(CN) - The University of California at Berkeley complied with environmental regulations when it approved plans for a new athletic center, a California appeals court ruled.
The California Oak Foundation and 11 other plaintiffs challenged the decision of university regents, claiming violations of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act.
The trial court denied the plaintiffs' request to compel the regents to rescind their approval of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and plans for the Student Athlete High Performance Center.
On appeal, the San Francisco-based First District Court of Appeal affirmed the decision.
"While the Athlete Center is subject to the Alquist-Priolo Act based on its proposed location within an earthquake fault zone, the Regents could properly find the Athlete Center will not be an 'addition' or 'alteration' to the University of California's Memorial Stadium," Justice Martin Jenkins wrote.
"We further conclude the Regents acted in accordance with CEQA in certifying the EIR because it contains sufficient information regarding the projects' likely environmental impacts."
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