The California State Legislature was busy last week amending and voting on bills relating to hydraulic fracturing, including rejection of a moratorium. The Senate passed SB 4 with Senator Pavley's announcement that she would remove the fracking moratorium provision to get the bill to the Assembly. With that change, there will be no surviving bills proposing a fracking moratorium this legislative session.… Continue Reading
Yesterday, the California Assembly Committee on Natural Resources passed three bills that would impose new permitting and disclosure requirements on hydraulic fracturing operations. The Committee passed and referred these three bills, AB 288, AB 7 and AB 669, to the Committee on Appropriations.… Continue Reading
On Monday, Assembly Members amended two bills relating to hydraulic fracturing - one increasing the scope of regulated activities and another allowing trade secret protection of related disclosures. Also this week, Senator Pavley's amended SB 4 passed the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee.… Continue Reading
Last month, California legislators introduced three bills that relate to hydraulic fracturing. On February 20, 2013, Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson introduced SB 395 to regulate water produced during fracking operations. The other two bills were introduced in the Assembly and relate to DOGGR's approval of well drilling activities. On February 11, 2013, Assembly Member Marc Levine introduced AB 288 to require fracking-specific approval. On February 22, 2013, Assembly Member Das Williams introduced AB 982 to require an agency-approved groundwater monitoring plan for fracking operations.… Continue Reading
