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Environmental Defense Fund Archive
Collection 232

Record Group 4: California Office

Administrative Information

Physical Description
Total Length: 80.5 linear ft.
Physical formats:  Paper, photographs, maps, 16mm film.

Dates
1971-1985.

Provenance
Transferred by the EDF office manager in 1989.

Subject Headings
California State Water Project
Central Valley Project (California)
Electric Power--Conservation
Electric Utilities—Forecasting
Electric Supply—Rates
Energy Conservation
Nuclear Power Plants
Power plants
Water Resources Development

Scope and Content Note

The records of the Berkeley office of the Environmental Defense Fund document activities of the attorneys, scientists and staff committed to environmental issues impacting California and the western states. The records begin in 1971 at the office's inception and continue through 1984.

The Berkeley office was concerned with maintaining environmental policy and standards through the means of litigation, participation in administrative hearings, scientific research, presenting testimony and papers, and working with government agencies.

The records are divided into sub-groups by program area. Within each sub-group the records are broken down into case files, project files and public statements/texts.  The project files and public statements/texts often, but not always, relate to an issue that EDF litigated.  For example, the operation of the Central Valley Project was the basis for an EDF case; further documentation of EDF’s involvement is also found in the testimony and comments series.

Covered in the record group are the basic activities of the office as it functioned in the 1970s and early 1980s. The records are divided into five sub-groups: Sub-group 1: Administrative records; Sub-group II: Energy/Air Program; Sub-group III: Water Program;
Sub-group IV: Environmental Health/Toxic Program; and Sub-group V: Transportation Program.

Each program sub-group is divided into sub-sub groups: program administration files, legal files, project files, and public statements/texts.

Sub-group 1 the administrative records documenting fundraising and publicity activities; the bulk of this series contains grant files, benefit planning files, inter-office bulletins, and press releases.

Sub-sub-groups II.2, III.2, IV.2 and V.2 contain case files documenting EDF’s mission: for the most part, they used the courts to enforce adherence to environmental policy, and to encourage alternatives to projects that would lessen impacts on the environment. The formats found most frequently are: pleadings, briefs, testimony and exhibits. Published reports appear as background documents, which may have been consulted in preparation for the cases.

Sub-sub-groups II.3, III.3, IV.3 and V.3 contain project files documenting activities outside the courtroom such as participation of EDF staff in committees, meetings and research projects.  Correspondence and meeting minutes appear most frequently.

Sub-sub-groups II.4, III.4, IV.4 and V.4 contain public statements and texts which collect the testimony, speeches and writings of the staff.  The statements comment on recommendations or take a position on proposed policies and regulations pertaining to water resources, energy resources and to a lesser extent, toxics.

Topics

The legal files comprise the bulk of the record group as it stands now.  Listed below are the highlights of the litigation records listed by topic. Please see the sub-group and series descriptions for more information.

Dams & Reservoirs

Litigation Files
Central Valley Project—Auburn Folsom Unit
Central Valley Project—New Melones Dam
Central Valley Project—San Felipe Division
Denniston Creek Project
Dry Canyon Project, Los Angeles Flood Control District
Gillham Dam & Reservoir, Arkansas
Marysville Dam

See:
Sub-group III.2, Series 1

Project Files
California State Water Project--Finance

See:
Sub-group III.3 Series 2

Public Statements/Texts:
Central Valley Project
Denniston Creek Project

See:
Sub-group III.4 Series 1-3

Electricity Load Forecasting

Litigation Files
Hearing before the Energy Resources Conservation & Development Commission on the Public Utility Commission’s ten-year forecast of electric loads

See:
Sub-group II.2 Series 1

Electricity Conservation

Litigation Files
Application of Pacific Gas & Electric for review of conservation programs
Conservation programs, New York

See:
Sub-group II.2 Series 1

Public Statements/Texts
Energy conservation measures

See:
Sub-group II.4 Series 1-3

Electric Rate Design

Litigation Files
Application of Pacific Gas & Electric to increase rate for electric and gas service

See: Sub-group II.2 Series 1

Public Statements/Texts
Electric rate design

See: Sub-group II.4 Series 1-3

Hazardous waste disposal

See: Sub-group IV.4 Series 1-3

Integrated Pest Management

Hearings Files

See: Sub-group IV.2 Series 1

Pesticide use and integrated pest management

See: Sub-group IV.4 Series 1-3

Power Plants

Litigation Files
Allen Warner Valley Energy System
Alton Coal Mine, Allen Warner Valley Energy System
Independence Power Plant, Arkansas Power & Light
Nine Mile Point 2, New York
Nuclear Power Plants—Regulations
Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Plant, Arizona
Sundesert Nuclear Project, San Diego Gas & Electric

See:
Sub-group II.2 Series 1

Public Statements/Texts
Allen Warner Valley Energy System
New Mexico Generating Station
Nine Mile Point 2
Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Plant

See:
Sub-group II.4 Series 1 & 3

Solar Energy

Litigation Files
Order Instituting Investigation no. 42—Financing solar energy systems

See: Sub-group II.2 Series 1

Public Statements/Texts
Electric utilities and solar energy

See: Sub-group II.4 Series 2 & 3

Water Quality

Litigation Files
Sacramento-San Joaquin Water Quality Control Plan

See: SG III.2 Series 1

Public Statements/Texts
California Water Plan
Federal Water Pollution Control Act amendments
Groundwater
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta water quality control plan
Wastewater facilities for the City & County of San Francisco

Water Supply

California State Water Project
Central Valley Project
Environmental Defense Fund v. East Bay Municipal District

See:  Sub-group III.2 Series 1

Project Files
California State Water Project
Water Marketing

See: Sub-group III.3 Series 2

Public Statements/Texts
California State Water Project-Harvey O. Banks Pumping Unit
Central Valley Project-San Luis Unit
Colorado River
Peripheral Canal

See: Sub-group III.4 Series 1-3