Center for Community Action & Environmental Justice v. City of Moreno Valley

Environmental groups and the developer of a 2,610-acre warehouse project in the City of Moreno Valley in southern California reached an agreement that resolves pending California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) claims of the environmental groups. Claims brought by other parties are still pending, but the environmental groups agreed not to oppose the project should the courts require reconsideration of its approvals. The settlement agreement requires the developer to ensure that specified actions to address greenhouse gas emissions and air quality are carried out, as well as actions related to biological resources and community benefits. The greenhouse gas emissions and air quality measures include grant programs for electric trucks and cars; on-site solar generation commitments; contributions to a solar advocacy fund; on-site electric vehicle chargers; electrification of equipment; and provision of lower-carbon hydrogen to tenants if available under commercially reasonable terms.

Five environmental groups commenced a lawsuit against the City of Moreno Valley, California, alleging that it failed to comply with CEQA when it approved the World Logistics Center Project. The groups alleged that the project would cover 2,610 acres and more than 40 million square feet, which would make the warehouse complex larger than Central Park in New York City. The groups alleged numerous procedural and substantive failures in the City’s CEQA review, including that the final environmental impact report (EIR) failed to analyze and mitigate mobile source greenhouse gas emissions based on the allegedly faulty premise that such emissions are capped by California law.