ARTICLE · 05 AUGUST 2015

In the Name Of The Environment: Litigation Abuse Under CEQA

Holland & Knight

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This Holland & Knight report is the first comprehensive study of lawsuits filed under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

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Jennifer Hernandez

Robert Friedman

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Jennifer L. Hernandez is a Partner in our San Francisco office and David Friedman is a Of Counsel in our Los Angeles office .

This Holland & Knight report is the first comprehensive study of lawsuits filed under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Analyzing all CEQA lawsuits filed in California over a three-year period, 2010-2012, the report systematically documents widespread abuse of CEQA litigation that undermines the state's environmental, social equity and economic priorities.

Among the study's key findings:

CEQA litigation is not a battle between "business" and "enviros" – 49 percent of all CEQA lawsuits target taxpayer-funded projects with no business or other private sector sponsors.

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