Request comes as agricultural interests prepare for court fight
SACRAMENTO (AP) — California’s high-speed rail chief says he’s seeking environmental exemptions on the first 130-mile leg of the bullet train in the San Joaquin Valley.
California High-Speed Rail Authority chairman Dan Richard said during a Tuesday state Senate hearing that the exemption would avoid any legal delays caused by an injunction, a possibility as agriculture interests gear up for a court fight.
Richard had previously insisted the authority would not seek an outright exemption from state or federal environmental laws.
The Los Angeles Times said Richard stated at the hearing that if the project ends up in a lawsuit he would hope the matter would involve mitigations rather than an injunction.