Jerry Brown abandons bid to protect high-speed rail from environmental law

dsiders@sacbee.com Published Thursday, Jun. 21, 2012

The Brown administration is abandoning legislation it proposed to insulate California's high-speed rail project from environmental lawsuits, the administration told environmentalists on Wednesday.

Gov. Jerry Brown, who is seeking legislative approval this summer to start construction on the $68 billion project, angered environmentalists when his administration proposed this month to limit the circumstances in which a court could block construction of the project under the landmark California Environmental Quality Act.

Kathryn Phillips, director of Sierra Club California, said a Brown adviser sent environmentalists and transportation advocates an email Wednesday indicating the Democratic governor was backing off.

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