Paso
Robles basin.
New Times, 10-17-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
California's
outages show how climate change and corporate accountability are entangled
After
millions of people in California were left in the dark last week when Pacific
Gas & Electric, the giant utility company that provides service to much of
the state, preventatively shut off power to avoid possible wildfires, the
conversation quickly turned political. Public officials’ rush to condemn
C-suite decisions was the latest sign of how intertwined conversations around
corporate influence and climate change have become — and how climate
activists have adopted populist language in recent years.
Time, 10-17-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
New
oil leaks surface at Chevron operation near McKittrick
A
pair of oil leaks that opened up last weekend near
McKittrick are the latest indications of the challenges facing Chevron as it
works to come into compliance with recent state rules prohibiting uncontrolled
releases of crude and water known as surface expressions.
Bakersfield
Californian, 10-17-19
Despite
their promises, giant energy companies burn away vast amounts of natural gas
When
leaders from Exxon Mobil and BP gathered last month with other fossil-fuel
executives to declare they were serious about climate change, they cited
progress in curbing an energy-wasting practice called flaring — the
intentional burning of natural gas as companies drill faster than pipelines can
move the energy away. But in recent years, some of these same companies have
significantly increased their flaring, as well as the venting of natural gas
and other potent greenhouse gases directly into the atmosphere, according to
data from the three largest shale-oil fields in the United States.
New
York Times, 10-16-19
Colorado
fracking study shows toxic chemicals up to 2,000 feet away from drilling sites
Data
from a Colorado study finds that people living near oil and gas fracking sites
may have heightened risk of nose bleeds, dizziness, headaches and other
short-term health effects, according to The Denver Post.
Newsweek, 10-17-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Newsom
unveils nation's first earthquake warning system for public
Three
decades after the deadly Loma Prieta quake ravaged
Northern California, California Gov. Gavin Newsom Thursday unveiled the
nation’s first comprehensive early warning system for earthquakes,
calling it a cutting edge effort “the likes of
which no country in the world has advanced."
Politico, 10-17-19
Unprecedented
movement detected on California earthquake fault capable of 8.0 temblor
A
major California fault capable of producing a magnitude 8 earthquake has begun
moving for the first time on record, a result of this year’s Ridgecrest
earthquake sequence destabilizing nearby faults, Caltech scientists say in a
new study released in the journal Science on Thursday.
Los Angeles Times, 10-17-19
Magnitude
3.7 quake hits Hollister area; third this week
The
Hollister area was rocked by its third earthquake so far this week when a
magnitude 3.7 quake jolted residents south of Gilroy Thursday morning, according
to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The Mercury News, 10-17-19
Thirty
years after the Loma Prieta earthquake rocked the San
Francisco Bay Area, killing 63 people, scientists have a chilling reminder:
that quake was just a warm up. The disaster
prompted an explosion of research in the Bay Area and a lot of science-based
predictions about what will happen when the "real big one" hits.
David Schwartz, geologist emeritus with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS),
describes the Bay Area as a "tectonic time bomb."
KGO (San Francisco television), 10-17-19
Cell
phone earthquake early warning system goes live in California
California
on Thursday — the 30th anniversary of the Loma Prieta
Earthquake — became the first state in the nation to roll out a statewide
earthquake early warning system. Years in the making, the system is based on
hundreds of sensors across the state that measure ground motion. The idea is to
provide from a few seconds to 30 seconds of warning so people can get away from
things that might fall on them, pull their vehicle to the side of the road or
reduce the risk of injury in other ways.
Bay Area News Group, 10-17-19
How
Loma Prieta changed earthquake science
For
so many of us, memories of the Loma Prieta quake
crystallized around Candlestick Park, where Game 3 of the 1989 A's-Giants World
Series was about to begin. Beyond the public eye, away from the news teams,
plenty more was going on. What happened there in the days, months and years
following Oct. 17, 1989 would rewrite our understanding of how the ground moves
and what we need to do to stay safe.
KQED (San Francisco TV/radio), 10-17-19
Geologists
tout lessons learned from Ridgecrest quakes
In
a study published Thursday in the journal Science, a team of researchers
analyzed the most comprehensive and detailed data gathered on an earthquake
sequence of this size. Based on data from orbiting radar satellites and
ground-based seismometers, researchers built a distinct picture of an
earthquake rupture far more complex than previous models could predict.
Courthouse News Service, 10-17-19
DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
New
groundwater law will have significant impact on Valley farmers starting in 2020
The
new year will bring new concerns over how much water farmers, cities, and
school districts will be able to pump out of the ground. A groundwater
sustainability plan drawn up during the California drought will take effect in
January, which will set new limits on how much groundwater can be pumped out of
wells. The impact of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, or SGMA, will
be significant. Hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland are expected to be
fallowed as a result of the new law.
