An environmental activism group has instigated the first legal challenge of the proposed National Football League stadium in Los Angeles, California. Activists state that a brand new California state law that was put in effect to aid developers is unconstitutional.
An environmental activism group has instigated the first legal challenge of the proposed National Football League stadium in Los Angeles, California. Activists state that a brand new California state law that was put in effect to aid developers is unconstitutional.
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The state law in question, SB 292, was successfully lobbied by both Anschutz Entertainment Group and supporters of the soon-to-be-built "Farmers Field." However, challengers to the development say that the new piece of legislation sets deadlines on the stadium's environmental impact report.
An environmental federation known as the Play Fair at Farmers Field Coalition said that the law unnecessarily attacks the environmental legislation review process.
Attorney Dan Stormer said that the legislation cannot supersede the review process set forth by California Environmental Quality Act. "The United States Constitution protects the coalition's right to file challenges to the environmental review in county Superior Court," Stormer said.
Michael Roth, spokesman for AEG, was unfamiliar with the specifics of the lawsuit. However, Roth did say that AEG is fully aware of the situation and that he was "highly confident in the legality of the law."
The coalition’s lawsuit comes a month after the city of Los Angeles’ committee on the new stadium project met. At the meeting, several members of the coalition stated under oath that their concerns were ignored by AEG. The environmental group said that stricter traffic and air pollution measures are needed to ease concerns by the state environmental commission.
According to a draft environmental report released in April by AEG: If 25 percent of fans attending a game travel via public transportation, there will still be an increase of 19,000 cars going through Los Angeles on game days.
The Los Angeles City Council is expected to vote on both the stadium environmental report and the Farmers Field proposal at a meeting in September.
For more information, please visit: http://articles.latimes.com/2012/aug/31/local/la-me-nfl-stadium-lawsuit-20120831
Image Credit: Football Stadium via Shutterstock
