This article was produced by the award-winning journalism nonprofit, Capital & Main. It is republished here with permission.
Throughout 2020 and early 2021, California issued more than 300 permits to oil and gas companies for new underground injection wells an intensive form of oil production and wastewater disposal.
But the actual number of new injection wells is likely higher, owing to the state’s opaque approval process that has drawn scrutiny from auditors and environmentalists. Some of these undercounted wells may be polluting groundwater used for public drinking and agricultural purposes, according to regulatory filings reviewed by Capital & Main.
The impact of injection wells on groundwater in California is understudied, regulators say. The California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM), which issues the permits and regulates the industry, is currently the subject of a lawsuit alleging the division issued permits for wells without required environmental revie
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Five things to know about federal drought aid
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An irrigation system does its work near Adin, a small town in Modoc County, in July 2019. In response to increased drought risk, farmers and ranchers in all 58 California counties will become eligible for loans to assist with loss of crops, trees, land and livestock. Anne Wernikoff/ CalMatters photo
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Stop if you’ve heard this before: California is in the grip of a severe drought. Again.
Now the federal government is stepping in to help.
To assist California, which is the nation’s largest food supplier, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently declared a drought disaster for 50 counties. That makes growers throughout the state who have been struggling with parched conditions eligible to seek federal loans.
Recall Threat Could Stop California from Declaring a Drought Despite the dry conditions, Gavin Newsom has not yet declared an official drought emergency. Many believe that the recall threat against the governor is preventing the declaration. Sophia Bollag and Dale Kasler, The Sacramento Bee | April 16, 2021 | Analysis
(TNS) Gov. Gavin Newsom stood on a boat ramp at Lake Oroville on Tuesday a boat ramp that couldn t reach the water because the reservoir was nearly 60 percent empty and acknowledged what many Californians already know. We re in the second year of these drought conditions, he said.
But Newsom, who was in Oroville to sign a bill appropriating $536 million in wildfire-prevention funds, said he isn t ready to declare an official drought emergency, as his predecessor did six years ago. Instead, he promised he can manage the situation without resorting to an emergency declaration, which could h
Why won t Gavin Newsom declare a drought? California recall puts him in tough spot
Sacramento Bee 2 hrs ago Sophia Bollag and Dale Kasler, The Sacramento Bee
Apr. 16 OROVILLE Gov. Gavin Newsom stood on a boat ramp at Lake Oroville on Tuesday a boat ramp that couldn t reach the water because the reservoir was nearly 60% empty and acknowledged what many Californians already know. We re in the second year of these drought conditions, he said.
But Newsom, who was in Oroville to sign a bill appropriating $536 million in wildfire-prevention funds, said he isn t ready to declare an official drought emergency, as his predecessor did six years ago. Instead, he promised he can manage the situation without resorting to an emergency declaration, which could help his administration clamp down on water use.
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