Sierra Club and four other organizations filed a lawsuit challenging California Department of Water Resources resolutions that authorized revenue bonds that the petitioners alleged would fund a tunnel under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta that “would divert large quantities of fresh water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for export south.” The petitioners alleged that adoption of the resolutions violated CEQA because the Department failed to prepare an environmental impact report prior to adoption. The petition indicated that the Department initiated the environmental review in January 2020 with issuance of a Notice of Preparation that listed 24 “probably significant environmental effects of the Project,” including changes in greenhouse gas emissions and increasing resiliency to respond to climate change.

Lawsuit alleging failure to comply with California Environmental Quality Act before approving revenue bonds to fund tunnel under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

Sierra Club v. California Department of Water Resources

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Environmental Groups Alleged Improper Deferral of CEQA Process for Water Tunnel

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Environmental Groups Alleged Improper Deferral of CEQA Process for Water Tunnel

Policy instrument

Risk

Impacted group

Fossil fuel

Greenhouse gas

Economic sector

Adaptation/resilience

Finance