Ridiculous CEQA Challenge to Development of 1,436 Square Foot Residence on 1.04-acre Parcel did not Vindicate Important Right for Purpose of Awarding Attorney Fees

In this firm’s view, there is no question that the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) has been pushed far beyond its statutory scope to the detriment of efficient development in the State. It’s too easy for the law to be abused by project opponents with concerns other than information regarding potential environmental impacts. For example, ...Read More

Third District Court of Appeal Upholds EIR for Master Planned Community Project

The Third District Court of Appeal upheld an EIR for a
master planned community in the case Environmental
Council of Sacramento v. County of Sacramento (2020, Case No. C076888). The
County of Sacramento prepared an EIR for the master planned community project,
located on about 2,669 acres in southeastern Sacramento County. The project
proposed 8,000 residential units, offices, retail space, ...Read More

Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez Wage War on Oil and Gas Industry by Proposing Nationwide Ban on Fracking

On January 31, 2020, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), together with Senator Jeff
Merkley (D-Ore.) and Representative Darren Soto (D-Fla.) unveiled a bill (the
“Bill”) that, if passed, would prohibit hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”)
nationwide.

Specifically, the Bill would immediately prohibit any
federal agency from approving any federal permit for fracking.  The Bill
would also require all federal ...Read More

COVID-19 Will Impact The Construction Industry

Businesses in the construction industry are concerned about
how the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19) will impact planned and future
construction projects. Since no one can predict the full impact from the
effects, the advice for contractors is to continue like normal.

Chinese government containment efforts and quarantines have
slowed or shut down factories in dozens of the country’s cities ...Read More