Latest News

10.06.21 Local leaders survey oil spill cleanup at Talbert Marsh in Huntington Beach

By Matt Szabo

Excerpted from the Daily Pilot

Local elected officials took a tour of the oil-spill-affected Talbert Marsh in Huntington Beach on Wednesday, as the cleanup continues.

Workers from Patriot Environmental Services, based in Wilmington, used rakes and large white bags to remove oil from the area near the rocks by the shore. The oil was then deposited in a dumpster at the marsh, located south of Brookhurst Street off Pacific Coast Highway.

Small Business Roundtable: Removing Regulatory Hurdles on the Road to Success

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

10.05.21 Newsom approves laws to revamp California’s unemployment benefits system

By Patrick McGreevy

Excerpted from the LA Times

Faced with criticism from many Californians thrown out of work during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday gave his approval to a package of bills aimed at reducing delays and fraud in the state’s beleaguered unemployment benefits system.

RELEASE: Rampant EDD Unemployment Insurance Fraud Prevention Measure Enacted

Tuesday, October 5, 2021

New Law Will Safeguard Taxpayer Unemployment Funds

SACRAMENTO – After California lost more than $810 million taxpayer dollars last year to unemployment insurance (UI) fraud, legislation to implement standard fraud-prevention practices at California’s Employment Development Department (EED) was signed into law.

10.5.21 Who knew about the Orange County oil spill and when?

Excerpted from the LA Times

By Anita Chabria, Hannah Fry, Connor Sheets, Jacyln Cosgrove, Anh Do

10.5.21 Gov. Newsom Declares State Of Emergency as Officials Say Oil Leak is Shut Off

Excerpted from Voice of OC

By Noah Biesiada

Governor Gavin Newsom issued a state of emergency late Monday over the oil spill off the coast of Orange County while officials say that the leak is stopped and not continuing to leak.

The letter calls on a variety of state agencies to continue and enhance their work in Orange County after an oil spill dumped around 126,000 gallons into the water just a few miles off the coast of Orange County.

10.5.21 California’s new state of emergency

Excerpted from CalMatters

By Emily Hoeven

At nearly 10 pm on Monday night, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Orange County due to the region’s largest oil spill in three decades.

10.4.21 Orange County Oil Spill - Request for Emergency Declaration.pdf

Monday, October 4, 2021

Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Laguna Beach), Senator Dave Min (D-Irvine), Senator Tom Umberg (D-Orange County) sent a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom calling on him to declare a State of Emergency for the oil spill off the Coast of Orange County to cut red tape and help the state quickly mobilize all available resources.

10.4.21 Destructive Oil Spill in California is Killing Sea Creatures and Contaminating Wetlands

Excerpted from Nature World News

By Precious Smith

Fish dead, birds mired in petroleum and wetlands polluted as large amounts of oil spill off the southern California coast. This prompted local officials to call the event an environmental catastrophe.

[...]

A Democratic state assembly member who represents some regions which the spill affected, Cottie Petrie-Norris, said she had "huge concerns" regarding the amount of the damage done to the environment, local economy, and communities.

10.02.21 Oil Slick Off OC Coastline Expected To Come Ashore At Some Point Saturday Night, Officials Say

Excerpted from CBSLA

More than 120,000 gallons of crude oil from an offshore oil rig has leaked into the waters off the OC Coastline in what city officials are calling a potential ecological disaster.

According to the Coast Guard, which reported the incident at 12:18 p.m., the slick was approximately three miles off Newport Beach and 13 square miles in size.

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