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BLM advances Central California oil leasing proposal amid opposition
Santa Maria Times – May 27
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) last week released its final environmental report on a controversial oil and gas leasing proposal that could open approximately 850,000 acres of public lands and federal mineral estate across Central California to future drilling and fracking activity. The proposal includes lands near communities, recreation areas, wildlife habitat, and water resources, according to a conservation group. The organization said the plan also affects nearly 40,000 acres within California’s recently established Health Protection Zones and drew roughly 175,000 public comments in opposition during the environmental review process. A final decision from BLM is expected within 30 days.
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Multiple lawsuits filed against Garden Grove chemical tank owner
The Orange County Register – May 26
Seven lawsuits have been filed so far in Orange County Superior Court against GKN Aerospace, the owner of a facility in Garden Grove where a malfunction in a chemical tank containing methyl methacrylate (MMA), a flammable, toxic, and highly volatile chemical, presented the potential threat of a massive explosion or chemical leak and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents. Collectively, the early lawsuits include about 70 plaintiffs. But with roughly 50,000 people left displaced at the height of the evacuations — and 16,000 still unable to return home as of Tuesday afternoon — additional lawsuits are anticipated. What exactly led the chemical to overheat and why no built-in safety guards at the facility were able to control the reaction remains unclear. GKN also is facing a probe by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
Federal regulators signal support for Pacific Gas and Electric’s bid to decommission Eel River dams
The Press Democrat – May 26
The federal agency responsible for approving Pacific Gas & Electric Co.’s bid to decommission two Eel River dams and a downstream hydroelectric powerplant has signaled its support for the utility’s plans, despite last-ditch efforts by opponents of the move to keep the waterworks in Lake and Mendocino counties intact. In a May 22 scoping document, which provides an overview of proposed actions and potential resource issues, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission noted it “proposed to eliminate … alternatives” to full decommissioning, including a proposed takeover of the dams either by the federal government or other public agency.
Community groups sue EPA to tighten its incinerator rules
Waste Dive – May 26
Environmental groups are again suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over its air emissions rules for large municipal solid waste combustors. The petition for review seeks to tighten limits for a range of pollutants, and it comes after EPA finalized a more lenient version of the regulation in March. More than 50 incinerators nationwide are subject to the regulation, which seeks to reduce particulate matter, lead, nitrogen oxide, and other air pollutants based on the best available emissions control technology.
Court overturns landmark fluoride ruling, sides with EPA
E&E News – May 21
The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on May 21 vacated a landmark ruling that ordered EPA to address the health risks of fluoride in drinking water. The ruling remands the case to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California for a ruling based only on the first trial’s record and not additional evidence and a second bench trial as had been required by the district court. The Ninth Circuit’s ruling follows a contentious 2024 decision by the district court finding that fluoride in drinking water at the federally recommended level poses “an unreasonable risk of reduced IQ in children,” triggering a rulemaking process under the Toxic Substances Control Act.
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