Over 3,700 Pounds of Trash Removed as Result of EDC’s Goleta Creeks Cleanup Program
December 13, 2016Over the past summer and fall months, teams of volunteers led by EDC have been venturing down into Goleta’s urban creeks in an effort to remove the vast amount of accumulated trash before winter rains wash it to the ocean and local beaches and were able to remove an astounding 3,717 pounds of trash from ten local creeks. After over 270 hours of volunteer work, almost two tons of trash – full of plastic bags and water bottles, styrofoam, derelict homeless shelters, shopping carts, batteries, car parts and even hazardous materials – is no longer impacting our watersheds or threatening to pollute our beaches.
Read MoreJim Hammock, Jim Salzman & Diane Wondolowski Join Board of Environmental Defense Center
December 06, 2016The Environmental Defense Center is proud to announce the expansion of its Board of Directors to include three leaders widely recognized in their individual fields: Jim Hammock, Jim Salzman and Diane Wondolowski.
Read MoreGroups File Lawsuit Challenging Federal Approval of Offshore Fracking and Acidizing
November 11, 2016Today with Santa Barbara Channelkeeper we filed a lawsuit challenging the failure of the federal government to analyze and disclose the potential risks and impacts caused by fracking and acidizing from offshore oil platforms in southern California, including the Santa Barbara Channel. The lawsuit alleges that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement violated the federal Endangered Species Act because they failed to consult with the expert wildlife agencies regarding potential impacts from these well stimulation techniques to at least 25 threatened and endangered species, including whales, sea otters, fur seals, sea turtles, marine and coastal birds, fish, and abalone.
Read MoreSupervisors Deny 144 New Oil Wells
November 01, 2016This week, a majority of the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors took a courageous stand for our environment. Pacific Coast Energy Company (PCEC) had pressed hard for approval to drill another 144 new cyclic steam injection oil wells, doubling the size of their operations near Orcutt. Our supervisors who denied this dangerous project deserve our thanks for recognizing that doubling the size of a bad project would only lead to twice the damage and twice the risk.
Read MoreSan Luis Obispo Planning Commission Denies Phillips 66’s Oil Trains Project
October 05, 2016The San Luis Obispo County Planning Commission today voted to reject Phillips 66’s proposed oil train facility in Nipomo. The decision comes after a nearly three-year review process, with more than 20,000 Californians opposing the project, and more than 45 cities, counties, and school boards sending letters urging the planning commission to deny it.
Read MoreGroups Initiate Lawsuit Against Federal Government to Protect Endangered Species From Offshore Fracking and Acidizing
August 10, 2016EDC and Santa Barbara Channelkeeper sent a notice of intent to sue the federal government over its decision to approve the practices of fracking and acidizing from 23 offshore oil platforms in southern California, including in the Santa Barbara Channel. The notice letter alleges that the federal government is in violation of the federal Endangered Species Act (“ESA”) because it failed to consult with the expert wildlife agencies regarding potential impacts from these well stimulation techniques to at least 25 threatened and endangered species, including whales, sea otters, fur seals, sea turtles, marine and coastal birds, fish, and abalone.
Read MoreEPA Fails to Address Major Source of Water Pollution: Forest Road Runoff
June 27, 2016The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today decided not to protect our nation’s rivers and streams from polluted water running off of forest roads. A court ordered the agency to consider regulations from this significant pollution source more than 10 years ago. Today’s announcement comes 17 years after co-plaintiffs Environmental Defense Center and Natural Resources Defense Council initially challenged EPA’s 1999 stormwater regulations for failing to address forest road runoff.
Read MoreEDC Statement on Today’s Crimson Oil Spill in Ventura
June 23, 2016“After visiting the Crimson pipeline oil spill site in Ventura near Prince Barranca Valley/Hall Canyon this morning, the Environmental Defense Center (EDC) is closely monitoring the spill and the response efforts, as a fast response is critically important to protect our communities and environment. Although the pipeline spill was a couple miles inland right in town, there was fear the crude could reach the beach at Ventura State Beach between Pierpont and the Promenade. Fortunately, this has been avoided. So far estimates for the size of this spill have been all over the map. It is important to remember that with last year’s Plains All American Oil Spill at Refugio Beach, the initial industry estimates were orders of magnitude below reality. But we are still very early in understanding the scope of this spill and the challenges that yet another major oil spill will deliver to our region. Regardless of the size, any amount of spilled oil is inexcusable and destructive.
Read MoreProtecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies Project to Receive National Clean Air Excellence Award
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency next week will honor the partners behind the Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies project — which reduced ship speeds in the Santa Barbara Channel to cut air pollution and protect endangered whale species — with a national Clean Air Excellence Award. The Clean Air Excellence Awards recognize outstanding efforts to achieve cleaner air. The agencies and organizations who collaborated on this project are one of only a select number of honorees this year.
Read MoreLee Heller Named Santa Barbara Cox Conserves Hero for 2016
May 31, 2016Long-time environmental and animal welfare activist Lee Heller, PhD has been named Santa Barbara’s Cox Conserves Hero for 2016 by Cox Communications and The Trust for Public Land, in recognition of her many years of work creating, preserving or enhancing shared outdoor spaces. Dr. Heller served on the Board of Directors of the Environmental Defense Center from 2011 through 2015, and as Board President in 2015.
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