Los Angeles Waterkeeper v. County of Los Angeles

Los Angeles Waterkeeper and Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit in California Superior Court asserting that Los Angeles County failed to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) when it approved the Los Angeles River Master Plan Update. The petition described the Master Plan as a “roadmap for future projects along the Los Angeles River” and alleged that the County failed to analyze the significant impacts the Master Plan would authorize. In particular, the petitioners alleged that the program environmental impact report (PEIR) failed to adequately analyze and mitigate impacts to hydrology and water quality, including because the PEIR did not analyze the impacts of climate change on the river’s hydrology. The petitioners contended that the PEIR “should have analyzed how future projects under the Master Plan could limit the hydrological and water quality impacts in a changing climate or adopt mitigation measures requiring actions or assessments to ensure climate resilience for every project.” The petitioners further alleged that the failure to consider climate change impacts on hydrology was inconsistent with the Los Angeles County General Plan Policy, which requires consideration of climate change adaptation strategies. In addition, the petitioners alleged that the PEIR failed to address the impacts of Master Plan activities on potable water scarcity associated with factors including climate change and that the PEIR did not adequately analyze the Master Plan’s consistency with plans including the Los Angeles County Community Climate Action Plan.