Coastal Blog — Legal
March 23 2012
Superior Court Upholds Los Angeles County Bag Ban
Legal Rise Above Plastics Bag Bans
In a Los Angeles Superior Court hearing today, Judge James C. Chalfant upheld the County of Los Angeles ordinance to impose a single-use plastic bag ban with a 10-cent fee on paper bags.
March 03 2012
Surfrider Hits the Nation’s Capital
Legal Rise Above Plastics Water Quality Oil Spill
This past week Surfrider Foundation staff visited Washington DC to promote our federal priorities on Capitol Hill. As a grassroots organization, our federal priorities stem from the work of the over 80 local Chapters in the United States. The common issues that have risen to the top of our local…
February 10 2012
California Coast Protected by Largest No-Discharge Zone in the Nation!
The federal Environmental Protection Agency approved a California Sewage Ban and Created the Largest Coastal No-Discharge Zone in the Nation on February 9, 2012.
January 28 2012
Being an Effective Voice for the Environment
On January 26, 2012, the Environmental Law Section of the State Bar of California presented a public workshop entitled “Your Voice: The Public’s Role in Environmental Decision-Making.” This blog outlines some of the take-home messages from that workshop.
December 23 2011
Surfrider Foundation Briefs the Appellate Court for Marine Life Protection
Know Your H20 Desalination Legal
On December 28, 2011, Surfrider Foundation filed an appellate brief articulating our opposition to the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board’s approval of the Carlsbad Desalination Plant without proper analyses of the appropriate site, design, and technology that would minimize harm to coastal resources. Additionally, the project approval allowed…
December 08 2011
Legislation to Help Restore Sharp Park Passes San Francisco Board of Supervisors
Surfrider Foundation's San Francisco Chapter is taking strides to protect coastal Sharp Park from the current mismanagement that includes reinforcement of a destructive sea wall and continued harm to endangered species. The Chapter received a positive vote from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors this week to transfer the park…
October 28 2011
Attorney General Files Complaint for Deceptive Water Bottle Labeling
The California Attorney General decided to take action against misleading water bottle labels falsely claiming recyclability and biodegradability. Attorney General Kamala Harris signed off on a Complaint for Injunction, Civil Penalties and Other Relief on behalf of the People of the State of California. The Complaint points out that the…
October 14 2011
Harmful Algal Bloom Bill Introduced in the Senate
The Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2011 (S.1701) was introduced by Senators Olympia Snowe (D-ME) and Bill Nelson (D-FL) yesterday to address the problem of Harmful Algal Blooms (commonly known as "HABs") that are making our coasts and oceans increasingly harmful to public health.…
September 22 2011
Surfrider Foundation Jointly Sues EPA for Lack of Study on Oil Dispersants
Today, Surfrider Foundation, Center for Biological Diversity and Pacific Environment jointly filed an official Notice of Intent to Sue against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for allowing the use of toxic oil dispersants without ensuring that these chemicals would not harm our coastal environment and coastal users. The 60-day notice…
September 19 2011
Marin County Wins Over the Save the Plastic Bag Coalition in Court
On September 15, 2011, Marin County Superior Court issued its ruling upholding the Marin County plastic bag ban in the case entitled Save The Plastic Bag Coalition v. County of Marin. The Court ruled that Marin County acted properly in relying upon a “categorical exemption” from the California Environmental Quality…
September 15 2011
Chico Bag Fends Off Lawsuit from Single-Use Bag Industry
The ChicoBag Company, makers of reusable bags, has announced that the lawsuit filed against it by Hilex Poly Company, LLC, Superbag Operating, LTD., and Advance Polybag, Inc. – three of the largest domestic manufacturers of disposable single-use plastic bags – has ended. Chico was sued in January under the Lanham…
August 25 2011
Maine High Court Ruling – Scuba Diving: 6, Exclusive Intertidal Zone: 0
Six Maine Justices Rule for an Expansive Interpretation of Public Trust Activities Today, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled in favor of beach access rights with the McGarvey v. Whittredge decision regarding the public access of recreationalists like scuba divers through the intertidal zone in Maine.
August 19 2011
LEGAL BATTLE AGAINST CARLSBAD DESALINATION CONTINUES AS POSEIDON IS STILL SEARCHING FOR FUNDING
Know Your H20 Desalination Legal
On August 18, 2011, Surfrider filed an appeal from a June decision by Judge Judith F. Hayes of the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego. In pursuing legal actions such as this one, Surfrider is striving to promote and achieve the goals of our Know Your H2O program…
August 11 2011
Coastal Hero Retires: Peter Douglas Steps Down from California Coastal Commission Directorship
On Wednesday at the monthly California Coastal Commission meeting, Peter Douglas announced his retirement after 26 years as Executive Director of the California Coastal Commission. Peter Douglas helped to write the guiding document for management of our California coasts with the Coastal Act of 1976, and has devoted his life…
July 25 2011
When Restoration is Not Restoration
The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 aims to make the public and environment whole for injuries to natural resources and natural-resource services resulting from an oil spill. Under the OPA, BP is liable for all damages to natural resources resulting from last year’s massive oil spill in the Gulf of…
July 14 2011
California Supreme Court Rules for Bag Bans
Today, the California Supreme Court ruled in favor of the City of Manhattan Beach’s single-use plastic bag ban, holding that state law does not require the City to complete a full Environmental Impact Report (“EIR”) in order to impose the ban. This decision undoubtedly will make it easier for cities…
July 06 2011
Surfrider Foundation Maui Chapter Sues Over Injection Wells
Surfrider Foundation sent a Notice of Intent to Sue for Clean Water Act violations to Maui County on June 28, 2011. The suit stems from the nearshore water quality impairment caused by the ongoing violations of the Lahaina Wastewater Treatment Plant. The County’s facility injects millions of gallons of wastewater…
June 29 2011
New Rulemaking for Coastal Power Plants
Our Environmental Protection Agency is currently allowing coastal power plants to continue using a cooling system that sucks in and grinds fish, flattens them on screens - or, if they make it through that process, the fish still face boiling hot water through the entrainment process. Virtually no marine life…
June 17 2011
California Coastal Commission 2010 Voting Record and 2011 Outlook
This week, Surfrider Foundation and partners released the 2010 California Coastal Commission Voting Chart. The Conservation Voting Chart tracks the voting record of the members of the California Coastal Commission and provides critical insight into Commissioner performance relating to its impact on natural coastal resources and their potential to set…
June 08 2011
Tearing Down Walls: Beach Access Litigation Victory at Dana Point Strands Beach
Surfrider Foundation vindicated public beach access rights in San Diego Superior Court, receiving a favorable ruling from Judge Joan Lewis this week. The ruling held that the "urgency ordinance" of the City of Dana Point declaring a public nuisance state to restrict beach access hours and lock gates to a…