KFSN
(Fresno television), 10-17-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
What
climate change will do to three major American cities by 2100
Climate
change is already here. We
know from the increasingly apocalyptic warnings being issued by the United
Nations that it will only get worse. But these early omens of our unstable,
hot, wet future can be difficult to wrap our heads around. Climate change will
look different in different places across the world, but we chose three places
with distinct geographic concerns and climate vulnerabilities—to ground
all the ominous statistics and headlines in a real sense of place.
Quartz, 10-18-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
The
Earthquake Effect: Here's what cities are doing to keep you safe
On
a clear, warm September day, up on the 62nd floor of Salesforce Tower, which is
the highest you can go in an elevator from the ground floor of the building,
the 360 degree view of San Francisco is stunning. It
is the tallest office building west of the Mississippi, and the man who led the
team that built it is remarkably chipper from his overnight flight back from
the Middle East where he was consulting on another skyscraper.
KGO (San Francisco TV/radio), 10-17-19
A
magnitude 3.1 earthquake was reported early Sunday, at 12:30 a.m., 28 miles
from Arcata, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The earthquake
occurred 33 miles from Fortuna, 34 miles from Eureka, 34 miles from
McKinleyville and 54 miles from Redding.
Los Angeles Times, 10-20-19
3.3
quake shakes near Palm Springs
A
magnitude 3.3 earthquake was reported Friday afternoon at 5:56 p.m. less than a
mile from Palm Springs, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The earthquake
occurred three miles from Desert Hot Springs, seven miles from Cathedral City,
and 11 miles from Banning and Rancho Mirage.
Los Angeles Times, 10-18-19
Photos
show humpback whales breaching, possibly reacting to 4.7 magnitude earthquake
near Hollister
Tourists
aboard a boat off Moss Landing got a whale of a show seconds after the
Hollister area had a 4.7 magnitude earthquake. Seven humpback whales suddenly
breached in unison, surprising even a naturalist on the boat. Photos taken by
the owner of Blue Ocean Whale Watch will be a valuable tool for researchers to
learn more about how whales react to earthquakes.
KGO (San Francisco TV/radio), 10-17-19
3.8
quake hits near Ridgecrest, Calif.
A
magnitude 3.8 earthquake was reported Thursday evening at 10:34 p.m., six miles
from Ridgecrest, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The
earthquake occurred 34 miles from California City, 63 miles from Tehachapi and
66 miles from Barstow.
Los Angeles Times, 10-17-19
California’s
earthquake warning app: how it works and what comes next
Seconds
before an earthquake hits anywhere in California, people nearby will now get a
warning on their smartphones to duck and cover. The first state-wide early
warning system in the nation launched today, on the 30th anniversary of the
devastating Loma Prieta earthquake that killed 63
people in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The Verge.com, 10-17-19
Thousands
of This Type of Building Still at Risk of Collapse in Bay Area Earthquake
Beyond
the collapse of the Bay Bridge, some of the most enduring images of the 1989
Loma Prieta earthquake came out of San
Francisco’s Marina and Mission districts, where buildings were destroyed,
fires erupted and rescue dogs were brought in to sniff
the rubble for the missing.
KQED (San Francisco TV/radio), 10-18-19
The
Bay Area’s biggest earthquakes
It’s
been 30 years since the Loma Prieta
earthquake, and Bay Area fault lines decided to take note of the
anniversary with a string of regional quakes that
served as a timely reminder that the state’s
geological clock is still ticking. While most people know the harrowing tales
of the city’s 1906 and 1989 shakeups, the area’s more
obscure yet significant quakes often go overlooked.
Curbed San Francisco, 10-18-19
3.3-magnitude
earthquake reported north of Palm Springs
A
3.3-magnitude earthquake struck north of Palm Springs on Friday evening,
according to the United States Geological Survey. The temblor was reported at
5:56 p.m. near Windy Point, according to the USGS.
Palm Springs Desert Sun, 10-18-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND
GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
A
group of Porter Ranch-area residents gathered in downtown Los Angeles Thursday
night, part of a string of protests demanding that leaders shut down the Aliso
Canyon natural gas storage facility. The fact that there’s a
protest isn’t really a new thing.
They’ve happened frequently in the four years since the largest natural
gas leak in the nation’s history happened there in October 2015, spewing
more than 100,000 metric tons of methane into the air, forcing thousands to
flee their homes.
Los Angeles Newspaper Group, 10-18-19
Newsom
appoints two top oil and gas regulators, including a former Chevron staffer
On
October 12, Governor Gavin Newsom appointed David Shabazian
as the new director of the Department of Conservation, and Uduak-Joe
Ntuk — a former Chevron staffer — as the
new division supervisor, which operates under the Department of Conservation
umbrella.
