Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/567089
ByEllenKnickmeyer TheAssociatedPress SAN FRANCISCO Califor- nia's top oil and gas regula- tors repeatedly warned Gov. Jerry Brown's senior aides in 2011 that the governor's orders to override key en- vironmental safeguards in granting oil industry per- mits would violate state and federal laws protecting groundwater from contami- nation, one of the former of- ficials has testified. Brown fired the regu- lators on Nov. 3, 2011, one day after what the official says was a final order from the governor to bypass pro- visions of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act and grant permits for oilfield injection wells. Brown later boasted publicly that the dismissals led to a speed up of oilfield permitting. In a newly filed court declaration, Derek Cher- now, Brown's former act- ing director of the state Department of Conserva- tion, also alleged that for- mer Gov. Gray Davis urged fellow Democrat Brown in a phone call to fire Chernow and Elena Miller, the state's oil and gas supervisor. Brown's spokesman, Evan Westrup, labeled the allegations "baseless." "The expectation — clearly communicated — was and always has been full compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act," Westrup said Thursday. This year, however, the state acknowledged that hundreds of the oilfield op- erations approved after the firings are now polluting the state's federally pro- tected underground sup- plies of water for drinking and irrigation. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has given thestateuntil2017toresolve whatstateofficials conceded were more than 2,000 per- mits improperly given to oil companies to inject oilfield production fluid and waste into protected water aqui- fers. An earlier AP analysis of the permits found state records showed more than 40 percent of those were granted in the four years since Brown took office. Chernow's declaration, obtained by The Associated Press, was contained in an Aug. 21 court filing in a law- suit brought by a group of Central Valley farmers who allege that oil production approved by Brown's ad- ministration has contami- nated their water wells. The lawsuit also cites at least $750,000 in contributions that oil companies made within months of the firings to Brown's campaign for a state income tax increase. Westrup denied the oil companies' support for Brown's tax-increase cam- paign was related to the fir- ings, saying, "the governor's focus is doing what's best for California, and that's what informs his decisions." Robert Stern, former gen- eral counsel of the state's ethics agency and the archi- tect of a 1970s state political reform act, said there was nothing illegal about Brown receiving the oil industry contributions for his tax campaign unless they were explicitly in return for fir- ing the oil regulators. Chernow's statement de- scribes for the first time the alleged back story of the controver- sial permit approvals. He declined to comment to the AP and Miller did not re- spond to in- terview requests. Brown's boasting about the firings to speed up per- mitting is at odds with his image as a leading propo- nent of renewable energy and reduced fossil fuel con- sumption. That reputation led to a recent meeting with Pope Francis to discuss cli- mate change. Westrup said an ongo- ing effort by Brown to re- duce consumption of fossil fuels in the state by up to 50 percent and the oil indus- try's fight against elements of Brown's climate-change campaign shows "where the administration stands and what it's fighting for." The firings occurred as the governor was scram- bling to drum up energy sources, jobs and business and to win support for the ultimately successful state- wide vote on tax increases to tackle state budget woes. Today,withthestateinthe fourth year of drought and a state of emergency declared by Brown, protecting the ad- equacy and purity of water supplies for farms and cities is a paramount priority. In the declaration in the farmers' case, Chernow said he and Miller were under intense pressure from the oil industry as well as the Brown administration to relax permitting standards for injection wells that oil companies use to pump production fluid and waste underground. Chernow testified he was in the office of John Laird, Brown's secretary of Natu- ral Resources, in early Octo- ber 2011 when Laird took a call from Brown. Laird told Chernow that Brown said he had just received a call from Davis, then acting as legal counsel for Occiden- tal Petroleum, the country's fourth-biggest oil Company. Brown said Davis and Occidental had demanded Brown fire Chernow and Miller over what Occiden- tal complained was the slow pace of issuing drilling per- mits, according to Chernow. Davis declined to com- ment Thursday. A few weeks later, on Nov. 2, 2011, Chernow and Miller received a call from Brown's energy adviser, Cliff Rechtschaffen, who urged the regulators to "im- mediately fast-track" ap- proval of new oilfield per- mits, according to Cher- now's filing. Miller replied that what Brown aides and the oil in- dustry were pressing for "violated the Safe Drink- ing Water Act, and that the EPA agreed" with that conclusion, Chernow said. In response, according to Chernow, Rechtschaffen told them "this was an or- der from Governor Brown, and must be obeyed." Chernow and Miller were fired the following day. The state, under increas- ing pressure from the EPA, this year and last ordered the shutdown of 23 improp- erly permitted oilfield wells posing the most immedi- ate threat to nearby water wells. IMPERILED AQUIFERS Firedregulator:Brownpushedtowaiveoilsafeguards RICHARDVOGEL—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS The sets sun behind pumpjacks operating at the Inglewood oil fields in the Baldwin Hills area of Los Angeles. Brown By Paul Elias The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO A judge ruled Friday that a man at the center of the