California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: urban intermodal rail station project.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify all conditions or criteria for determining eligibility of projects under the exemption.

California Environmental Quality Act: Exemption for Diridon Station Modernization

The bill exempts the modernization of Diridon Station in San Jose and similar urban intermodal rail station projects from certain environmental review requirements under CEQA, provided they meet specific conditions.

What This Bill Does

• Exempts the modernization of Diridon Station in San Jose from some parts of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
• Allows public programs to modernize urban intermodal rail stations within long-urbanized areas if these projects meet certain conditions, including compliance with environmental laws.
• Requires lead agencies to determine whether a project qualifies for this exemption and imposes state-mandated local program requirements.

Who It Names or Affects

• The City of San Jose, specifically the Diridon Station modernization project.
• Other urban intermodal rail station projects in California that meet specified conditions.

Terms To Know

California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)

A law that requires government agencies to consider environmental impacts before approving or carrying out projects.

Lead agency

The main government body responsible for making decisions about a project and ensuring it follows CEQA rules.

Limits and Unknowns

• Does not specify the exact conditions that urban intermodal rail station projects must meet to qualify for exemption.
• Does not provide details on how lead agencies will determine if a project qualifies for this exemption.

Official Summary Text

SB 1375, as amended, Cortese.
California Environmental Quality Act:
exemptions: City of San Jose: Diridon Station.
exemption: urban intermodal rail station project.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment.
Existing law exempts from CEQA a public project for the improvement, institution, or increase of passenger rail service,
including the maintenance, construction, or rehabilitation of stations, terminals, or existing operations facilities that will be exclusively used by zero-emission trains or specified rolling stock or locomotives, as provided.
This bill would exempt from CEQA a
public program for the modernization of Diridon Station in the City of San Jose, including, but not limited to, the track, platform, station, public plaza or realm, roadway crossing and access improvements, and intermodal facilities and connections.
public urban, intermodal rail station project within a long-urbanized area within the statewide passenger rail network, at which high-capacity light, commuter, and intercity rail services converge that meets specified conditions, including, among other requirements, a
requirement for compliance with various environmental laws and for the adoption of a plan for how any displacement from the project will be fully addressed, as provided.
Because a lead agency would be required to determine the applicability of this exemption, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Diridon Station Program in the County of Santa Clara.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF