The Silverstein Law Firm actively litigates cases under the California Environmental Quality Act, also known as CEQA.
On behalf of our clients, The Silverstein Law Firm challenges the adequacy and legality of all CEQA documents, including Notices of Exemption, Negative Declarations, Mitigated Negative Declarations, and Environmental Impact Reports. To see a recent CEQA writ won by The Silverstein Law Firm against the Los Angeles Unified School District, CLICK HERE.
The Environmental Impact Report, or EIR, is the heart of CEQA. According to the California Supreme Court, an EIR's "purpose is to inform the public and its responsible officials of the environmental consequences of their decisions before they are made. Thus, the EIR protects not only the environment but also informed self-government." Laurel Heights Improvement Assn. v. Regents of University of California (1988) 47 Cal.3d 376, 392.
In the face of government misconduct, the Supreme Court has made clear that it is "too late to argue for a grudging, miserly reading of CEQA." Bozung v. Local Agency Formation Com. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 263, 274. Nonetheless, government and developers constantly seek to bypass the critical protections and public disclosures mandated by CEQA.
The Silverstein Law Firm has advanced CEQA challenges involving most environmental issues, including traffic; parking; pedestrian safety; noise; air quality; population and housing; historic resources; land use compatibility; public services and infrastructure; hydrology; geology; seismology; hazardous substances; light and glare; aesthetics and view; project piecemealing; growth inducing impacts; and cumulative impacts.
The Silverstein Law Firm has also developed a specialized practice of litigating CEQA challenges as a defense to eminent domain actions. To see a recent press release describing The Silverstein Law Firm's successful use of CEQA to defeat an eminent domain redevelopment project in Monterey Park, CLICK HERE.
