Earlier this summer, California lawmakers updated a landmark environmental law to expedite housing construction.

Now San Diego business leaders say that will help… a little.

In June, the state legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom revised the California Environmental Quality Act, which has safeguarded communities from air pollution, habitat loss and sprawl for more than half a century.

The law, known as CEQA, requires developers to disclose potential impacts of projects and find ways to address them. And it allows the public to weigh in, or to challenge projects in court.

Critics complain that some groups have used the law to kill projects for reasons other than environmental concerns, such as labor negotiations or neighborhood disputes. Those stalled or sidelined developments have contrib

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