Local Ordinance, CEQA, Permits

Sustainable Development and Land Use Update 8.19.25

Allen Matkins on 8/20/2025

On July 23, 2025, the White House issued an Executive Order titled “Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure.” Released alongside “America’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Plan,” the Order reflects a...more

California Court Upholds CalGEM’s Use of CEQA Categorical Exemption for Approval of Oil Well Conversion Project

Perkins Coie on 12/6/2024

A California Court of Appeal upheld the California Department of Conservation Geologic Energy Management Division’s determination that a project to convert a plugged oil well into a wastewater disposal well fit within the...more

Land Use Matters December 2023 - CEQA Appellate Decisions & Other Legal Developments

Alston & Bird on 12/21/2023

City of Los Angeles - The Processes and Procedures Ordinance Becomes Operative January 22, 2024 - The city council adopted the Processes and Procedures Ordinance amending the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) to...more

Responsible Agency Under CEQA Must Make Express Findings as to Each Potentially Significant Impact Identified in Lead Agency’s EIR

Perkins Coie on 7/6/2022

The Court of Appeal held that the City of Mount Shasta violated CEQA by approving a wastewater permit for a water bottling plant without making specific findings as to each potentially significant impact identified as...more

County’s Blanket Classification of All Well Permits As Ministerial Under CEQA Was Improper

Perkins Coie on 9/17/2020

Where a county ordinance allowed for exercise of discretion in some circumstances regarding issuance of well construction permits, such permits could not categorically be classified as ministerial and hence exempt from CEQA...more

California Supreme Court Set to Review Companion Groundwater Cases and Resolve When County-Issued Well Permits May Be Treated As...

Downey Brand LLP on 11/27/2018

After a long drought, the California Supreme Court at its November 14, 2018 conference voted unanimously to grant review of three decisions involving the question of whether well permits issued pursuant to county ordinances...more

Court of Appeal Upholds Issuance of Erosion-Control Permit as Ministerial and Exempt from CEQA

Holland & Knight LLP on 5/12/2017

In Sierra Club et al. v. County of Sonoma et al. (2017 WL 1422533), the California First District Court of Appeal held that the issuance of an erosion-control permit by the Agricultural Commissioner of Sonoma County...more

Local Ordinance › California Environmental Quality Act › Permits