Environment & Land Use Section advises the City’s Environmental Services Department, Storm Water Division, Development Services Department, Planning Department, and on city-wide energy management and efficiency projects. The Section advises on issues related to solid waste, including City solid waste facilities and City-provided refuse collection, recycling, the City’s asbestos, lead, and mold program, municipal and industrial storm water flood control and water quality regulations, and related code enforcement. They work on initiatives such as the City’s Zero Waste Plan and Climate Action Plan, and interact with government agencies, such as the California Coastal Commission, California Public Utilities Commission, San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, and San Diego County Air Pollution Control District. 

The Section also advises on land use issues, and assists the City with all aspects of public and private development in the City, including matters relating to land use entitlements, historical resources, telecommunication facilities, building code, community planning, housing projects, and the associated environmental reviews, including compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP), and the state and federal Endangered Species Act.