OBERNOLTE
on
California Environmental Quality
Act
Aiming to Delay Transportation Projects
Assemblyman
Obernolte, addressed the media at
a press conference, August 31, 2015, introducing
the
Assembly Republican Caucus “Fixing
Our Roads” transportation bill package.
ABx1 21 is part of the Assembly Republican Caucus Special Session Transportation Package
Sacramento, California, State Assembly ___ Monday August 31st,
Assemblyman Jay Obernolte (R-Hesperia) announced the introduction of ABx1 21 in
the first extraordinary session, a bill that would support transportation
projects by limiting misuses of the California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA).
“Lawsuits are often used under CEQA to stall a
road project for reasons completely unrelated to the environment,”
Obernolte said.
“These delays, which can last for five years
or longer, can disqualify a project from receiving critical funding and suspend
job opportunities for hard working Californians.”
Specifically, the bill extends judicial relief for road
improvements or construction projects by allowing minor corrections to an
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) without interrupting the entire project. A
court would be prohibited from halting a project unless it finds significant
threats to public health and safety, an irreplaceable Native American resource,
or the natural ecology. Projects would still be required to undergo a full CEQA
review and comply with all mitigation measures mandated in the EIR, including
those required in subsequent litigation.
“It is crucial to our economy that we have a
strong transportation network that can reliably move
goods and services,” said Obernolte. “Prioritizing the construction and
maintenance of our roads will also ensure that working parents can spend more
time at home with their families rather than spending endless hours stuck in
traffic due to highway congestion.”