Projects Fast-Tracking Bill Advances

Environmental and land use lawyers discuss a closely watched bill aimed at fast-tracking legal challenges to an NFL stadium in Los Angeles and other state projects to accelerate efforts in Sacramento to retool the California Environmental Quality Act.

Michael Zischke said in the September 12, 2012 article of the Daily Journal that the bills could hinder efforts to further rework the statue to reduce hurdles face by “infill developments” near transit centers and existing infrastructure.

Zischke, who focuses his practice on CEQA said that as a result of SB 292 and AB 900, the legislature would say ‘A-ha, we don’t need to talk about CEQA anymore. Then the broader issues don’t get resolved.”

SB 292, authored by Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Pacoima, would compress any potential litigation against the Los Angeles NFL stadium by mandating that any suits contesting the project’s environmental review bypass LA County Superior Court and go directly to the 2nd District Court of appeals.  The appellate panel would have 175 days to rule, potentially bypassing years of delays.

AB 900, proposed by Senate President Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, would enable a variety of $100 million-plus residential commercial, sports, cultural, entertainment, recreational and renewable energy projects to apply to the governor for similar fast tracking.