by Katy Grimes, E&E Legal Senior Media Fellow and California Globe Editor
As Appearing in the California Globe
‘Judges don’t weigh the correctness of an environmental report’s conclusions, only its sufficiency’
Judge Samuel T. McAdam of the Yolo County Superior Court denied an environmental lawsuit to halt the Sites Reservoir project, addressing the streamlined legal process that led to the quick ruling, Courthouse News reported Tuesday afternoon.
The petitioners were Friends of the River, Center for Biological Diversity, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, California Water Impact Network, Save California Salmon, and Sierra Club.
Fish or People?
Conservation groups sued over the proposed reservoir arguing that it would threaten fish and increase greenhouse gas pollution, Courthouse News reported. They said the reservoir would divert water from the Sacramento River system, which has salmon and steelhead fish.
“The groups had argued that the Yolo County Superior Court judge in the case should determine the certification of the final impact report and project approval were invalid, as they didn’t meet the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA.”
The judge disagreed.
