Description: Challenge to approval of Wal-Mart Supercenter, including for failing to adequately address greenhouse gas emissions.
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Rialto Citizens for Responsible Growth v. City of Rialto
Case Documents:
Filing Date Type File Action Taken Summary 07/31/2012 Opinion Download Reversed trial court's judgment in favor of petitioners. A citizens group commenced a lawsuit challenging the City of Rialto’s approval of a 230,000 square foot Wal-Mart “Supercenter.” The lawsuit alleged that the city violated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) by issuing a final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) that inadequately analyzed the project’s cumulative impacts on, among other things, GHG emissions. The trial court granted the petition and issued a decision invalidating the approval. On appeal, the appellate court reversed, holding that the city did not abuse its discretion in issuing the EIR. With respect to GHG emissions, the court held that the EIR adequately addressed the project’s cumulative impacts on such emissions and properly concluded that the impacts were too speculative to determine.