In response to concerns that environmental protection efforts might delay reconstruction in the coastal region, environmental laws that could have presented obstacles to rebuilding structures destroyed by the war Wildfires in Southern California It will be temporarily suspended.
Homes along California's scenic Pacific Coast Highway burned in a massive fire that destroyed more than 10,000 homes and buildings starting January 7.
“We're afraid they won't let us rebuild,” said Teddy Leonard, owner of the Real Inn, a seafood restaurant that has served the Malibu coast since the 1980s and burned down in January. “It's very scary.”
California law currently requires people looking to build to undergo a long-term build Environmental review process before receiving approval, but state officials say the process will not apply to victims of the recent fire seeking to rebuild their lost buildings.
Homes along the Pacific Coast Highway are seen burned by the Palisades Fire on Sunday, January 12, 2025 in Malibu, California. (Mark J. Terrell)
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a review to evaluate any potential environmental impacts before a building permit is approved. Another state law, the California Coastal Act, focuses on development as it relates to “conserving sensitive coastal and marine habitats and biodiversity.”
California wildfires prompt scrutiny of federal and state rules hindering mitigation efforts
Both laws were halted Sunday for those who tragically lost their homes after Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order suspending the environmental review process.
“When the fires are extinguished, victims who lost their homes and businesses should be able to rebuild quickly and without roadblocks,” Newsom said in a statement.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, right, tours the downtown business district of Pacific Palisades as the Palisades Fire continues to burn on January 8, 2025 in Los Angeles. (Eric Thayer)
He added: “The executive order I signed today will help reduce delays in issuing permits, which is an important first step in allowing our communities to recover faster and stronger. It also orders our government agencies to identify additional ways to streamline the rebuilding and recovery process.” .
CEQA has received opposition over the years from critics, including environmentalists, who say it is restrictive and expensive.
“I don’t think anyone really believes that CEQA works exactly like it’s supposed to work,” Eric Bucher, an attorney with San Francisco Paykeeper, an environmental nonprofit that works to “hold polluters accountable,” said in 2022 of the state law. To the local Bay Nature port.
Aerial footage of fires that broke out in California. (X/Charles V Payne)
“Developers say it's too restrictive. Cities say it's expensive and impossible to comply with,” Bucher said. “Environmental groups say you can't even review a project that's going to be built for sea level rise in time for sea level rise.”
Many of the Malibu homes destroyed by the fires were located on the beach along the Pacific Coast Highway, and their reconstruction could be subject to local land regulations designed to preserve the natural coast.
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President Biden announced On Thursday, the federal government will cover all costs of debris removal and fire management in California for 180 days.
