Santa Cruz County made its opposition to offshore drilling official, with a letter to the Interior Department and pleas to the public to get involved to stop the Trump administration’s move to drill off the coast of California.
Environment
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Don’t risk our coast again: Say no to offshore drilling in Monterey Bay
OPINION: California learned the hard way that oil drilling and healthy oceans don’t mix, writes Dennis Kelso, a former UC Santa Cruz environmental studies professor who served as Alaska commissioner of environmental conservation during the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Supervisors move battery storage rules forward to environmental review; some residents are disappointed
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to approve new regulations for battery storage facilities, despite opposition from residents who want a more stringent ordinance. The rules will now undergo environmental review.
Posted inHousing & Development
Santa Cruz County opens seasonal groundwater testing window
Santa Cruz County has opened its annual groundwater monitoring period for properties that rely on on-site wastewater treatment systems. The testing period runs through Jan. 31.
Posted inLatest News
Cleanup of Moss Landing battery facility continues under EPA oversight; Phase 2 of building demolition to start mid-2026
Battery cleanup and disposal continues at the Moss Landing battery storage facility that burned almost a year ago, according to Monterey County officials. Approximately 12,000 of the 35,772 batteries have been removed and transported for recycling.
Posted inLatest News
Thinking green: City of Santa Cruz accepting applications for recycling training program
Santa Cruz’s Public Works Department is currently accepting applications for its 2026 Master Recycler Volunteer Training Program, in which participants will gain hands-on experience in waste reduction and recycling.
Posted inLatest News
Carmageddon: RTC seeking input on coastal resilience project; Watsonville police get grant for bike, pedestrian safety
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is seeking input on a coastal resiliency project along Highway 1 on the county’s north coast, with a workshop on the project set for the end of January. Meanwhile, the Watsonville Police Department received a state grant for bicycle and pedestrian safety efforts.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘This is the Super Bowl’: Consultant hired by county says Trump’s offshore drilling plans will test local ordinances
Richard Charter has been here before: In the 1980s, he was hired to organize an effort to block oil drilling off the coast of California. Now, with the Trump administration wanting to open the coast for drilling, he’s been hired to fight again by the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
California’s water partnerships are effective and in danger
Federal cuts imperil government and private water partnerships and hobble disaster planning, writes Letitia Grenier and Jeff Mount of the PPIC Water Policy Center. California must maintain its water expertise.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
What if Santa Cruz became the most sustainable city on Earth?
OPINION: Santa Cruz climate advocate Danielle Lanyard argues that the city is uniquely positioned to become a global model of ecological innovation by stitching together proven sustainability solutions from around the world.
