Yerba Buena Gardens park in San Francisco

PCL Capital Insider – July 2024

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is again in the crosshairs. Wrongfully blamed for everything from the housing crisis to water shortages, CEQA is the go-to bad guy for the development community. In 2023, the state’s Little Hoover Commission decided to take on CEQA reform.

The Little Hoover Commission’s recent report, CEQA: Targeted Reforms for California’s Core Environmental Law, proposes to amend the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in six areas and recommends “in-depth studies” of several others. While Commission Chair Pedro Nava notes that California has “incalculably benefited from CEQA,” the report’s specific proposals would make fundamental changes to the law, dangerously undermining CEQA’s protections for communities and the environment. Read more »