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CEQA has been in effect since 1970, when it was signed into law by Governor Ronald Regan. Over the past 46 years, there have been many debates about the effect CEQA has on the California economy. In response to recent analyses that link CEQA to economic challenges in the State, the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment released a report on August 15, 2016 entitled “CEQA in the 21st Century: Environmental Quality, Economic Prosperity, and Sustainable Development in California.”

Key findings of the report include:

  • Since 2002, the state has averaged 195 CEQA lawsuits a year.
  • Lawsuits were filed for less than 1 out of every 100 projects reviewed under CEQA that were not considered exempt.
  • In San Francisco, only 14 environmental impact reports (EIRs) were prepared in the past three years (less than 5 EIRs per year).
  • Because California consistently ranks among the top states in terms of economic prosperity and development, the report concludes that the State’s environmental protections, including CEQA, have not constrained growth.

The full report can be accessed at: https://www.pcl.org/media/CEQA-in-the-21st-Century.pdf