Indybay.org, 10-20-19
Craig
Galanti was leaving his home last Friday night, Oct.
11, with his wife and son after authorities issued mandatory evacuations for
his Porter Ranch community during the Saddleridge
fire. He watched as a glow of flames from the blaze painted the horizon orange.
He couldn’t help but have a sense of déjà vu. Nearly four
years ago he was ordered to evacuate his home after a geyser of gas began
releasing methane from the ground at the Aliso Canyon storage field. Just like
in 2015, his family hadn’t received any notification about potential
risks of a leaking well catching fire or exposure to hazardous levels of
toxins.
Los Angeles Newspaper Group, 10-19-19
Aera
Energy plans for Cat Canyon oil drilling wells meets opposition
Plans
by an energy company to reduce the number of oil drilling wells in a proposed
Cat Canyon project received mostly negative reaction from some local
environmental groups. Aera Energy is seeking county approval to drill
wells for oil extraction, and announced Friday it was
lowering the count from a proposed 296 wells down to 185, a 36% reduction.
KCOY (Santa Barbara television), 10-18-19
New
leaks spring up at Chevron oil operation near McKittrick
Just
a few weeks after Chevron was fined by the state for oil leaks in the
McKittrick area, two new leaks sprung up last weekend. According to state
records, two new leaks opened up in the Cymric Oil
Field on Sunday, spilling nearly 2,000 barrels of material, including 232
barrels of crude oil, into a dry stream bed.
KGET (Bakersfield television), 10-18-19
Aera
Energy cuts proposed number of Cat Canyon oil wells by 100
Aera
Energy announced it has reduced the number of wells in its proposed East Cat Canyon Oil Field Redevelopment
Project from 296 to 189, which represents a 36% reduction from its previous
request.
Santa Maria Times, 10-18-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
Booming
Green Power Not Enough to Meet Climate Targets, IEA Says
Electricity
capacity from renewable energy is set to expand by as much as 50% in the next
five years, bolstered by government support and falling costs. But more would
be needed to slow down warming of the globe, the International Energy Agency
said.
Bloomberg News, 10-20-19
Newsom
declared the state should spend more on climate change. It ignited a firestorm
California
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent executive order on transportation spending
— directing the state to put more money toward its climate goals —
aimed to be bold, timely and environmentally conscious. But like other policy
statements the governor has made on transportation, it caused an uproar. Fury
and confusion unspooled for weeks among Democrats and Republicans, even as
state officials tried to assuage everyone’s concerns.
San Francisco Chronicle, 10-18-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND
GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
California
ditched coal. The gas company is worried it’s next
Every
day, millions of Californians burn a planet-warming fossil fuel to cook dinner,
stay warm or take a hot shower. Persuading people to stop using that fuel,
natural gas, is shaping up to be the next act in California’s war on
climate change.
Los Angeles Times, 10-22-19
Aera
Energy Scales Back Cat Canyon Oil Drilling Plan by 100 Wells, or 36%
A
company seeking to restart oil production in East Cat Canyon in the North
County has scaled back its proposal, but opponents say they still have
concerns about the project's environmental impacts. Instead of 296 wells, Aera Energy has reduced its East Cat Canyon Oil Field Redevelopment Project proposal
to 185 wells for the 2,100 acres approximately seven miles southeast of Santa
Maria.
Santa Barbara Noozhawk,
10-21-19
Environmental
Groups Continue To Oppose Aera’s Cat Canyon Oil
Project
Santa
Barbara County and the public are still waiting for complete information
regarding Aera’s proposed change to its massive Cat Canyon oil project.
Based on information released thus far, it is clear that the
project will still cause unacceptable risks and impacts to the environment and
public health and safety.
Environmental Defense Center via Santa
Barbara EdHat, 10-21-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
There's
a quake every three minutes in California - here's why we still don't buy quake
insurance
Scientists
tell us earthquakes strike every three minutes in California -- though most of
them are so weak we can't feel them, enough are so big we can't forget them.
So, does living through a quake drive us to buy earthquake insurance? Not so
much.
KGO (San Francisco TV/radio), 10-21-19
WATER
Trump
rewrites Delta rules to pump more California water to Valley. Will Newsom fight
it?
President
Donald Trump’s administration rolled out an aggressive plan Tuesday to ship more water from the
Delta to farmers in the San Joaquin Valley, a move that’s
certain to trigger lawsuits by environmentalists concerned about endangered
fish species. The move, fulfilling vows Trump made as a candidate and as
president, potentially sets up another confrontation with California officials.
Sacramento Bee, 10-22-19
The
World Can Make More Water From the Sea, but at What
Cost?
