As the previously uncontained Palisades and Eaton fires spread across the homes of thousands of Los Angeles residents, California Governor Gavin Newsom and members of Congress have enacted and suspended numerous environmental laws, and continue to do so as more fires emerge. Ultimately, this raises a question: is there room for improvement in our current environmental protection system?
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires contacting decision-makers to evaluate the necessary steps for preventing fires from affecting surrounding communities. However, this process generally takes at least six months to review. On January 12, Governor Newsom signed an executive order to help reconstruct buildings damaged by wildfires more quickly and efficiently. The order suspended review and permission requirements under the CEQA and the California State Coastal Act in order to prevent residents from going through an overly arduous and expensive rebuilding process. Governor Newsom signed another executive order on January 14, suspending multiple California environmental state laws to allow students whose schools were destroyed to attend a different school, regardless of their location. The executive order on January 12 was further strengthened on February 13, when Governor Newsom signed yet another executive order to speed up the reconstruction process, extending permit deadlines.
Moreover, the bipartisan-supported Fix Our Forests Act issued by U.S. Representatives Scott Peters and Bruce Westerman aims to improve the effectiveness of forest management. This bill focuses on helping local and federal agencies predict where wildfires are likely to occur. The two representatives are working to discover scientific methods and tools that could help prevent wildfires from burning communities. Additionally, the Fix Our Forests Act seeks to reduce forest management project fees while eliminating any trivial steps and consultations that slow down the process. It suspended review requirements under multiple environmental acts such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. Passed by the House on January 23, overall, the bill serves to efficiently prevent the vast spread of wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
The Los Angeles wildfires offer a new perspective on the effectiveness of the laws in our environmental protection system. The government’s introduction of new bills and executive orders provided insight into whether or not our existing environmental laws need to be adapted or temporarily suspended. Our current environmental protection acts such as the CEQA and the California State Coastal Act are not sufficiently responsive to mitigation efforts in emergency situations. They work best for long-term issues, protecting the environment by promoting sustainability. However, in the case of the Palisades, Eaton, and potentially other wildfires, California needs to be prepared to act quickly. As slow processes are inefficient, the need arises for laws to be suitable for both emergencies and lasting issues.