Railroad Authority. The Supreme Court of California determined on July 27, 2017 that CEQA is not exempted by federal law. In February 2022, Hollywood Burbank Airport sued the Authority over its approval of the draft EIR for that section of the high-speed railway. Economic and environmental impacts In addition to the direct reduction in travel times the HSR project will produce, there are other anticipated benefits, economic and environmental, both generally to the state and to the regions the train will pass through, and also to the areas immediately around the train stations. Some of the items of note include: Feb. 14, 2023, the Authority announced that 10,000 construction job had been created on the HSR project. The Central Valley Training Center is a pre-apprenticeship job training program by the project. It has been operating since 2020, and has trained over 100 people and assisted with job placement. The Authority produces an annual Sustainability Report on its efforts to both build the HSR system in a sustainable way, but also its estimates on the effects of the HSR system. For example, it indicates that the project generated between $12.7 and 13.7 billion in total economic activity in the state, with 56% investment in disadvantaged communities. The Authority also produces an annual cumulative report on the economic benefits of the HSR project. Peer review, public opinion, and criticism There are two types of review and criticism noted here: the legally established "peer review" process that the California legislature established for an independent check on the Authority's planning and implementation efforts, and public criticisms by groups, media, individuals, public agencies, and elected officials. At the February 2015 conference Bold Bets: California on the Move?, hosted by The Atlantic magazine and Siemens, Dan Richard, the then-chair of the Authority, warned that not all issues facing the HSR system had been resolved. Peer Review Group The California Legislature established the California High-Speed Rail Peer Review Group to provide independent analysis of the Authority's planning and implementation efforts. Their documents are submitted to the Legislature as needed. The April 1, 2022 report noted a number of positive factors: Improved prospects for federal funding with the Biden Administration. Disruptions and impacts caused by COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, and inflation are all noted but being dealt with. Significant progress has been made on the necessary environmental clearances. Greater attention is being given to local transit connectivity