Desalinated
seawater is the lifeblood of Saudi Arabia, no more so than at King Abdullah
University of Science and Technology, an international research center that
rose from the dry, empty desert a decade ago. Produced from water from the
adjacent Red Sea that is forced through salt-separating membranes, it is piped
into the campus’s gleaming lab buildings and the shops, restaurants and
cookie-cutter homes of the surrounding planned neighborhoods.
New York Times, 10-22-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND
GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
L.A.
City Councilman John Lee calls for review of Aliso Canyon investigations
Los
Angeles City Councilman John Lee called this week for a report that details the
findings of the regulatory investigations of the Aliso Canyon underground
natural gas storage facility and the actions that have been taken since a 2015
blowout led to the largest-known human-caused release of methane in U.S.
history.
Los Angeles City News Service, 10-23-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Loma
Prieta’s 30th anniversary greeted by a few
small quakes
Peninsula
residents who felt small jolts from earthquakes originating in the East Bay and
in San Benito County this week may have gotten a small taste of what it might
have been like to experience the Loma Prieta
earthquake that shook the Bay Area 30 years ago today.
San Mateo Times, 10-17-19
MINING
Rio
Tinto Studying Ways to Produce Lithium From Waste Rock
at California Mine
Rio
Tinto Plc is studying ways to extract lithium from waste rock at a mine it
controls in California, making it the latest company trying to produce the
battery metal in the United States for the fast-growing electric vehicle
market.
Reuters, 10-22-19
A
'eureka moment': Rio Tinto strikes lithium while looking for gold
Australian
mining giant Rio Tinto has revealed it will launch a pilot program in
California for the production of lithium, a key ingredient in electric car
batteries, in a move the company says could make it the top producer of
battery-grade lithium in the United States.
Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald,
10-23-19
DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE
PROTECTION
Foster
Farms Acquires 19 New Ranches; Organic, Free-Range Expansion Planned
It’s
a done deal after nearly a year of wrangling over the assets of Zacky Farms. Livingston-based Foster Farms has completed
the acquisition of 19 poultry ranches in the Central Valley, purchased as part
of Zacky Farms’ bankruptcy settlement
proceedings, says the company in a statement released this month.
Fresno Business Journal, 10-22-19
WATER
Editorial:
Newsom must not cave to Trump on Delta water safeguards
The
Trump administration this week continued its assault on the California environment,
this time undermining decade-old protections for the Sacramento-San Joaquin
River Delta. New politically driven environmental findings announced Tuesday
are designed to enable the shipping of more water to Southern California
farmers, endangering the health of the Delta and threatening native fish that
are on the brink of extinction.
Bay Area News Group, 10-23-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
A
Taste of the Climate Apocalypse to Come
At
the beginning of October, my kids’ preschool informed me that it might be
closed the next day because of rolling blackouts — a radical new effort
by our local power utility in Northern California to avoid sparking wildfires.
ProPublica, 10-22-19
Justice
Dept. Sues California to Stop Climate Initiative From
Extending to Canada
he
Trump administration took another legal shot at California on Wednesday, suing
to block part of the state’s greenhouse gas reduction program and limit
its ability to take international leadership in curbing planet warming
emissions. In a lawsuit filed in the Eastern District of California, the
Justice Department said that a regional system created by California’s
air resources board, which caps planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions but lets corporations trade emissions credits within that cap,
was unlawful because it included Quebec, Canada.
New York Times, 10-23-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Supreme
Court allows states to sue oil companies over climate change
The
U.S. Supreme Court let government officials press ahead with three lawsuits
that accuse more than a dozen oil and gas companies of contributing to climate
change. Without comment or published dissent, the high court Tuesday refused to
block a lawsuit by Baltimore while companies try to shift it from Maryland
state court into federal court, where businesses tend to fare better.
Individual justices then rejected similar requests in cases from Rhode Island
and Colorado.
World Oil, 10-23-19
4
years later, still no Aliso Canyon shutdown. But activists, residents are still
demanding it
A
group of Porter Ranch-area residents and activists gathered outside the Aliso
Canyon Natural Gas Storage Facility Wednesday to mark the four-year anniversary
of a gas leak that forced thousands of people from their homes and became the
largest methane release in U.S. history.
Los Angeles City News, 10-23-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
More
Than 500 Years Ago Leonardo da Vinci Designed An
Earthquake-Proof Bridge
In
1502 Italian Renaissance polymath Leonardo da Vinci sent a letter
to the Ottoman sultan Bayezid II, offering his service as an engineer. The
sultan was seeking proposals for a bridge to connect his capital with the
former Genoese settlement of Galata — modern Karakoy
— across the Golden Horn waterway, a river inlet of the Bosphorus in Istanbul, modern Turkey.
