California moves to refine environmental review laws and coastal protections

California lawmakers and the Newsom administration have addressed key environmental review issues through two separate developments.

A last-minute attempt to include a special exemption from the California Coastal Act for the Ocean Avenue Project in a state budget trailer bill has failed. The provision would have allowed the long-planned development by Worthe Real Estate Group to bypass the standard Coastal Commission review process after previous approvals expired. Environmental groups and local residents viewed the removal of the provision as a victory for transparency and coastal protections.

Separately, the California Legislature passed Senate Bill 954, which aims to narrow a controversial exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The bill follows a year-old pledge to refine an exemption for advanced manufacturing facilities that lawmakers feared was too broad and could increase pollution in vulnerable communities. SB 954 shrinks the number of qualifying facilities and adds protections for air quality and disadvantaged communities. While environmental groups view it as a compromise, business groups argue the restrictions may hinder economic growth.