Key California Environmental Law Not a Barrier to Development, New State Report Says #realestate #economy #homeownership #finance

Source:  The Los Angeles Times

The state's primary environmental law governing development doesn't block development from actually happening, according to a state study.

The study examined, over five years ending in 2016, how state transportation, parks and other projects were handled under the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA.

The law requires developers to disclose and often lessen their project's effect on the environment before proceeding with construction.

The study found that 1 percent of projects required detailed analyses under the law and less than 1 percent of them were sued.  CEQA has long been a lighting rod in state politics, with some crediting the measure for preserving the state's environment and others arguing it has slowed the building of housing, transit lines and other infrastructure.

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