EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin Announces Federal Override Of L.A. Permits
The executive order lets SBA disaster loan recipients self-certify plans if permits aren't approved within 60 days.
Overview
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in Los Angeles on Wednesday that the Trump administration will let SBA disaster loan recipients self-certify building plans if permits are not approved within 60 days.
The Palisades and Eaton fires killed 31 people and destroyed about 13,000 residential properties, and county data show roughly 3,000 permits approved with more than 1,000 homes under construction.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the order "almost certainly not" legal and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass labeled it a political stunt, officials said.
Zeldin said his staff will probe why more than 1,000 permit applications were returned to residents, while the county dashboard shows 619 returned in unincorporated fire areas, county officials said.
Legal experts warn that an attempt to supersede state and local regulations would prompt years of litigation, Justin Levitt, a Loyola Law School professor, said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present the policy neutrally, reporting administration claims to streamline permitting alongside state and local pushback. They supply concrete permit figures, legal expert skepticism, and officials’ quotes, keeping evaluative wording confined to sourced remarks. Coverage balances policy goals with questions about legality, funding shortfalls and practical implementation.
Sources (3)
FAQ
The Palisades and Eaton fires killed 31 people and destroyed about 13,000 residential properties.
History
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