Salmon Population Report

New research shows that several of the region’s salmon populations are bumping into temperature limits.  This includes the: Chinook salmon in California’s Central Valley and in the Columbia and Willamette River basins; Coho salmon in parts of Northern California and Oregon; and sockeye salmon that reach the Snake River Basin in Idaho.  All of these ...Read More

Auto Makers Compromise with California Air Resources Board

At the end of July, the California Air Resources Board
(CARB) reached a compromise with Ford Motor Company, Volkswagen AG, Honda Motor
Company LTD., and BMW of North America to voluntarily increase fuel efficiency
standards from 35 miles per gallon to approximately 50 miles per gallon by 2026. 
This represents an average increase of 3.7% per year, one percent ...Read More

Small Fuel Retailers File Suit over E15 Gasoline Rule

The trade association Small Retailers Coalition filed
a petition with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on August 6, 2019. The
petition challenges the Trump administration’s decision to allow the sale of
gasoline blends containing up to 15% ethanol all year, instead of seasonally.

The petition highlights tensions between corn
interests and oil interests, as the year-round sale of ...Read More

Third District Court of Appeal Upholds Department of Conservation Program EIR Studying Hydraulic Fracturing and other Well Stimulation Activities.

In the unpublished opinion Center for Biological
Diversity v. California Department of Conservation, Division of Oil, Gas, and
Geothermal Resources et al. (2019 WL 2133616), the Third District Court of
Appeal upheld a program EIR prepared by the Department of Conservation to
consider the environmental effects of well stimulation treatments, such as
hydraulic fracturing. The Department was required to prepare ...Read More