California Environmental Laws Survive Budget Deal, Says NRDC

SAN FRANCISCO (August 21, 2007) – The California Legislature finally passed a budget today without weakening landmark environmental protections that Senate Republicans had sought to undermine. The Republican lawmakers failed to exempt global warming pollution from review and mitigation under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), according to NRDC.

 

 

“California’s landmark environmental laws emerged unscathed from the final budget deal. The bedrock requirements of both the California Environmental Quality Act and the California Global Warming Solutions Act remain intact. The budget deal creates no new exemptions under CEQA.

 

“To the extent that there was any debate over whether the California Environmental Quality Act applies to global warming pollution, this budget language clarifies that it does, and it specifically requires regulations addressing global warming for all projects subject to CEQA.

 

“The Senate Republicans abused the budget process, but they failed to weaken California’s environmental laws. Their demand was completely out of touch with the California public who overwhelmingly support state action now to combat global warming.”