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California environmentalists ask court to halt oil industry water rules

Reuters: California environmentalists on Thursday asked a Superior Court judge to vacate new regulations governing the disposal of water produced by oil drilling, saying they do not move quickly enough to protect water supplies in the drought-ravaged state. Earthjustice, Center for Biological Diversity and Sierra Club filed a preliminary injunction against the California Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR), which regulates oil drilling in the state. DOGGR rolled out emergency regulations...

Fracking bill passes California state Assembly

Reuters: A hotly contested bill that would impose California's first regulations on fracking and other oil production practices passed the state Assembly on Wednesday, despite opposition from environmentalists and oil companies. Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is the practice of injecting water, sand and chemicals underground to crack rock formations and free up oil and natural gas. The technology makes it possible for oil companies to unlock California's vast Monterey Shale deposit, which is estimated...

Obama Admin. Overlooked Fracking Risks in California Leases, Judge Rules

Reuters: A federal judge has ruled the Obama administration broke the law when it issued oil leases in central California without fully weighing the environmental impact of "fracking," a setback for companies seeking to exploit the region's enormous energy resources. The decision, made public on Monday, effectively bars for the time being any drilling on two tracts of land comprising 2,500 acres leased for oil and gas development in 2011 by the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management in Monterey...