Senate panel to discuss environmental ‘reform’ for L.A. stadium
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State lawmakers plan to hold a hearing this month to consider whether to introduce legislation that would protect a proposed football stadium in downtown Los Angeles from environmental lawsuits.
Sen. Kevin De Leon (D-Los Angeles) said Monday he is calling the hearing as chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Sports and Entertainment, which includes five legislators representing areas where new stadiums are under discussion.
AEG officials have said they plan to comply with state environmental rules requiring a full study of the potential negative impacts of a stadium but have suggested they may seek protection from lawsuits similar to that granted to Ed Roski for his proposed football stadium in the City of Industry.
‘I’ve been clear with AEG from the start. I will not entertain the notion of a straight exemption like the one Ed Roski secured,’ De Leon said. Other legislative leaders have also said they would not support such an exemption.
De Leon said he had decided to hold a hearing in a couple of weeks — it is tentatively set for Aug. 19 in L.A. — on environmental ‘reform for the project’ and the proposed financial agreement between AEG and the city of L.A.
‘I don’t intend to make any decisions until I have gathered information and done my homework,’ De Leon said to explain the hearing. ‘There are certainly benefits to be gained form building this facility, especially in terms of jobs, but not at the expense of the environment and public health.’
Lawmakers can expect to hear opposition from groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, to granting any waiver to AEG. Damon Nagami, a staff attorney for the group, said Monday it was a mistake to grant an exemption from lawsuits to Roski and it would be a mistake to grant one to AEG. ‘We feel strongly that no company, including AEG, should get a free pass out of the judicial system,’’ he said.
-- Patrick McGreevy
