CA Legislature Prepared To Issue Environmental Waivers For New LA NFL Stadium

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Los Angeles County supervisors on Tuesday ordered the county's lobbyists to oppose any legislation in Sacramento that would ease environmental and planning regulations in order to clear the way for a proposed 75,000-seat professional football stadium to be built in the city of Industry.

Gloria Molina asked her fellow supervisors to take that stand after recent reports indicated that backers of the stadium were aggressively lobbying state legislators. The Times reported last week that aides to top lawmakers appeared receptive to issuing California Environmental Quality Act waivers for the stadium, in light of the tough economy. Such legislation would have to pass by Friday, county officials said.

"While there are many reasons to support the development of a new NFL football stadium in Los Angeles County, there are just as many reasons to ensure that the project complies with the same environmental regulations that govern virtually all projects in California," Molina wrote. "Hospitals, police stations, freeways and all sorts of valuable projects manage to be built without the necessity of CEQA exemptions."

Molina's policy director, Gerry Hertzberg, said that if Sacramento waived the rules, it would probably mean more games per year and less effort from the developer to alleviate traffic congestion created by such a large venue. "It would have a horrible impact," Hertzberg said.

EDIT

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-football9-2009sep09,0,6245483.story