Forbes, 10-23-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
Trump
administration sues California over cap-and-trade agreement with Quebec
The
federal government sued California on Wednesday over its effort to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, taking aim at the cap-and-trade program as the Trump
administration seeks to wrest back control of climate change policy in the
United States.
San Francisco Chronicle, 10-23-19
Trump
Administration to Begin Official Withdrawal From Paris
Climate Accord
The
Trump administration is preparing the formal withdrawal of the United States
from the Paris Agreement on climate change, according to three people briefed on
the matter, a long expected move that nevertheless
remains a powerful signal to the world.
New York Times, 10-23-19
How
to Halt Global Warming for $300 Billion
$300
billion. That’s the money needed to stop the rise in greenhouse gases and
buy up to 20 years of time to fix global warming, according to United Nations
climate scientists. It’s the gross domestic product of Chile, or the
world’s military spending every 60 days.
Bloomberg, 10-23-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Tests
show gases have been oozing from the ground at the Aliso Canyon gas facility in
Porter Ranch after it was burned in the Saddleridge
Fire, but preliminary readings indicate they’re not reaching the
community, health officials said Thursday.
KTLA5, 10-24-19
After
decades of fracking, we finally know how the fluid spreads underground
Over
the past decade, fracking, as the technique is also known, has transformed the
country into the world’s largest oil producer, adding supply equal to all
the black gold pumped by Saudi Arabia. It has remade America as an exporter
both of crude and natural gas, something once unthinkable. It’s also
sparked controversy over environmental concerns that have long dogged the
industry. Much of the controversy is driven by mystery surrounding the fracking
fluid itself. But
for the first time, we have a clear picture of how the fluid used in fracking
travels underground.
Bloomberg, 10-25-19
Quantifying
the impact of a fracking ban on U.S. gas production (Commentary)
A number of Democratic candidates have endorsed a
fracking ban, recently including Elizabeth Warren, and as Bob McNally said,
this would “vaporize the oil and gas boom in the United
States.” In this piece, I will try to quantify the impact of a
fracking ban on the U.S. natural gas supply, and the concomitant economic
effects.
Forbes, 10-25-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Magnitude
3.0 earthquake strikes Truckee
A
magnitude 3.0 quake hit Truckee on Friday morning. The United States Geological
Survey detected the quake at 6:54 a.m. with an epicenter 6.8 miles southeast of
Truckee. With a magnitude of 3.0 and very shallow depth, this quake could be
felt near the epicenter but damage to structures is unlikely.
San Francisco Chronicle, 10-25-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
Offshore
wind needs $1.2 trillion to hit climate goals, IEA says
The
pace of expansion in the offshore wind industry needs to double to meet the
world’s climate targets, the International Energy Agency said. The
Paris-based institution estimated investment in the technology is growing 2.2%
a year, drawing in $840 billion over the next two decades. To reach goals for
reining in fossil-fuel emissions, that funding must reach about $1.2 trillion,
meaning annual growth of 4.4%.
Bloomberg, 10-24-19
Earth's
rocks can absorb a shocking amount of carbon: here’s how
Carbon,
an element born of exploding stars, is essential for all forms of life and so
it may be surprising that more than 90 percent of planet’s carbon is
underground. Over the last decade the Deep Carbon Observatory (DCO) launched
268 projects and produced 1,400 peer-reviewed studies. Here are few highlights
from the dozens if not hundreds of astonishing new discoveries about the deep
Earth, including its role in kickstarting life.
National Geographic, 10-24-19
As
climate changes, more U.S. cities must brace for high heat, bitter cold and
worse
The
potential risks from climate change facing U.S. cities read like a disaster
movie. From floods and tornadoes to droughts and insect invasions, urban areas
face a range of threats as the planet continues to warm, a recent report shows.
CBS News, 10-24-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
July
earthquakes reveal 15-million-year-old fossil in Simi Valley thought to be
small whale
Following
July's powerful Ridgecrest earthquakes in Kern County, a utility crew on a
private road in Simi Valley made a remarkable find: a 600-pound stone block encasing
a fossil of a large torso that scientists believe probably dates back 15
million years.
Ventura County Star, 10-26-19
Magnitude
3.3 earthquake reported near Bishop, Calif.
A
magnitude 3.3 earthquake was reported Saturday afternoon near Bishop in the Owens
Valley of California’s Eastern Sierra, according to the U.S. Geological
Survey.
Los Angeles Times, 10-26-19
Risk
of earthquake on major California fault 5 times higher than normal
The
160-mile Garlock fault in California has begun moving for the first time on
record and is now at a higher risk of rupture, local geophysicists say. The
fault is the second-longest in California, stretching from the edge of Ventura
County in the west to the southern border of Death Valley National Park in the
eastern part of the state. It’s capable of producing an 8.0 magnitude
earthquake, according to a recent study.
