Somach Simmons & Dunn | Attorneys at Law
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On May 7, 2015, Earthjustice and the Center for Biological Diversity (collectively “Environmental Groups”) filed a complaint and petition for writ of mandate in Alameda County Superior Court challenging the ... read more
On May 11, 2015, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service (collectively, the “Services”) issued a final rule to address the practice of using “surrogates” ... read more
On April 3, 2015, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California invalidated an Endangered Species Act (ESA) incidental take permit (ITP) where it found the U.S. Fish ... read more
On March 30, 2015, the Second District Court of Appeal issued its decision in Conway v. State Water Resources Control Board (Mar. 30, 2015, B252688) ___ Cal.App.4th ___, finding that ... read more
On March 20, 2015, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California found that the federal reserved water rights of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians (Agua ... read more
On March 13, 2015, the California Aquaculture Law Symposium was held at the UCLA School of Law. Funded by the National Sea Grant Law Center, the symposium brought together speakers ... read more
On February 18, 2015, the Fourth District Court of Appeal rejected numerous California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) challenges to the City of San Diego’s (City) coastal and site development permits ... read more
On March 2, 2015, the California Supreme Court issued its decision in Berkeley Hillside Preservation v. City of Berkeley. The Supreme Court ruled that the “substantial evidence” test applies to ... read more
On February 24, 2015, the United States Supreme Court provided both disgorgement and reformation remedies in the longstanding interstate water dispute on the Republican River. Kansas v. Nebraska et al., No. ... read more
In January 2015, the State Water Resources Control Board’s (State Water Board) Division of Water Rights (Division) released a report reviewing its process of curtailing water rights in response to ... read more
California’s leaders have made clear their intent to regulate methane emissions from agriculture. While agriculture contributes approximately 6 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions, both nationally and within California, methane ... read more
On February 6, 2015, the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) of the Department of Conservation and the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) jointly sent the United ... read more
On January 14, 2015, a federal judge ruled for the first time that manure, managed in a manner that the court considered to be improper, is a solid waste under ... read more
On January 1, 2015, Assembly Bill 1522, the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014 (Paid Sick Leave Law) went into effect. Under the Paid Sick Leave Law, employers are ... read more
On December 10, 2014, the California Second District Court of Appeals held that the Public Records Act does not allow local governments to compel the return of privileged documents inadvertently ... read more
California Air Resources Board (CARB) officials at a November 20, 2014 board meeting discussed their plan to prepare a mid-term update to CARB’s scoping plan, the document that describes how ... read more
On November 19, 2014, the United States Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) released its Draft Environmental Impact Statement for its Central Valley Project (CVP) Municipal and Industrial Water Shortage Policy (Draft ... read more
On November 21, 2014, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) issued a proposed order on the petitions challenging the 2012 Los Angeles Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System ... read more
On November 3, 2014, the United States Supreme Court issued an order appointing A. Gregory Grimsal as the Special Master in Texas v. New Mexico & Colorado, No. 141 Original. ... read more
On September 9, 2014, the Court of Appeal for the Third Appellate District held in Rominger v. County of Colusa that approval of a subdivision map is a California Environmental ... read more
Next week California voters will decide whether to approve Proposition 1, the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014. The measure would authorize $7.12 billion in general obligation bonds and ... read more
On October 1, 2014, the California Supreme Court denied the petitions for review of the First District Court of Appeal’s opinion in Light v. State Water Resources Control Board (2014) ... read more
On September 11, 2014, the First District Court of Appeal issued its opinion in Millview County Water District, et al. v. State Water Resources Control Board, et al., No. A139481, ... read more
The Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (Regional San) today approved the region’s largest public infrastructure project, a nearly $2 billion upgrade to the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant that will ... read more
On August 29, 2014, the California Legislature cast the final votes necessary to move three companion groundwater management bills to the Governor’s desk. Assembly Bill 1739, and Senate Bills 1168 ... read more
