Groups Push for CEQA Reform to Help Rebuild California's Economy

There have been recent discussions and proposals around reforming CEQA to have it better address its original intent.

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) was adopted in 1970 to inform decision makers and the public about potentially significant environmental impacts associated with a project. CEQA requires a thorough public review and analysis focused on a framework of environmental concerns. CEQA is intended to disclose potentially significant environmental impacts of proposed projects, and seeks to eliminate or reduce those impacts through design changes, alternatives or imposing feasible measures to mitigate those impacts. If impacts cannot feasibly be avoided or mitigated, CEQA requires a statement why a project was nevertheless approved.

These laudable intentions, however, have become muddled. CEQA has recently been used more as a weapon to stop development projects by groups opposed to them. Multiple groups are seeking CEQA reform aimed at returning CEQA closer to its intended purpose.

Among the reforms sought are:

• raising the threshold of judicial review for documents other than environmental impact reports (EIRs),  
• adhering to the one year CEQA timeline and allowing 3rd parties to assist in the review if the localities are overwhelmed, and  
• allowing public comment only during the public comment period.