The First District Court of Appeal published its holding in the case Schmid v. City and County of San Francisco (2021) 60 Cal.App.5th 470 on February 1, 2021. This case involved various claims objecting to the City of San Francisco’s decision to remove a bronze sculpture, including claims pursuant to CEQA. The San Francisco Historic […]
On April 7, 2021, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced the appointment of Mark Chatterton as the Deputy State Director of Energy and Minerals in California. (See https://www.blm.gov/press-release/bureau-land-management-welcomes-two-new-members-leadership-team-california.) In this new role, Chatterton will be responsible for oversight of oil, gas and geothermal development as well as hard rock mining for metallic and industrial […]
The San Francisco Chronicle issued a positive article interviewing Ben Mossman, CEO of Rise Gold Corp., and discussing the Idaho Maryland Mine’s history and local supporters. Mitchell Chadwick is helping permit this historic mine in Nevada County. The mining project will bring over 300 high-paying jobs to the County, and have a very minimal impact […]
The latest attempt in California to ban fracking and, in general, oil and gas operations in the state recently failed when Senate Bill No. 467 died in the California Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee. Senate Bill No. 467 sought to prohibit the issuance of permits for hydraulic fracturing, acid well stimulation treatment, steam flooding, […]
The case cited below is a stark reminder to developers: make sure to hire experienced CEQA counsel before you embark on a development in California! On February 18, 2021, the California Second District Court of Appeal filed an unpublished opinion, Building a Better Redondo v. City of Redondo Beach (2021) Case No. B294328, 2021 WL […]
Four state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Regional Water Quality Control Board, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife recently signed the Bank Enabling Instrument (“BEI”) for the Riverpark Mitigation Bank. Ecosystem Industrial Partners (“EIP”), the Bank Sponsor for Riverpark, hired Mitchell […]
The Second District Court of Appeal issued an unpublished decision in the case Los Padres Forestwatch et al., v. County of Ventura on May 1, 2019, addressing the preparation of an EIR addendum for a 2015 CUP allowing the continued operation of existing oil and gas wells and the addition of new wells. The case […]
On March 6, 2019, the California First District Court of Appeal, in Point San Pedro Road Coalition v. County of Marin (2019) 245 Cal.Rptr.3d 580, considered whether import of asphalt grindings was within a mine’s legal nonconforming use or whether it was an impermissible expansion or enlargement. The court found that the import improperly expanding […]
The case Ione Valley Land, Air, and Water Defense Alliance, LLC v. County of Amador (33 Cal.App.5th 165) was certified for partial publication by the Third District Court of Appeal, and addresses res judicata in the CEQA context. The controversy originated with the County of Amador certification of an EIR for an aggregate quarry project […]
The Cooper Drum Cooperating Parties Group (CDCPG), a coalition of chemical and energy companies, filed suit under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) in California federal court last week. The lawsuit seeks to force numerous other companies to contribute to the cleanup of hazardous substances at a 2.4-acre former drum reconditioning facility […]
