Inadequate state enforcement of protected underground aquifers led to a group of emergency cease and desist orders. The failure of regulators is "especially disturbing" in a state stricken by a historic, economy- and life-threatening drought.
"California officials have ordered an emergency shut-down of 11 oil and gas waste injection sites and a review of more than 100 others in the state’s drought-wracked Central Valley out of fear that companies may have been pumping fracking fluids and other toxic waste into drinking water aquifers there," reports Abrahm Lustgarten.
The problem originates from a group of some 100 aquifers deemed useless for drinking and farming and exempted from environmental protection, allowing oil companies to pump waste into them relatively regulation free. According to Lustgarten, "[the] exempted aquifers, according to documents the state filed with the U.S. EPA in 1981 and obtained by ProPublica, were poorly defined and ambiguously outlined. They were often identified by hand-drawn lines on a map, making it difficult to know today exactly which bodies of water were supposed to be protected, and by which aspects of the governing laws."
The U.S. EPA have been tracking the practices of the state, completing a scathing review in 2011 and warning that state authority could be revoked. The state has yet to complete a report as the first step in improving its regulations of the well injection program.
California’s Reservoirs are Filling Up, but For How Long?
Recent storms are bringing plenty of water to parched parts of California, but scientists warn the relief won’t be a long-term solution to longer, drier periods.
California Ballot Measure Could Streamline Permitting for Water Projects
A coalition of farmers and desalination supporters is collecting signatures for a California ballot measure that would fast-track construction processes for water storage projects.
Bay Area Looks To Expand Reservoir As Drought Deepens
The expansion of the Los Vaqueros Reservoir in Brentwood would increase storage capacity and create a more reliable water supply for Northern California communities.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
Eviction Looms for Low-Income Tenants as Rent Debt Rises
Nonprofit housing operators across the country face almost $10 billion in rent debt.
Brightline West Breaks Ground
The high-speed rail line will link Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area.
Colorado Bans No-Fault Evictions
In most cases, landlords must provide a just cause for evicting tenants.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
