Media Center

Appellate Court Rules Port of LA Must Obey Environmental Law or Risk Closure of Largest Terminal

January 3, 2024 Press ReleaseLos Angeles

After decades of violating state environmental law to benefit its largest shipping customer, the Port of Los Angeles must take long-overdue measures to protect the health and well-being of residents and workers from diesel exhaust and other air pollutants, the…

Governor Newsom Signs Bill to Protect Californians and Pollinators from Dangerous Neurotoxins

October 11, 2023 Press ReleaseSacramento

With the support of Governor Newsom and persistence from the state legislature, California has passed AB 363, which bans over the counter sales of lawn and garden neonicotinoid (neonic) pesticides by 2025, limiting their use to trained professionals. The bill…

Governor Newsom Stands Up to Big Oil, Protecting California Communities and Taxpayers

October 7, 2023 Press ReleaseSacramento

In a strong move to hold oil companies responsible for the economic and public health dangers of oil wells left idle and unplugged, Governor Gavin Newsom has signed AB 1167, the “Orphan Well Prevention Act,” into law. This bill, authored…

Groups File Lawsuit to Require California to Regulate Pesticide-Treated Seeds 

February 21, 2023 Press ReleaseCalifornia

Legal challenge calls on state Department of Pesticide Regulation to close loophole on unregulated sale, use of pesticides on seeds.

NRDC Statement on Climate Smart CARB Appointments

January 31, 2023 Press ReleaseCalifornia

Governor Gavin Newsom appointed six members to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) late yesterday.

Newsom Administration Releases Plan to Combat California’s Biodiversity and Climate Crises

December 15, 2021 Press ReleaseCalifornia

SACRAMENTO – The California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) today released its draft Pathways to 30x30 document, which identifies strategies to achieve California’s conservation goal, called “30x30,” after receiving broad public input, including from stakeholder groups and Tribal nations throughout the…

Southern California Air Board Approves Much-Needed Refinery Rule

November 5, 2021 Press ReleaseCalifornia

LOS ANGELES – The Governing Board of the Southern California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District today unanimously voted for the refinery rule. The rule will require refineries and related facilities to finally install pollution control equipment that reduces harmful air pollutants, such as nitrogen…

Huntington Beach Disaster is Ugly, Sad Reminder: Offshore Drilling Risks are Real

October 4, 2021 Press ReleaseCalifornia

LOS ANGELES – The massive oil spill off Huntington Beach this weekend tarred and killed birds, fish and other marine life, inundating sensitive wetlands and threatening ecosystems, the community and the local economy. Officials have closed local beaches indefinitely in…

Governor Newsom Signs “Bruce’s Beach” Bill

September 30, 2021 Press ReleaseCalifornia

Los Angeles County will now return land to living descendants impacted by racist land practices

California Passes Nation’s First Building Code that Establishes Pollution-free Electric Heat Pumps as Baseline Technology; Leads Transition Off of Fossil Fuels in New Homes

August 11, 2021 Press ReleaseCalifornia

A majority of the state’s new homes and buildings estimated to be gas-free starting in 2023, cutting climate pollution and delivering significant air quality gains

California Certifies Groundbreaking Citizen Initiative Aimed at Reducing Plastics Waste

July 20, 2021 Press ReleaseCalifornia

SACRAMENTO – Conservation groups joined forces today in applaud the certification of the California Recycling and Plastic Pollution Reduction Act for the November 2022 statewide ballot. Nearly 900,000 California voters signed petitions to put the measure on the ballot that…

Senator Padilla Proposes Protection of One Million Acres of CA Public Land

May 3, 2021 Press ReleaseCalifornia

SACRAMENTO – Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif) announced Monday that he is introducing legislation to increase protection of more than one million acres of public lands and 500 miles of rivers in California.

Assemblymember Kalra Introduces Bill to Make California a Leader in Ending Deforestation Through Sustainable Government Purchasing

February 4, 2021 Press ReleaseCalifornia

SACRAMENTO – Following a year of a record-breaking number of devastating fires in tropical forests around the world and the continued degradation of boreal forests in North America, Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) and bill co-sponsors, Friends of the Earth…

Conservancy Sues Tejon Ranch Company to Enforce Conservation Agreement

January 26, 2021 Press ReleaseCalifornia

LOS ANGELES – The Tejon Ranch Conservancy (Conservancy) today joined a coalition lawsuit against the Tejon Ranch Company (Company), asking a Kern County Superior Court to find the company in breach of the landmark 2008 Tejon Ranch Conservation and Land…

Groups Support Legal Action Calling for Oversight of Metal Shredding Facilities

January 8, 2021 Press ReleaseCalifornia

OAKLAND – Environmental justice and conservation groups filed an amicus brief today in calling on the California Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) to regulate metal shredding facilities throughout the state.

Governor Newsom Announces Executive Order to Address Biodiversity Crisis

October 7, 2020 Press ReleaseCalifornia

Sacramento - Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order announcing new actions in the fight against climate change and to protect biodiversity. The Executive Order includes a statewide “30 by 30” conservation goal, which was the focus of Assembly bill…

More than 175 Leading Scientists Unite to Protect California’s Biodiversity

May 28, 2020 Press ReleaseCalifornia

SACRAMENTO, CA – More than 175 scientists and researchers who live or work in California have joined together in an open letter urging California policymakers to enact Assembly Bill (AB) 3030. Introduced by Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose), AB 3030…

Court Derails Trump Administration’s Efforts to Take More Water from Bay-Delta

May 12, 2020 Press ReleaseCalifornia

SACRAMENTO – The Federal Court for the Eastern District of California granted in part a preliminary injunction yesterday against the Trump Administration’s efforts to increase water diversions from California’s Bay-Delta, which threaten endangered species including winter-run Chinook salmon, Delta Smelt…

California Delivers Blow to Trump Administration’s Plan for Extinction in Bay-Delta

April 21, 2020 Press ReleaseCalifornia

SACRAMENTO – The California Attorney General, representing Governor Newsom and the State of California, filed a motion today in federal court for a preliminary injunction to stop the implementation of the Trump Administration’s biological opinions (permits under the Endangered Species…

L.A. City Council Members Aim to Prevent Amazon Deforestation

February 26, 2020 Press ReleaseCalifornia

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles City Councilmembers Paul Koretz (5th District) and David Ryu (4th District) presented a motion today to put an end to City purchases of products derived from the deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest. The Councilmembers further…