Court rules against CEQA "reform"

Judge rejects change to environmental law

Bob Egelko

SF Chronicle

April 2, 2013

...In a ruling from the bench on Friday, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch said that bypassing initial review in the lower court violates state constitutional standards for appeals. Roesch said he would issue a written ruling in the next few weeks, which the state could then appeal. In the meantime, environmental advocates praised his decision. The challenged provision of AB900 "would have deprived average Californians of their right to hold public agencies and developers accountable," said Bruce Reznik, executive director of the Planning and Conservation League. AB900 requires the governor to approve projects for the expedited review process, and Brown has certified only one so far: the proposed relocation of Apple Inc.'s Cupertino headquarters. The environmental study for that project has not been completed yet...