The unrelenting five-year California drought and a growing bark beetle infestation has led the Placer County Board of Supervisors to approve the removal of some 1,800 hazardous trees. If not removed the trees could become a hazard that could damage or destroy the county’s infrastructure. Placer County has been identified …
Read More »New approach to aid salmon in Sacramento River: side channels to aid recently hatched fingerlings
The battle to aid the endangered Chinook salmon in the Sacramento River has spawned a number of attempts to both protect the existing fish and to provide safe habitats for recently hatched fingerlings from predator fish. Most attempts have provided some benefit for the species but the problem of increasing …
Read More »Shell Oil’s 100 underground storage tank claims banned by State Water Board, $20 million fine issued
The State Water Resources Control Board has permanently banned 100 of Shell Oil Company’s underground storage tank (UST) claims from the UST Cleanup Fund for allegedly claiming reimbursement through false or misleading statements on claim forms. The ban is part of a settlement agreement; the agreement also requires Shell to …
Read More »Court sides with US Forest: Nestle Waters North America permit “still valid”
Though technically not a party to the lawsuit, Nestle Waters North America is probably quietly celebrating their good fate. Earlier this week a California federal judge ruled in favor of the U.S. Forest Service and the fact that has continued to allow Nestle to pump gallons of water from Strawberry …
Read More »Ontario trichloroethylene groundwater plume set for cleanup and abatement
The remediation of a trichloroethylene (TCE) groundwater plume in Ontario (California), that has affected the groundwater supplies of area residents, is now set for cleanup and abatement following the adoption of a settlement agreement by the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board. The cleanup order was issued to the …
Read More »National Interagency Fire Center: Soberanes Fire most costly in US history
The Soberanes Fire, raging across California’s Big Sur coast, has now exceeded $200 million in cost to fight and the most recent estimates are that it is 71 percent contained. According to a recent California Interagency Incident Management Team, unfavorable weather conditions and strong northwest winds, carried embers across one …
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