2022 Environmental Legislative Update: Ramping Up Climate Ambitions

Gary Lucks’ annual Legislative Update discusses the several significant new laws on environmental quality, land use, and natural resources.

New laws include the enactment of the watershed Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act aimed at dramatic reductions in single use plastics and a new law requiring the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to reevaluate its controversial method of determining whether a waste is a “toxic” hazardous waste. The Governor also signed legislation designed to speed up regulation of hazardous chemicals in consumer products under the moribund Green Chemistry program. The Legislature also served up two major programs aimed at expanding housing stock with the Middle-Class Housing Act of 2022 and the Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act of 2022. Finally, the Legislature delivered new laws aimed at increasing the pace and scale of prescribed burning to prevent wildfires while promoting wildlife connectivity to prevent wildlife-vehicle collisions. 

Gary’s article can be accessed at https://publication.calawyers.org/summer-2023/environmental-law