Ryan Waterman

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Ryan Waterman represents clients through all phases of the land use entitlement process and CEQA/NEPA environmental review and defends approvals against litigation in the trial and appellate courts. He is proficient in California’s water supply sufficiency laws (SB 221/SB 610) and counsels clients before the State and Regional Water Boards on water quality, groundwater, industrial storm water permitting and construction storm water permitting, and site cleanup matters involving the Clean Water Act, Porter-Cologne Act and CERCLA, including developing policy issues. In addition, Ryan offers strategic advice on the California Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) and specializes in the state’s cap-and-trade regulatory regime. He also represents clients on a range of administrative environmental compliance matters before air and water boards.

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Faulty Notice of Hearing Not Enough to Stop Wal-Mart Supercenter

By Ryan Waterman on Posted in CEQA
In Roberson v. City of Rialto, No. E058187 (Cal. Ct. App. 4th Dist., May 21, 2014), the Fourth Appellate District affirmed the trial court’s judgment, upholding several project approvals for a new commercial retail center in the City of Rialto (City), including a Wal-Mart supercenter.  The appellate court denied Roberson’s petition for writ of administrative … Continue Reading

CEQA Exemption Update: Westland Water District Two-Year Contract Renewals Ruled Exempt from CEQA Requirements

By Ryan Waterman on Posted in CEQA, Environmental Contamination, Water
In North Coast Rivers Alliance v. Westlands Water District, No. FO67383 (Cal. Ct. App. 5th Dist. July 3, 2014), the Fifth Appellate District upheld the Westland Water District and its related distribution districts’ (Water Districts) conclusion that their approval of the 2012 interim renewal contracts with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Bureau) for Central Valley … Continue Reading

San Mateo Tree Removal Suit Felled by CEQA Statute of Limitations

By Ryan Waterman on Posted in CEQA
In Citizens for a Green San Mateo v. San Mateo Cnty. Comm. College Dist. et al., No. A137612 (Cal. Ct. App. 1st Dist., June 17, 2014), the First District Court of Appeal reversed the trial court’s decision and found that a lawsuit filed by Citizens for a Green San Mateo (“Citizens”) against the San Mateo … Continue Reading

New Critical Habitat Regulations for Endangered Species Act Proposed

By Ryan Waterman on Posted in ESA
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service (jointly, the “Services”) recently issued several interrelated proposals that address how critical habitat would be designated under the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”). The Legal Alert analyzing the Services’ proposals, prepared by our colleagues Barbara Craig, Jeff Leppo, Ryan Steen, and Corinna McMackin, is available … Continue Reading

California’s Nine Energy Policy Goals with 2020 Target Date

By Parissa Florez and Ryan Waterman on Posted in AB 32, Air, Energy, Water
By Ryan R. Waterman, Parissa Ebrahimzadeh What does California have planned for the year 2020? An ambitious collection of energy related goals. Stoel Rives attorneys Ryan Waterman and Parissa Ebrahimzadeh explore nine California energy policy goals in an article entitled “California’s “Magic” Number: Nine Goals for 2020 and Where We May Go From There,” published … Continue Reading

“Late Hit” Document Dump CEQA Reform Proposed by SB 1451

By Timothy Taylor and Ryan Waterman on Posted in CEQA
At one time or another, in almost every jurisdiction around the state, on the day before an important project land use hearing, an opponent of the project has submitted a lengthy comment letter (often accompanied by voluminous attachments) alleging that the environmental analysis does not comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).  The lead … Continue Reading

Ten Things To Know About California’s New Industrial Storm Water Permit

By Ryan Waterman and Parissa Florez on Posted in Clean Water Act, NPDES
On April 1, 2014, the State Water Resources Control Board unanimously adopted a new Industrial Storm Water permit (2014 Permit).  You can find the new Industrial Storm Water permit and supporting documents here, along with a change sheet also adopted by the State Board. The federal Clean Water Act prohibits certain discharges of storm water … Continue Reading

City Officials Dodge Disclosure of Private Emails and Texts Under Public Records Act

By Kristen Castaños and Ryan Waterman on Posted in Uncategorized
In a case that seems sure to jump-start legislative activity in Sacramento and throughout the state, the court in City of San Jose v. Superior Court (6th App. Dist., Mar. 27, 2014), held that communications regarding City business sent or received by a City of San Jose official (here, the mayor, council members, and their … Continue Reading

BREAKING: California’s General Industrial Storm Water Permit Slated For Adoption on April 1, 2014

By Melissa Foster and Ryan Waterman on Posted in Uncategorized
Today, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) released for public comment its Draft Industrial Storm Water Permit and supporting documents.  This is the fourth (and likely final) version of the Draft Industrial Storm Water Permit, which is designed to replace the existing Industrial Storm Water Permit in place since 1997. The Draft Industrial … Continue Reading

DTSC Rulemaking Proposes to Classify All Discarded Solar Panels As Hazardous Waste

By Ryan Waterman on Posted in Energy
On June 27, California’s Department of Toxic Substance Control (“DTSC”) announced a 15 day comment period on new regulations concerning the disposal of photovoltaic (PV) modules—broadly defined as “any photovoltaic device that converts photons from the sun into electricity for general use . . . .” The proposed rulemaking would treat discarded PV modules as … Continue Reading

Looking at CEQA’s Climate Change Analysis Beyond 2020, a Trial Court Gives Weight to Executive Order S-3-05

By Ryan Waterman on Posted in CEQA
In December 2012, San Diego Superior Court Judge Timothy Taylor ruled that the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) had violated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), in part because the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) that SANDAG prepared for its 2050 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) failed to analyze the greenhouse gas (GHG) targets set by … Continue Reading

Supreme Court Reverses Ninth Circuit in Clean Water Act Case

By Ryan Waterman on Posted in NPDES, Water
When polluted storm water flows from a concrete-lined river channel to an unlined portion of the same river, does that movement of water constitute a “discharge of pollutants” under the Clean Water Act? Answering “no” in a short five-page opinion, the Supreme Court reversed the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in its recent decision, Los … Continue Reading
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