The Future of NEPA Review: Unpacking Seven County
On May 29, the U.S. Supreme Court released its decision in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, holding that substantial judicial deference to agencies is required in National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) cases, including in deciding “(i) how far to go in considering indirect environmental effects from the project at hand and (ii) whether to analyze environmental effects from other projects separate in time or place.” The decision narrows the scope of NEPA review and will likely have lasting impacts on federal infrastructure proposals. On July 10, 2025, the Environmental Law Institute hosted a panel of experts to unpack the decision and discuss its potential implications for the future of NEPA. Here, we present a transcript of that discussion, which has been edited for style, clarity, and space considerations.