ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Department of the Interior on Monday approved an oil and gas leasing program within Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the sprawling home to polar bears, caribou and other wildlife. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt signed the Record of Decision, which will determine where oil and...
Celebrities Back California Bill to Cut Single-Use Plastics
SACRAMENTO — A push to pass first-in-the-nation California proposals to limit single-use plastic containers and other items drew support from actor Jeff Goldblum on Wednesday. Environmental groups hail the proposal as a landmark attempt to cut down on 75% of waste from plastic items like takeout boxes, food containers and...
Trump Plan Delivers More Water for Valley Farmers
The Trump administration unveiled a new plan Tuesday to govern California's water usage that would deliver more irrigation water for Valley farmers. But the proposal is ringing alarms from environmental groups that say it would have a negative impact on endangered species such as salmon and delta smelt. An analysis...
Feinstein Joins Effort for SB1 Changes Protecting Valley Water
Five federal legislators have submitted a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom asking for amendments to a proposed state law that would empower state agencies to adopt rules and regulations more stringent than their federal counterparts set after Jan. 19, 2017. Listen to this article: That is one day before Donald Trump...
Chevron Ordered to Halt Oil Spill in Kern County
SAN FRANCISCO — California regulators say Chevron has not done enough to stop a massive oil spill that dumped about 800,000 gallons of crude oil and water into a Kern County canyon, and they want the company to take further action to halt the flow. The seep out of the...
Hunted for Meat, Giraffes May Join Threatened Species List
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration took a first step Thursday toward extending protections for giraffes under the Endangered Species Act, following legal pressure from environmental groups. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that its initial review has determined there is "substantial information that listing may be warranted" for giraffes. The...
Patagonia Gives GOP Tax Windfall to Environmental Groups
VENTURA — Patagonia, the outdoor gear company, is passing along the $10 million it saved from tax cuts to nonprofit environmental groups. Corporations received a windfall from the GOP's sweeping overhaul of the U.S. tax code last year, which slashed corporate rates from 35 percent, to 21 percent. The California company...