When legislators passed the California Environmental Quality Act in 1970, it was considered a modest regulation, meant to ensure that government agencies considered how public projects could impact the state’s residents, wildlife and natural resources.
Since then, the law’s scope has massively expanded. Today, CEQA (pronounced “see-qwa”) provides an easy path to legally challenge almost any project — public or private, large or small — on environmental grounds.
It’s a favored tool among special interest groups — from NIMBY neighbors looking to stop growth to labor unions trying to negotiate agreements…