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
Court Finds Evidence Plaintiff Should Have Known About CEQA Violation At Time Injury Occurred Over A Year Ago, Therefore Court Held Plaintiff’s CEQA Claim Time Barred
By Thomas Law Group on
Posted in Procedural Issues
In Lucille Saunders v. City of Los Angeles (2012) 2012 Cal. App. Unpub. LEXIS 6965, Lucille Saunders (Saunders) and Fix the City sought writs of mandate to require the City of Los Angeles (City) to comply with its general plan, its municipal code, applicable Government Codes, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Second…
Appellate Court Finds No Issue with the Timing of San Francisco’s Permit Issuance for T-Mobile’s Project
By Thomas Law Group on
Posted in Exemptions
In Wendy Robinson v. City and County of San Francisco (2012) 208 Cal.App.4th 950, the First District Court of Appeal upheld the City’s approval of T-Mobile’s installation of wireless telecommunication equipment on existing utility poles throughout San Francisco as proper under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
The issue raised by appellants (a group of…
Petitioners Have the Burden of Proof to Establish Substantial Evidence Supporting a Fair Argument that a Project May Have a Significant Effect on the Environment
By Thomas Law Group on
Posted in Negative Declaration
In an unpublished decision, Agriculture, Business & Labor Education Coalition of San Luis Obispo County v. County of San Luis Obispo, 2012 Cal.App. Unpub. LEXIS 7948, the Second Appellate District upheld the trial court’s decision that an environmental group did not meet its burden of proof to show the County’s proposed amendments to the…
Appellate Court Upholds EIR Given its Discrepancies Are Minor and Present No Risk of Prejudice to the Environmental Review Process
By Thomas Law Group on
In Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center v. County of Siskiyou (2012) 210 Cal.App.4th 184, Siskiyou County (County) approved a project to expand an existing wood veneer manufacturing facility for the cogeneration of electricity for resale. The Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center and the Weed Concerned Citizens (Plaintiffs) sought a writ of mandate against County claiming…
Thomas Law Group Ranks as a Tier 1 Law Firm
By Thomas Law Group on
Posted in News
The U.S.News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” rankings names Thomas Law Group as one of the best law firms in Sacramento in Land Use & Zoning Law and Environmental Law. Only four other law firms in Sacramento were given a “Tier 1” ranking in either Land Use & Zoning Law or Environmental Law. For…
Bloomberg Businessweek Publishes Article on Potential CEQA Reform
By Thomas Law Group on
Posted in News
On November 1, 2012, Bloomberg Businessweek published an article about significant CEQA reform that is anticipated to be proposed next legislative session. Thomas Law Group has been working closely with Senator Michael Rubio in regard to the potential reform. Please see the Bloomberg Business week article here: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-11-01/california-environmental-law-marked-for-biggest-change-since-70
Court Creates a Split in Authority by Holding a City was Compelled to Place a Voter-Backed Initiative on the Ballot Unless it Could Complete CEQA Review Within Election Law Time Limits
By Thomas Law Group on
Posted in Scope of CEQA
In Tuolumne Jobs & Small Business Alliance v. Superior Court of Tuolumne County (2012) 2012 Cal.App.LEXIS 1138 (Tuolumne Jobs), the Fifth District Court of Appeal clarified that an effort by registered voters to qualify an initiative petition for the ballot does not foreclose the need for CEQA review unless the voters approve the…
Placing a Measure on the Ballot to Establish Competitive Bidding for Trash Service Contracts is not a Project under CEQA
By Thomas Law Group on
Posted in Scope of CEQA
In Chung v. City of Monterey Park, (2012) Cal.App. LEXIS 1097, the Second District Court of Appeal upheld a trial court’s ruling that Measure BB, a City of Monterey Park municipal ballot measure, was not a project subject to CEQA and therefore the measure did not require environmental review before being placed on the…
EIR Found Deficient With Regard to Water Supply Impacts and Deferred Butterfly Mitigation
By Thomas Law Group on
In Preserve Wild Santee v. City of Santee (2012) 2012 Cal. App. LEXIS 1091, petitioners challenged the City of Santee’s (City) certification of a final environmental impact report (EIR) for a development project in the City, claiming the project violated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in several ways. The trial court found merit in…