ZenMode
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Oddly, there's no real effort to address one of CA's biggest issues related to environmental requirements: housing.
California lawmakers today approved one of the most substantial rollbacks of the state’s signature environmental review law in decades, including a controversial exemption that would allow high-tech manufacturing plants to be built in industrial zones with no environmental review.
The changes to the California Environmental Quality Act were embedded in a last-minute budget bill that sailed through the Senate and the Assembly. The new law exempts nine types of projects from environmental reviews: child care centers, health clinics, food banks, farmworker housing, broadband, wildfire prevention, water infrastructure, public parks or trails and, notably, advanced manufacturing.
Aiming to streamline and lower the cost of construction in California, the new law also restricts legal challenges under CEQA by narrowing which documents courts can consider. It also allows limited environmental reviews of projects that don’ t have an array of impacts.
The changes in the 54-year-old law were forced by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who told legislators last week that he would not approve the state’s $321 billion spending plan without them. A provision in the budget act approved last week stated the spending plan “shall be inoperative and repealed” if changes to the state’s environmental review process were not final by midnight tonight.
Newsom signed the bill tonight, after it passed with overwhelming votes in the Senate and Assembly.
calmatters.org
California lawmakers approve last-minute, sweeping rollbacks of environmental law
California lawmakers today approved one of the most substantial rollbacks of the state’s signature environmental review law in decades, including a controversial exemption that would allow high-tech manufacturing plants to be built in industrial zones with no environmental review.
The changes to the California Environmental Quality Act were embedded in a last-minute budget bill that sailed through the Senate and the Assembly. The new law exempts nine types of projects from environmental reviews: child care centers, health clinics, food banks, farmworker housing, broadband, wildfire prevention, water infrastructure, public parks or trails and, notably, advanced manufacturing.
Aiming to streamline and lower the cost of construction in California, the new law also restricts legal challenges under CEQA by narrowing which documents courts can consider. It also allows limited environmental reviews of projects that don’ t have an array of impacts.
The changes in the 54-year-old law were forced by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who told legislators last week that he would not approve the state’s $321 billion spending plan without them. A provision in the budget act approved last week stated the spending plan “shall be inoperative and repealed” if changes to the state’s environmental review process were not final by midnight tonight.
Newsom signed the bill tonight, after it passed with overwhelming votes in the Senate and Assembly.
Last-minute California budget includes sweeping environmental law rollbacks
Major changes include an exemption for high-tech industrial plants and other projects. The move, fast-tracked under pressure from Gov. Gavin Newsom, sparked fierce pushback from environmental, community and labor groups.
calmatters.org