The Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, UCLA Law’s environmental law hub, tracks many environmental bills that move through Sacramento each legislative session. But when Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 779 in October, students and faculty at the center paid extra close attention. Three UCLA Law students helped write the new groundwater law.
The movement of goods through the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach is a major source of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in the L.A. region. The South Coast Air Quality Management District has reported that the Ports are “the single largest fixed source of air pollution in Southern California.” And neighboring communities—predominantly low-income communities of color—bear the brunt of this pollution, suffering from smog and toxic air pollution from port equipment.
Controlling methane emissions is an urgent goal of governments around the world, but some jurisdictions are farther along than others.
This policy brief is a global survey of existing and proposed regulatory approaches to controlling anthropogenic methane emissions from the highest-emitting sources. The brief was written by Gabriel Greif, Emmett/Frankel Fellow of Environmental Law.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a new law that addresses inequities in California’s complicated groundwater adjudication process.
Assembly Bill 779 by Assemblymember Lori Wilson aims to level the playing field for small water users and disadvantaged communities. It’s one of the only bills passed this legislative session focused on improving California’s management of groundwater.
A state bill that aims to address inequities in groundwater adjudications is sitting on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk awaiting his signature.
Adrianne Davies, Owen McAleer and Gabi Rosenfeld are 3L UCLA Law students who worked on Assembly Bill 779 by Assemblymember Lori Wilson. The bill was also recently highlighted by the Los Angeles Times.