Thomas Law Group attends SCBA Annual Meeting, Honoring Distinguished Attorney of the Year, Justice Arthur Scotland (ret.)
OPR Releases a Preliminary Draft of Changes to the CEQA Guidelines Related to SB 743
On August 6, 2014, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (“OPR”) released a Notice of Availability of a Preliminary Discussion Draft of Changes to the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) Guidelines Related to SB 743 (Steinberg, 2013; “Preliminary Discussion Draft”). These updates are geared towards the evaluation of transportation impacts under CEQA.
Traffic studies
Superior Court Grants Attorney General Leave to Appear as Amicus Curiae in Support of Greenhouse Gas Analysis Prepared for Plan Bay Area
On May 16, 2014, in Bay Area Citizens v. Assn. of Bay Area Governments, et al (Case No. RG13690631), the Alameda County Superior Court granted an Ex Parte Application filed by the Attorney General on behalf of the People of the State of California to file an amicus curiae brief. In its amicus curiae brief,
Merced County Board of Supervisors Unanimously Approves the Vega Solar Photovoltaic Project
On January 28, 2014, the Merced County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a conditional use permit and certified an environmental impact report (EIR) for a project to construct a 20 megawatt solar photovoltaic electrical generation facility on a 178.3 acre site in the Los Banos area of the County. It is anticipated that the project
City of Sacramento Uses SB 226 Infill Exemption to Approve a Residential Care Facility in the Central City
On January 7, 2014, the City of Sacramento unanimously approved a Conditional Use Permit and took related actions authorizing the development of a three-story 28-room residential care facility on a 0.36-acre parcel in the Central City. In approving the Project, the City found the Project was exempt from CEQA because, among other reasons, it is
California Public Utilities Commission Awards $1.5 Million for Neighborhood Association’s Successful Opposition to a Natural Gas Storage Project Located in an Urban Residential Neighborhood
On Thursday, November 14, 2013, the California Public Utilities Commission (Commission) unanimously approved the award of almost $1.5 million to the Avondale-Glen Elder Neighborhood Association (AGENA) to reimburse expenses incurred in its approximately 5-year battle to oppose the Sacramento Natural Gas Storage, LLP (SNGS) proposal to store 8 billion cubic feet of natural gas underneath
Thomas Law Group 2013 Holiday Party
Modernizing CEQA Requires More than Repackaging Existing CEQA Procedures
On January 18, 2013, Senator Ellen Corbett introduced Senate Bill 123 which, if enacted, will require the presiding judge of each superior court to create an environmental and land use division. The specialized division would hear cases regarding the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), air quality, climate change, hazardous materials, and other biological resource subject
Governor Brown Calls for Streamlining CEQA
On January 24, 2013, Governor Jerry Brown discussed the need for CEQA reform in his State Of The State address. In discussing CEQA, Governor Brown explained that streamlining CEQA could help California regain its fiscal footing and create new jobs. To achieve these goals, Governor Brown stated that CEQA must be implemented to apply “consistent
Merced County Board of Supervisors Unanimously Approves the Quinto Solar Photovoltaic Project
On November 6, 2012, the Merced County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the Quinto Solar Photovoltaic Project, certified the Environmental Impact Report for the Project and approved a Solar Benefits Agreement between the applicant and the County. The Project will generate 110-megawatts of new solar power utilizing approximately 320,000 monocrystalline silicon solar panels mounted to