Two problematic measures dealing with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) will be heard in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee over the next two weeks. Assembly Bill 52 (Gatto) and Assembly Bill 543 (Campos) were recently amended are very problematic for local government and other stakeholders.
AB 543 would require a lead agency to translate specified CEQA notices and summaries of any negative declaration, mitigated negative declaration, or environmental impact report when a community of non-English speakers comprises at least 25 percent of the residents in that area. AB 543 will be heard in Committee on Wednesday, June 18, 2014
AB 52 would require Native American tribes to be consulted on projects that could impact culturally-significant lands and resources with the CEQA process, creating significant uncertainty and increased potential for litigation for lead agencies. AB 52 will be heard in Committee on Wednesday, June 25, 2014.
RCRC is urging counties to contact members of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee and encourage them to vote “NO” on AB 52 and AB 543. Contact information for the Senate Environmental Quality Committee can be accessed here.
The coalition letter opposing AB 52 can be accessed here. The text of AB 52 can be accessed here.
The coalition letter opposing AB 543 can be accessed here. The text of AB 543 can be accessed here.