California Environmental Quality Act – Background, Goals & Requirements

• By: Staff Editor
• Date: August 08, 2010

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) was passed by the state of California in 1970 to institute a statewide policy of environmental protection. It acted as a system of checks and balances for land-use development and management decisions in the state. The statute was passed shortly after the federal government passed the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

This article describes the background to this Act, its goals, applicability and requirements.