Gov. Newsom lifts environmental requirements for those rebuilding from LA fires

Story by NBC Bay Area.

Survivors of the fires in Los Angeles County will face many hurdles in the days, weeks, and months ahead. California Gov. Gavin Newsom told NBC’s Jacob Soboroff on Sunday’s Meet the Press that he doesn’t want logistical red tape to be one of those hurdles.

“California leads the nation in environmental stewardship. I’m not going to give that up, but one thing I won’t give into is delay,” Newsom told Soboroff.

On Sunday, Newsom issued an executive order waiving the requirement that people rebuilding from these fires undergo a California Environmental Quality Act(CEQA) review and California Coastal Act permitting.

Sunday, the LA Area Chamber of Commerce commended this decision, with chamber president and CEO Maria S. Salinas said this order “will play a critical role in accelerating the recovery and rebuilding efforts across Los Angeles County following the devastating Southern California wildfires.”

Jennifer Gray Thompson, a Sonoma resident who founded the nonprofit After the Fire in the wake of the Wine Country fires of 2017, also applauded Newsom’s action.

“What Newsom did today by removing that entire aspect of the California Coastal [Act] and CEQA will be an absolute game changer for everybody who wants to rebuild along that stretch,” Gray Thompson said.

She explained that much of the rebuilding after the Sonoma County fires took about five years to accomplish. Gray Thompson said there are several factors she believes will make a recovery from the LA County fires take even longer.