News

California Oil Output Continues to Decline Due To Political Opposition and Environmental Regulations

Beverly Hills High School will soon begin to dismantle the iconic oil derrick next to its football field that has pumped crude oil for decades. Statewide, California oil production has been declining since 1986, when production peaked at 1.1 million barrels per day. In 2016, production was less than half that. Over the past 35 […]

States Ask Federal Judge to Nix EPA’s Delay of the Clean Water Rule Update

A group of states, including California and New York, asked a federal judge this week to invalidate the US EPA’s recent choice to delay implementing an Obama-era update to the Clean Water Rule, arguing that the agency failed to follow proper notice-and-comment protocol when delaying the rule’s application. The rule, to be implemented by EPA […]

CALIFORNIA’S DELTA TUNNELS PROJECT HAS FUNDING, BUT REGULATORY ISSUES REMAIN

On April 10, the board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California voted to invest $10.8 billion towards the state’s plan to build new water conveyance infrastructure in the Delta (commonly called “Water Fix.”) The total price tag is nearly $17 billion, so the news provided a level of certainty to the project it didn’t have […]

Proposed Housing Bill (SB 827) Voted Down in Committee

Some of our recent blog posts have followed the progress of SB 827, a bill intended to address the State housing shortage. The bill limits local zoning restrictions for housing units located in qualifying transit areas. The bill was sponsored by California YIMBY (Yes in My Backyard) and supported by some in the building industry. […]

Prop 65: Warnings Now on Coffee in California

Coffee has been known to produce some unpleasant effects including dehydration, irritation, yellowing teeth, bad breath, and an addiction to setting up the perfect Instagram photo. But according to the Los Angeles Superior Court on March 28, 2018 coffee contains a chemical known to cause cancer. The Court issued a tentative ruling that coffee must […]

Proposal to add density near transit stations in California fails at first hurdle

A state bill that would have brought denser housing to areas around transit stations, in an effort to alleviate California’s housing crisis, is dead after failing to receive enough votes before the state senate’s transportation and housing committee. Several lawmakers said they supported the bill’s goal of creating additional housing, in areas where the state […]

Trump to Protect Marijuana Industry?

President Trump made a promise early April to support legislation with a goal of protecting the marijuana industry in states that have already legalized the drug. The U.S. Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, made a threat against the industry just three months ago, and the President’s promise forebodes a clashing. In January 2018, Attorney General Sessions […]

Impact of Electric Car Demand on Copper Mining

Electric vehicles, an early harbinger of the adoption of greener technologies in many states, will be one of the largest drivers of the expected increase in demand in copper over the next five years, says commodity analyst Robert Edwards. Today, less than 1% of the world’s vehicles are electric, but experts believe that by 2040 […]

Another California Retailer Paying Millions for Hazardous Waste Violations

Autonation, a dealership and car collision center with over 50 locations in California, has been ordered to pay $2.1 million in civil penalties to settle allegations of improper hazardous waste disposal. Autonation is among the many large retailers that has been at the other end of California District Attorney (“DA”) investigations into hazardous waste handling. […]

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