The Obama Administration finally gave its formal approval to the California High-Speed Rail Authority to begin construction of the high-speed railway beginning in the Central Valley. The approval, which came in the form of a formal “record of decision” from the Federal Railroad Administration, gives the green light to the Authority to begin acquiring hundreds … Continue Reading
Unlike most of California’s Central Valley counties, such as Merced and Fresno, which have consistently supported the High Speed Rail (“HSR”) project, Kings County has been openly opposed to the plan to construct a high speed rail through its fertile farmland. That opposition reached a flashpoint yesterday as Kings County, and two Kings County … Continue Reading
After intense lobbying from Central Valley legislators and the oil and gas exploration and production industry, on November 3, 2011, Governor Jerry Brown removed Elena Miller as Supervisor of the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) within the Department of Conservation. Appointed in 2009, Miller’s tenure as the DOGGR Supervisor has been plagued … Continue Reading
The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Central District (SJVAPCD) has released a Final Draft Staff Report and proposed rule revising Rule 2301 that concerns the banking of greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions. The rule amends the SJVUAPCD’s existing offset banking Rule 2301 and would allow entities to bank GHG credits generated by protocols issued by California … Continue Reading
Late last week, the California High-Speed Rail Authority (“Authority”) approved the submission of an additional funding application to the Federal Railroad Administration (“FRA”) that would, if approved, extend the “starter” segment of the High-Speed Rail Project (“HSR”) north to Merced and south to downtown Bakersfield, making the segment fully operational after construction. The first segment … Continue Reading