Epoch Times, 10-27-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
'Artificial
leaf' successfully produces clean gas
A
widely-used gas that is currently produced from fossil
fuels can instead be made by an 'artificial leaf' that uses only sunlight,
carbon dioxide and water, and which could eventually be used to develop a
sustainable liquid fuel alternative to petrol.
Techxplore, 10-21-19
DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
Farmland
owners look to solar as groundwater restrictions loom
New
solar energy installations may be headed to the valley portion of Kern County
as investors, government officials and advocacy groups weigh options for
reusing land that will have to be taken out of production as a result of state
restrictions on groundwater pumping.
Bakersfield
Californian, 10-26-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
Will
fed’s lawsuit targeting California’s key
climate change policy cost polluters and taxpayers?
The
federal government’s latest assault on California’s climate
policies could make it more expensive for greenhouse gas polluters like oil
refineries and heavy industry to cut their emissions. That’s the warning
from a carbon-trading advocacy group called the International Emissions Trading
Association, or IETA, which counts major oil companies and manufacturers among
its members.
CalMatters, 10-25-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
2
earthquakes strike near Southern Oregon coast
Two
earthquakes hit within 45 minutes of each other off the coast of the
Oregon-California border.
KGW (Portland television), 10-28-19
Magnitude
3.3 quake strikes Northern California, in Kincade
Fire area
Two
earthquakes were reported in Northern California early Monday morning in the Kincade Fire area. The U.S. Geological Survey reported two
quakes of magnitude 2.5 and 3.3 near the Geysers at 1:08 a.m. and 1:10 a.m. The
epicenters appear to be close to or potentially within the Kincade
Fire zone.
San Francisco Chronicle, 10-28-19
Magnitude
3.7 earthquake strikes Los Banos
A
magnitude 3.7 quake rattled Los Banos early Monday
morning. The United States Geological Survey detected the quake at 12:55 a.m.
with an epicenter 14.7 miles southwest of Los Banos.
San Francisco Chronicle, 10-28-19
Japanese
researchers create app to predict earthquake damage to skyscrapers by floor
Japanese
researchers have created an app to predict damage to skyscrapers by long-period
ground motion from major earthquakes in distant areas, such as the swaying that
hit Tokyo after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. The app will make
predictions by floor and issue them before the swaying starts. It is still in
trial and expected to be made publicly available next fiscal year, which starts
in April.
Japan Times, 10-28-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
California
fires: Is climate change making the winds stronger?
There
is wide agreement among scientists that climate change is making wildfires
worse because temperatures are getting hotter, drying out brush, grasses and
trees. But what about the ferocious winds firefighters
are dealing with, the Diablo winds in Northern California and Santa Ana winds
in Southern California? Are they getting stronger or more frequent because of
climate change? Researchers have been looking at the October winds, searching
for trends in this new, warmer era and so far
haven’t found a clear connection.
San Jose Mercury News, 10-28-19
Brown:
California fires show 'the horror' world will face from climate change
As
Californians suffer widespread power outages and mass evacuations due to
wildfire dangers, former Gov. Jerry Brown is warning that the dark scenario may
be “only the beginning” for Americans across the country —
unless officials in Washington seriously tackle the issue of climate change.
Politico, 10-28-19
California’s
blackouts could make fighting climate change even harder
The
state’s electric grid was experiencing rapid and unprecedented changes
even before Pacific Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison began
shutting off power to millions of people in a desperate scramble to prevent
their transmission lines from sparking wildfires.
Los Angeles Times, 10-29-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
A
magnitude 3.6 earthquake was reported Tuesday at 9:21 a.m. 10 miles from
Ramona, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The earthquake
occurred about 13 miles from San Diego, 16 miles from Escondido and 19 miles
from Poway.
Los Angeles Times, 10-29-19
Swarm
of earthquakes shake area near Hollister
A
3.9 earthquake shook the Central California area near Hollister
this morning. The US Geological Survey reports that the shaker, which
occurred at 7:21 a.m., was the third earthquake to rattle the area on
Tuesday. The earthquake was located 14.1 km (8.7
mi) from Tres Pinos, 20 km (12.5 mi) SE from
Pinnacles, 22.2 km (13.8 mi) NNW from Hollister and 31.2 km (19.4 mi) W from
Salinas. It had a measured depth of 8.0 kilometers.
San Francisco Chronicle, 10-29-19
3.8
Earthquake, 2 Others Hit Central California Along San Andreas Fault
A
series of minor earthquakes on the San Andreas Fault shook an area near Salinas
Tuesday morning. A 3.8 magnitude earthquake struck at 8:21 a.m. Tuesday about
14 miles southeast of Hollister and about 20 miles east of Salinas, according
to the U.S. Geological Survey.
