"Efforts to stop a gigantic, Las Vegas-style casino complex from being built in Rohnert Park have been disappointing to date. But a lawsuit filed earlier this month could slow the momentum of casino developers and buy time for opponents to halt this massive project that would cause extensive and irreparable harm to Sonoma County residents.

The suit, filed by Stop the Casino 101 coalition, charges that the Department of the Interior violated the U.S. Constitution when it took 254 acres of land into trust for the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria last month.

The Interior Department made that decision even though a federal environmental impact statement had not been completed on the proposal, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has not negotiated with the tribe for a necessary gaming compact and the Legislature has not approved such a compact.

If the lawsuit is successful, it would prevent the Rohnert Park site from being taken into trust — a necessary step in the process of opening a casino.

Casino opponents are expected to file another lawsuit when the environmental impact report is released, contending that there is no way to mitigate the development’s massive impacts, including huge increases in traffic congestion, crime, air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and groundwater degradation."

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Editorial: Lawsuit aims to stop casino threat (The Petaluma Argus-Courier 6/19)