In 2017, California passed 15 bills designed to address the state’s housing problems, including solutions to streamline housing approvals, enact inclusionary housing requirements for residential rental projects, and generate funds for affordable housing projects. Three bills—SB 35, SB 540, and AB 73—have the greatest effect on the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process for housing
The effect of shade cast by new bridge construction is often considered a permanent impact, when it could be permitted as temporary. This discrepancy increases mitigation costs and unduly burdens county Public Works department budgets. Effective site assessment to determine expectation of in-situ recovery and persistence of self-sustaining habitat can justify temporary impacts, saving your
The environmental impact report (EIR) for the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) new world-class motor vehicle and emissions testing and research facility is one of the first projects to use zero-emissions thresholds for evaluating greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts in a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) document. CARB established the zero-emission goal to be proactive in
The passage of California Senate Bill (SB) 743 introduced vehicle miles traveled (VMT) as the new recommended threshold for transportation impacts under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review, eliminating level of service (LOS) as a CEQA threshold. The City of Pasadena (City) was among the first to update its CEQA thresholds in 2014. The
Powin Energy’s 2-megawatt (MW)/8-MW-hour battery energy storage system (BESS) recently went online fewer than six months after the project was awarded, marking an energy industry first for the speed of battery energy storage permitting, manufacturing, installing, and commissioning of an asset of this size on a distribution feeder. Located in Irvine, California, the system provides
The process of securing regulatory permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) can seem challenging and overwhelming. However, the ACOE’s goal is to earn and maintain the public’s trust and work together with applicants to improve the process. Tips for permit success Dudek regulatory specialist Laurie Monarres offers applicants five tips to expedite
Achieving California Coastal Commission (CCC) permit approval can be complicated, time consuming, and expensive. However, communication, clarity, and careful planning can expedite the permit process. Dudek offers 5 tips to ensuring efficient coastal development permit approvals. 1. Communicate promptly with the CCC. Once the project has been defined and the basic alternative analysis and any
Manmade, moved, or maintained jurisdictional waters of the United States and/or waters of the state of California (regulated wetlands) often occur in the most unlikely places. As such, unsuspecting property owners may be lulled into a false sense of security with the notion that their improvement project is not subject to federal regulation by the
In 2016, several laws that concern the environment have come into effect in California. Do you know which ones may impact you? Air Quality The state Air Resources Board will gain two members—by legislative appointment—who will represent communities suffering from air pollution. Drought Cities and counties are no longer able to ban residents from removing
Even if scientifically sound and technically accurate, an unclear or disorganized environmental document can slow or halt a project’s success. A publications team that integrates editors, word processors, and graphic designers can provide comprehensive review and document management to help craft a well-written, accessible document that facilitates efficient, cost-effective environmental review and reflects well on
