In 2010, TRANSDEF, along with fellow litigants the Sierra Club and the California Nurses Association, prevailed in challenging Sonoma County’s approval of a new Sutter Hospital on the fringe of Santa Rosa. Their claim rested on the EIR’s inadequate examination of increased greenhouse gas emissions resulting from auto travel to the new project. After the litigants won a favorable ruling, the County agreed to require Sutter Hospital to provide a free shuttle to the hospital from the nearest commuter rail station in addition to constructing a bike lane and providing free transit passes to employees. The facilities are set to meet LEED Silver certification standards, which will make the hospital one of the greenest of its kind in California. The hospital is planning to open in October 2014. Thanks to CEQA, stakeholders with concerns about the project were able to bring about significant changes that reduced the environmental impacts of the facility.
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