"Pacific Gas and Electric Co. must pay a record $1.4 billion in fines and other penalties for more than 3,700 violations of pipeline safety laws leading up to the deadly San Bruno natural-gas explosion, two administrative law judges said Tuesday."

"When San Francisco billionaire Tom Steyer speaks, Sacramento listens."

Drought-stricken California has not built any new big dams for decades, for a number of reasons. Now some in the state are trying to launch a new dam-building surge.

"SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The worst drought in a generation has pushed California lawmakers to overhaul the state's longstanding "pump-as-you-please" groundwater policy under a package of bills lawmakers sent Friday to Gov. Jerry Brown."

"The state Senate on Friday gave final legislative approval to a measure that would phase out single-use plastic bags in supermarkets, pharmacies and convenience stores as part of an effort to rid beaches and streets of litter."

"An outbreak of algae-produced biotoxins that attack animals' brains also poses a grave risk to humans"

"In a sharp rebuke of state plans for a massive water tunnel system in Northern California, federal environmental officials say that the project would violate pollution standards and could worsen conditions for imperiled fish species."

"Signifiers of the good life, local bivalves may be harbingers of another phenomenon: species extinction."

"The debate began as the largest blaze ever seen in the Sierra still burned: Should officials cut down the thousands of "ghost" trees left behind by last summer's Rim fire, or leave nature alone?"

"Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said the recent earthquake in Northern California shows the need for an earthquake early warning system."