KPIX (San Francisco television), 10-29-19
3-D
models of Cascadia megathrust events match coastal changes from 1700 earthquake
By
combining models of magnitude 9 to 9.2 earthquakes on the Cascadia Subduction
Zone with geological evidence of past coastal changes, researchers have a
better idea of what kind of megathrust seismic activity was behind the 1700
Cascadia earthquake.
Science Daily, 10-29-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
Rising
Seas Will Erase More Cities by 2050, New Research Shows
Rising
seas could affect three times more people by 2050 than previously thought,
according to new research, threatening to all but erase some of the
world’s great coastal cities.
New York Times, 10-29-19
Rising
sea levels threaten hundreds of millions -- and it's much worse than we thought
Hundreds
of millions of people worldwide are at risk of losing their homes as entire
cities sink under rising seas over the next three decades, according to
researchers. The findings, published Tuesday in the journal
Nature Communications, put nearly three times as many people in
coastal areas at risk from flooding than previously thought, and are the result
of new advances in elevation modeling technology.
CNN, 10-30-19
Can
regenerative agriculture reverse climate change? Big Food is banking on it.
More
than 20 years ago, Will Harris was a cattle farmer who
relied on common industrial tools like pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and
antibiotics. Today, his 2,500-acre ranch in Bluffton, Georgia, is a
holistically managed, no-waste operation with 10 species of livestock rotated
to graze the rolling pastures and fertilize the land without chemicals,
resulting in rich, healthy soil.
NBC News, 10-29-19
GENERAL
A
new method of extracting hydrogen from water more efficiently to capture
renewable energy
A
new method of extracting hydrogen from water more efficiently could help
underpin the capture of renewable energy in the form of sustainable fuel,
scientists say. In a new paper, published today in the journal Nature
Communications, researchers from universities in the UK, Portugal, Germany and
Hungary describe how pulsing electric current through a layered
catalyst has allowed them to almost double the amount of hydrogen produced per millivolt of
electricity used during the process.
Phys.org, 10-29-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
US
fracking’s glory days may be over as equipment stands idle
The
downturn in shale drilling has been so steep and brisk that oilfield companies
are taking the unprecedented step of scrapping entire fleets of fracking gear.
As stagnant
oil prices and investor pressure discourage new drilling, the fracking industry
that was growing so fast it couldn’t find enough workers as recently as
two years ago now finds itself buried in a mountain of pumps, pipes and storage
tanks.
Business Day, 10-30-19
Green
groups sue Trump administration over California drilling plan
Two
environmental groups sued the Trump administration on Wednesday over its plan
to open up more than 720,000 acres (291,370 hectares)
of federal land in California for oil and gas development. The lawsuit filed by
the Sierra Club and the Center for Biological Diversity comes nearly four weeks
after the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
approved a plan that would allow oil and gas leasing in 11 counties in the
Central California coastal region.
Reuters, 10-30-19
Methane
detectives: Can a wave of new technology slash natural gas leaks?
Along
Colorado’s Front Range, researchers are working to develop new ways of
detecting methane leaks, using everything from lasers to light aircraft to
drones. Their technologies could curb a potent contributor to climate change,
while saving industry billions of dollars in lost gas.
Yale Environment 360, 10-31-19
Conservationists
sue to block federal oil and gas leases in California
California
environmental groups sued the Trump administration Wednesday to thwart plans to
auction over 700,000 acres to the fossil fuel industry, calling the potential
of new fracking operations a threat to the San Francisco Bay Area’s
wildlife and aquifers.
Courthouse News Service, 10-30-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
California
is likely to continue to experience larger and more destructive wildfires as
the nation's most populated state gets hotter and drier. A recent study
published in Earth's Future suggests that the increasing size of wildfires
occurring across California in the last 50 years is attributable to climate
change drying out the landscape.
CBS News, 10-30-19
Four
hours into the Oct. 22 Sacramento City Council meeting, when the podium finally
opened up for public comment on items not on the
agenda, 21-year-old Logan Dreher urged the council to declare a climate
emergency. The
room was nearly empty, just as it was Sept. 24 when activists similarly waited
until after 9 p.m. to speak. That night, too, they called on the city to
formally recognize the dire reality of climate change. A month later, the
proposal still had not made it onto the agenda. Young climate activists saw
their concern forgotten like it was a fringe issue — days before inferno
engulfed the state just as it did last year and the year before.
Sacramento Bee commentary, 10-30-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
LA
City Council votes to investigate Playa del Rey gas storage facility
The
Los Angeles City Council today unanimously passed a motion to review
SoCalGas’s permit to operate the Playa Del Rey Gas Storage Facility
located in the Ballona Wetlands. Councilmember Mike
Bonin introduced the motion after infrared video showed gas escaping from the
gas field. The facility has been operating on an outdated City Planning Permit
since 1955 and is located near homes, schools and LAX. The city Planning
Department and Petroleum Administrator now have 90 days to review the permit
and issue a report.