na- tional immigration debate must stand trial on a murder charge in the shoot- ing of a young San Fran- cisco woman. Juan Francisco Lopez- Sanchez, 45, is charged with second-degree mur- der in the July 1 killing of 32-year-old Kate Steinle as she walked with her father and a family friend along the San Francisco water- front. He could face life in prison if convicted. Lopez-Sanchez acknowl- edged shooting Steinle but said the gun he found un- der a bench had fired acci- dentally. Prosecutors dis- agreed. "He could have fired the gun anywhere, but he fired at Kate Steinle," prosecu- tor Diane Garcia said in court. "He played his own version of Russian rou- lette." Public defender Matt Gonzalez said his client never pulled the trigger. Instead, he says Lopez- Sanchez found the gun wrapped in a T-shirt and it accidentally went off as he picked up the bundle. "This gun has no safety," Gonzalez said of the .40 caliber semiauto- matic pistol that was reported sto- len in June by a federal agent. Gonzalez said the gun is a common weapon used by law enforcement and police have re- ported other acci- dental discharges. Judge Brendan Conroy said he heard enough ev- idence over a five-day pre- liminary hearing to war- rant a jury trial for Lopez- Sanchez, who has pleaded not guilty. The shooting triggered a national debate over im- migration after it was re- vealed that the Sheriff's Department had released Lopez-Sanchez despite a federal request to detain him for possible deporta- tion. Lopez-Sanchez was pre- viously deported five times to his native Mexico. San Francisco Sher- iff Ross Mirkarimi said he was following city law when jailers released Lopez-Sanchez after a 20-year-old marijuana possession charge was dropped. The sheriff said his de- partment requires federal officials to obtain a war- rant or some other judi- cial notice in order for his jail to hold an inmate fac- ing possible deportation. SF PIER SHOOTING Man in immigration debate faces murder trial Sanchez The Associated Press SACRAMENTO One of the victims in the shooting of three students on a Sacra- mento college campus has been arrested, while au- thorities were still seeking the gunman who killed one and injured two. Rico Ridgeway, 25, was arrested Friday on sus- picion of assault with a deadly weapon a day after the shooting at Sacramento City College. Ridgeway was one of three people shot in a parking lot at the edge of campus, but suffered only a graze wound. One other 25-year-old man was killed and a third man was hos- pitalized but is expected to survive. Ridgeway was jailed then placed on a parole hold, po- lice said. They did not know if he'd hired an attorney or provide any other informa- tion on the evidence that led to his arrest. But police said previously that in addition to the gun- man, one man had pulled a knife in the dispute that led to the shooting. The gunman, who ran away after the shooting, wasn't found in a sweep of the campus and surround- ing neighborhood, Sacra- mento police Sgt. Doug Morse said. The dead victim was identified as Roman P. Gon- zalez, according to the Sac- ramento County coroner's office. His cousin, Vincent Trejo, said Gonzalez was in his first year at the college. "He was a good man always willing to lend a hand," Trejo said told the Sacramento Bee. Gonzalez had a criminal record, according to court records obtained by the Bee, including a no con- test plea to assault with a deadly weapon. A physical fight escalated when a knife and gun were pulled out Thursday after- noon in the parking lot near a softball field, police said, leading to the shooting. Authorities have not ruled out gang involvement. It was also unclear whether the gunman has any ties to the school, and police have not given a mo- tive. The campus was locked down for about two hours Thursday before police of- ficers had cleared all the buildings and allowed stu- dents and staff to leave, Morse said. Classes re- sumed on Friday. SACRAMENTO 1 dead, gunman still sought in college shooting RENÉE C. BYER/THE SACRAMENTO BEE A police officer stands guard as Sacramento City College is on lockdown while police search the area a er a shooting on Thursday. By Don Thompson The Associated Press SACRAMENTO Senators voted Friday to phase out the use of microscopic beads in personal care products sold in California starting in 2020 years to protect fish and wildlife, re- versing the chamber's ear- lier opposition. Previous versions of the ban passed the Assembly but failed in the Senate last year and again on Thurs- day. Friday's approval sends the measure back to the As- sembly for a final vote be- fore lawmakers adjourn for the year next week. Republicans said late amendments to AB888 prompted many manufac- turers and other business critics to drop their oppo- sition to California joining several other states in phas- ing out the so-called micro- beads. The tiny exfoliating beads found in soap, tooth- pasteandbodywashesareso small that they are showing up in the bodies of fish and other wildlife after passing through water filtration sys- tems without disintegrating. "This is going to wrap up a three-year process of work- ing on this legislation," said Sen. Ben Hueso, D-San Di- ego, who carried AB888 in the Senate. "I think this is monumental legislation. I think once again Califor- nia will lead the world in very important public pol- icy that other communities will adopt. They will see that it works for California and they will also want to do the same in protecting their communities, the health of their constituents and the health of mother earth." The latest measure passed, 24-14, despite con- tinued opposition from some members of both po- litical parties. Several said manufacturers already are developing more biodegrad- able products and shouldn't bepunishedwithadeadline. WILDLIFE IMPACT Senate shi s to outlaw microbeads in care items Sept. 12, 2015 • 10-4 FREE to the public. 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