RESOLUTION TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF
THE CALIFORNIA LABOR FEDERATION

CEQA: Protecting the Environment and Quality Jobs for our Communities

Submitted by State Building & Construction Trades Council

WHEREAS, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) was enacted in 1970 and has been the law of the land for more than four decades, remaining effective and important through times of economic prosperity and economic hardship; and

WHEREAS, CEQA has helped to promote smart and sustainable development throughout this state; and

WHEREAS, CEQA is an important tool in protecting public health, especially in low-income communities where exposure to pollution is most prevalent; and

WHEREAS, CEQA is the only framework that looks at the cumulative impact of workplace chemicals and related pollution on workers and neighboring communities; and

WHEREAS, CEQA has been key to protecting local communities, strengthening alliances with local businesses, and promoting the creation of good jobs; and

WHEREAS, CEQA has been amended by adding, amending or repealing 334 sections to reflect changes in other environmental laws and changes in the California regulatory landscape; and

WHEREAS, claims of rampant CEQA litigation are wildly exaggerated since there is an average of only 200 CEQA per year; and

WHEREAS, CEQA cases are only 0.02% of the 1,100,000 civil cases filed annually in California; and

WHEREAS, only 1% or fewer projects subject to CEQA involve litigation of any sort; and

WHEREAS, many of the attacks on CEQA are coming from the same corporations that seek to roll back regulations that protect workers; and

WHEREAS, the way to rebuild our economy is to invest in infrastructure and education, not to roll-back core environmental or worker protections; therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the California Labor Federation is committed to protecting the critical components of CEQA that have made it effective; and therefore be it

RESOLVED, that we will oppose efforts to substitute lesser standards for protection for the workers and communities we represent; and therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the California Labor Federation will work with allies to educate the Legislature and the public about the important benefits to workers, communities, and our economy from preserving CEQA.

 

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