Los Angeles City Watch, 10-31-19
SF
to sell city-owned land used by the oil industry in Southern California
The
City is expected to close on the sale of 40 acres of land it owns in Southern
California that were used for oil drilling operations. The Board of
Supervisors Budget and Finance Committee voted Wednesday to approve the terms
of the sale of the 40-acre parcel just west of Coalinga in Fresno County for
$170,000.
San Francisco Examiner, 10-30-19
The
disastrous impact of a fracking ban on U.S. oil production (Commentary)
The
economic impact of a fracking ban on shale oil would be somewhat different from
the impact on the U.S. gas market, given that lower oil production can be much
more easily replaced by imports. At least in theory. In all
likelihood this would be a major hit on the economy. The U.S. oil production
level (all liquids) would probably return to the pre-shale level of roughly
10-12 million barrels per day. And if global oil prices ‘only’ rise
to $80, the U.S. trade balance for oil would go from about $20 billion now to
over $200 billion per year, weakening the dollar and increasing inflation,
while consumers would see a loss of about $300 billion from their wallets.
Forbes, 11-1-19
Feds
push to open 1 million acres to fracking in California
The
Trump administration unveiled a plan to open another million acres in
California to oil and gas development and fracking, one day after being sued by
conservationists for similar plans in a different part of the state. The Bureau
of Land Management released its environmental analysis Thursday concluding that
hydraulic fracturing and oil and gas extraction in counties located in the
south state do not conflict with the land management goals of the agency.
Courthouse News Service, 10-31-19
Carpinteria
City Council Opposes Drilling Next to Los Padres National Forest
The
Carpinteria City Council on Oct. 28, unanimously approved and adopted a
resolution opposing the Trump administration’s plan to open 122,000 acres
to new oil drilling and fracking on federal public lands and mineral estate in
Santa Barbara County.
Santa Barbara Noozhawk,
10-31-19
Oil
and gas wastewater used for irrigation may suppress plant immune systems
The
horizontal drilling method called hydraulic fracturing helps the United States
produce close to 4 billion barrels of oil and natural gas per year, rocketing
the U.S. to the top of oil-producing nations in the world. The highly
profitable practice comes with a steep price: For every barrel of oil, oil and
gas extraction also produces about seven barrels of wastewater, consisting
mainly of naturally occurring subsurface water extracted along with the fossil
fuels. That's about 2 billion gallons of wastewater a day. Companies,
policymakers and scientists are on the lookout for new strategies for dealing
with that wastewater. Among the most tantalizing ideas is recycling it to
irrigate food
crops, given water scarcity issues in the West.
Phys.org, 10-31-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
3.4
earthquake felt near Fortuna, Calif.
A
magnitude 3.4 earthquake was reported Thursday morning at 5:46 a.m. (Pacific)
17 miles from Fortuna, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Los Angeles Times, 10-31-19
3.0-magnitude
earthquake strikes near Lake Elsinore
A
preliminary 3.0-magnitude earthquake struck 6.2 miles away from Lake Elsinore
early Thursday morning.
CBS Los Angeles, 10-31-19
DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
After
a nearly eight-hour public hearing where 45 individuals spoke, the Santa
Barbara County Planning Commission delayed a decision on an appeal of a permit
for a cannabis cultivation operation near Buellton.
Santa Ynez Valley News, 10-31-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
In
Napa Valley, Winemakers Fight Climate Change on All Fronts
Every
wine region has had to deal with some manifestation of climate change, but few
have had to deal with as many devastating consequences as Napa Valley. On Labor
Day 2017, as the weekslong harvest was getting underway, the temperature
reached 110 degrees here in the heart of cabernet sauvignon country. But
extreme summer heat has not been the only issue.
New York Times, 10-31-19
Jerry
Brown implores Washington to act on climate: ‘California’s
burning’
Former
California Gov. Jerry Brown visited Capitol Hill on Tuesday to give an
impassioned plea for dramatic action to combat climate change, citing
California’s wildfires as an example of the “life-and-death”
stakes.
San Francisco Chronicle, 10-29-19
As
Climate Crisis-Fueled Fires Rage, Fears Grow of an 'Uninhabitable' California
With
wildfires raging across California on Wednesday—and with portions of the
state living under an unprecedented "Extreme Red Flag Warning" issued
by the National Weather Service due to the severe conditions—some climate
experts are openly wondering if this kind of harrowing "new normal"
brought on by the climate crisis could make vast regions of the country
entirely uninhabitable.
Los Angeles City Watch, 10-31-19
(news updated as time permits…)
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