Attorney Profiles

Alene M. Taber 
Irvine, California
Shareholder
phone (949) 851-7492
fax (949) 752-0597
email Email Me

Alene M. Taber, AICP, assists clients with:

  • Defending and challenging documents prepared pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA);
  • Issues involving air quality such as defending and settling violation notices, representing clients before the hearing board, achieving compliance with regulations, and advocating changes to agency rules and regulations;
  • Obtaining local agency approvals for development projects; and,
  • Litigating government agencies involving environmental and land use regulations, and permit approvals.

    Ms. Taber represents clients before planning commissions, city councils, administrative hearing boards and local agency formation commissions. Ms. Taber has experience litigating CEQA cases, disapprovals of development projects, defending challenges to development projects, and land use-related constitutional and civil rights claims.

  • Prior to joining Jackson, DeMarco, Tidus Peckenpaugh, Ms. Taber worked for the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) for twelve and half years. As a Senior Manager, she was responsible for managing the permitting and enforcement of certain facilities, overseeing the CEQA and socioeconomic analysis to support SCAQMD rulemaking activities, and managing the development of air quality rules including those affecting port facilities, petroleum facilities, aerospace, printing operations, spray painting, asbestos abatement, and construction sites. Ms. Taber has experience with trading markets (RECLAIM), Title V permitting, public notification under AB 2588, indirect source regulations, and global warming issues.

    Ms. Taber also was a previous city planner with the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) and the City of Carson. While with SCAG, Ms. Taber worked on transportation and air quality issues. As a city planner, she processed land use entitlements and subdivision maps, drafted CEQA documents, and wrote several ordinances regulating parking, truck maneuvering, and commercial facilities.

    Ms. Taber has taught air pollution issues in land use planning for the University of California, Irvine, Extension Program.

    In addition to being admitted to the California Bar, she is a certified Land Use Planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners.

    In 2005, Ms. Taber was named as a Rising Star by Southern California Super Lawyers magazine published by Law Politics Media, Inc. and Los Angeles magazine.

    Areas of Practice:
    Land Use
    Litigation
    Environmental Law
    Certification/Specialties:
    American Institute of Certified Planners


    Education:
    Whittier Law School, Costa Mesa, California, 2001
    J.D.
    Honors: Magna Cum Laude
    Law Review: Whittier Law Review


    University of California, Irvine, California, 1988
    Certificate in Hazardous Materials Management


    Published Works:
    Copies of the following publications are available in the Publications section of the JDTPP Web site, www.jdtplaw.com.


    Residential Recovery Homes and Their Local Impacts, March 2007


    New Smog Fees Target New Developments (Co-Author), Air Quality Bulletin, Spring, 2006


    New Smog Fees Target New Developments, Building Industry E-News, March, 2006


    Air Pollution Control District to Consider Indirect Source' Rules Affecting Developers, Air Quality Bulletin, Winter, 2005


    "Odd Man Out: California's Increasing Reliance on Agricultural Water Supplies for Municipal and Environmental Uses," (Co-Author), Wet Growth: Should Water Law Control Land Use?, Environmental Law Institute, Washington DC, 2005


    Changes Adopted to Air Quality Dust Rules Affecting Construction and Demolition Activities, Air Quality Bulletin, July, 2004


    "The Effects Of Recent Air Quality 'Non-Attainment' Decisions On Agricultural Water Use,", California Water Law, Faculty Member, CLE Conference, April, 2004


    "Riverside County Conservation Plan is Largest Multiple-Species Prototype," (Co-Author), Los Angeles Daily Journal, Focus Section, July 14, 2003


    "Marketing High Tech Jobs the IPO Way," (Comment), 21 Whittier L. Rev. 841, 2000


    "CEQA Air Quality Handbook" (Co-Author), South Coast Air Quality Management District, 1993


    "Making Clean Air a Priority: A Guide for Planners in Local Governments,", (Co-Author), South Coast Air Quality Management District, 1990


    Classes/Seminars Taught:
    Successfully Influencing Government Land Use Decisions, UCLA Extension Public Policy Program, October 4, 2007


    Residential Recovery Facilities Conference, Newport Beach, California, March 2, 2007


    Planning Commissioners' Training, UCLA Extension, Los Angeles, California, October 5, 2006


    Development Impact Fees, Building Industry Legal Defense Foundation SuperConference, Long Beach, California, September 28, 2006


    Indirect Source Review Seminar, Building Industry Association, Bakersfield, California, August 8, 2006


    Indirect Source Review Seminar, Building Industry Association, Modesto, California, June 26, 2006


    Planning Commissioners' Training, UCLA Extension, Los Angeles, California, October 5, 2006


    Professional Associations and Memberships:
    American Plainning Association/American Insititute of Certified Planners


    Association of Environmental Professionals


    Harbor Association of Industry and Commerce


    American Bar Association
    Natural Resources & Environmental Section; and Air Quality Committee