On-Demand Webinar | Living on the Edge: Managing Sea Level Rise in California
Recent raging winter storms have caved in streets, wrecked piers, collapsed homes and apartment buildings, and submerged property up and down California’s coastline. As sea levels continue to rise from climate change,...more
Over the weekend The Boston Globe reported on the uniquely unfortunate situation in which the City of Boston finds itself as our oceans rise and coastal storms become more intense. You can always count on me to pass along...more
By 2050 rising sea levels will exacerbate episodic storm surges and inundate an estimated 87,000 square kilometers (21.5 million acres) of coastal areas worldwide, exposing $1.7 trillion of real estate to catastrophic damage....more
Applicants for new/renewed licenses must address climate issues - The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) is proposing regulatory revisions in response to the effects of a changing climate,...more
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea held a series of public hearings that started September 11, 2023 following a request submitted by the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change (COSIS) to clarify...more
The California 2023 Legislative Session ended on September 14, 2023 and presented Governor Gavin Newsom with several important changes to California’s water-related statutes. Newsom had until October 14, 2023 to sign all...more
In a recent California trial court decision, Casa Mira Homeowners Association v. California Coastal Commission (Casa Mira), the court added another significant page in the decades-long debate over which coastal properties are...more
A 2022 Interagency Sea Level Rise Technical Report, authored by various governmental agencies, found that global mean sea levels could rise between one and seven feet by 2100. This would me significant impacts to the more...more
Introduction: This article delves into the legal implications and environmental challenges posed by climate change-induced sea level rise, specifically focusing on its effects on groundwater resources. Armed with this...more
According to California’s projections, the miles of highways susceptible to coastal flooding in a 100-year storm event will triple from current levels to 370 miles by 2100, with over 3,750 miles exposed to temporary flooding....more
San Francisco Board of Supervisors approves new fourplex law - San Francisco Chronicle – October 17 - For the second time this year, San Francisco supervisors have passed legislation allowing fourplexes to be built in every...more
New limits recommended for building homes in high-risk wildfire areas in California - The Mercury News – October 10 - At a news conference in San Diego County on October 10, California Attorney General Rob Bonta released...more
The Florida Legislature in 2020 enacted Florida Statute 161.551, which requires "state-financed constructors" – defined as public entities that commission or manage a construction project within the coastal building zone...more
Attorney General Bonta announces settlement with City of Fontana over controversial warehouse project - Fontana Herald News – April 18 - California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a settlement on Tuesday with the City of...more
Judge rules that City of Santee (San Diego County) must overturn approval of 3,000-home Fanita Ranch project due to wildfire concerns The San Diego Union-Tribune – April 12 A California judge has ordered Santee to throw out...more
Earlier this year, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava launched Connect 2 Protect, a multi-year initiative which aims to convert over 100,000 properties from septic systems to the County’s sewer system. This roughly...more
The Court of Appeal found that a development project that was consistent with a previously approved specific plan was not required to prepare a new EIR because no changes significantly increased impacts on endangered species....more
Two affordable housing bills introduced by Assemblymember Marc Berman San Mateo - Daily Journal – February 17 - Two bills introduced this week aim to promote affordable housing production. Assembly Bill 2063 would strengthen...more
It is one of the most well worn maxims in the English language: better late than never! But yesterday the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a report concluding that the waters off the coast of...more
Outcry against ADU construction in San Diego prompts rule change proposals - The San Diego Union-Tribune – September 26 - Growing outcry over the construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in some San Diego...more
Governor Newsom signs State Density Bonus Law clean up legislation - Allen Matkins – September 29 - On September 28, Governor Newsom signed SB 290, which amends certain provisions of the Density Bonus Law (Gov. Code §...more
New Jersey has been a leader in addressing the most significant environmental problems of the day. Decades ago, for example, four years before the enactment of CERCLA, the state’s Spill Compensation and Control Act prohibited...more
White House presents plans to improve housing affordability - The San Diego Union-Tribune – September 1 - The White House Council of Economic Advisers on Wednesday detailed the administration’s plans to improve...more
We know it is going to cost millions if not billions of dollars to protect our coastal communities from the rising seas and storm surge that are certain no matter what we do to reduce our GHG emissions from now on. How to...more
CDC issues new eviction ban for most of U.S. through Oct. 3 - Associated Press – August 4 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new eviction moratorium that would last until October 3, as the Biden...more