A federal court has prohibited the U.S. Department of the Interior from approving any plans or permits for hydraulic fracturing off the California coast until it complies with the Coastal Zone Management Act and the Endangered Species Act. Environmental Defense Center v. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, No. 16-cv-8418, 2018 WL 5919096 (C.D. Cal.
fracking
Comment Periods Open on New Fracking Regulations and Scope of Statewide EIR
By Barbara Schussman on
Posted in CEQA, Environmental Regulation
In the face of mounting public pressure to address the potential perils of hydraulic fracturing, California has embarked upon a multi-faceted program to strengthen its oil and gas regulations, perform comprehensive environmental studies, and increase public disclosure. On November 15, 2013, the Department of Conservation published two notices seeking comments on steps it is taking…
Fracking in California? Not so fast, says federal court
By Marc Bruner on
Posted in NEPA
Friends and foes of fracking in California have, for the most part, fought their battles in the policy and legislative arenas. But the federal district court in San Jose recently chimed in, striking down four oil and gas leases issued by the Bureau of Land Management for 2,700 acres of federal lands overlying the Monterey…