RECENT CALIFORNIA DECISIONS

May 2008

To read this entire item of approximately 2000 words online now in PDF format: Click here to read this item if you are an existing subscriber to this publication. Click here to purchase the full text of this item to read now (price: $25). To subscribe to this publication and immediately access all its archives including this item, select the relevant publication under 'Catalogue' in the left-hand column PLEASE NOTE: to read PDFs on www.argento.com you must be using Version 5 of Acrobat Reader or Adobe Reader. If you have an earlier version you can download the latest free of charge by clicking here

Second Appellate District Finds Water Supply Assessments Not Actionable until Completion of Environmental Review Process
California Water Impact Network v. Newhall County Water District, ___Cal.App.4th____

On April 16, 2008, the Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, rejected a challenge by an environmental group to a water district’s approval of a water supply assessment for a commercial/industrial development in the City of Santa Clarita. Addressing the purpose and function of water supply assessments in the environmental review process for new developments under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the court found that the assessments are not final determinations subject to direct judicial review. Under this decision, the content of a water supply assessment can only be challenged upon completion of the CEQA review process and approval of the project by the local land use authority.