The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) - Workshop

CEQA has been in the cross-hairs of discussion about development since its enactment in 1970 by then Governor Ronald Reagan. It was adopted in the spirit of environmental protection that also led to many regulatory and other initiatives in California that have reduced smog, protected open space, and tackled greenhouse gas emissions. http://californiacentral.usc.edu/ceqa-workshop/

Some now claim that CEQA is an impediment to infill and transit development.

In this workshop, we will explore questions such as:

What are the specific critiques of CEQA and are there any misconceptions in any aspect of the critical meme?
Are there any modifications to CEQA that would address the critiques without losing the basic principles of environmental protection, public transparency, and accountability in the development process?
What actions can be taken to make the CEQA compliance process more efficient?

Remarks by Antonio Villaraigosa, 41st Mayor of Los Angeles
Moderated by Paula Daniels and Raphael Bostic

Presentations by

Mary Leslie – President, Los Angeles Business Council

David Pettit - Senior Attorney, NRDC

Mott Smith – Co-founder/Principal Civic Enterprise

Discussants

Douglas P. Carstens – Managing Partner Chatten-Brown &Carstens LLP

Rick Cole – Santa Monica City Manager

Gladys Limon – Attorney, Communities for a Better Environment