Lawsuit Challenges Riverside County Approval of Thermal Ranch Development

A new lawsuit filed against Riverside County is raising concerns about a large-scale development project approved by the Board of Supervisors and whether it could pose risks to nearby communities.

On January 16, a community organization filed a lawsuit in Riverside County Superior Court challenging the county’s approval of the proposed Thermal Ranch and Equestrian Center, a development that would span more than 400 acres. The lawsuit alleges the county moved forward with the project despite significant environmental concerns outlined in the project’s Environmental Impact Report and voiced by residents during multiple Board of Supervisors meetings.

The lawsuit is based on the California Environmental Quality Act, commonly known as CEQA. Community groups argue the final environmental review is incomplete and fails to adequately address potential impacts to air and water quality.

One of the primary concerns cited in the lawsuit involves manure management. Opponents say the project could generate thousands of pounds of manure each day without a clear plan in place to prevent pollution or protect nearby communities.

“The project will generate pounds of manure per day, and there’s no clear plan for how to properly manage that to protect air and water quality,” a representative for the community group said. “There is also a failure to properly mitigate impacts related to air quality.”

The lawsuit seeks to have the county revise the project’s Environmental Impact Report and potentially reconsider its approval of the development.

In a statement to our newsroom, Riverside County’s Board of Supervisors said, in part, “At this time the county has not been served with any lawsuit related to this project. Once received, the lawsuit will be thoroughly reviewed to determine the next steps.”

The community organization behind the lawsuit confirmed the case has been filed but has not yet been formally served.