2011 Third Quarter CEQA Case Law Update

The California courts continued to be active in considering CEQA cases during the third quarter of 2011, with 11 decisions summarized in this Update. The decisions include a significant ruling from the California Supreme Court regarding the extent to which CEQA applies to agency decisions to ban plastic bags. In addition, a court upheld the greenhouse gas emissions analysis in an environmental impact report for a new hospital, holding that the EIR was not required to consider every single mitigation measure on the Attorney General’s recommended list of such measures. There are also two lengthy decisions evaluating EIR analyses of cultural resources and other impacts, one upholding the analysis and another rejecting it.

CASES IN THIS ISSUE:

Save the Plastic Bag Coalition v. City of Manhattan Beach

Del Cerro Mobile Estates v. City of Placentia

Clover Valley Foundation v. City of Rocklin

Silverado Modjeska Recreation District v. County of Orange

Santa Clarita Organization for Planning the Environment v. City of Santa Clarita

Edna Valley Watch v. County of San Luis Obispo

Coalition for a Sustainable Future in Yucaipa v. City of Yucaipa

Schenck v. County of Sonoma

Ross v. California Coastal Commission

Madera Oversight Coalition, Inc. v. County of Madera

Hillside Memorial Park & Mortuary v. Golden State Water Co.

Download Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP's 2011 Third Quarter CEQA Case Law Update Newsletter.