The Fourth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and FHwA in a challenge to their approval of a toll bridge across North Carolina's Currituck Sound that would connect the northern Outer Banks with the mainland. Environmental and community group...
The Tenth Circuit reversed a district court ruling that affirmed BLM's environmental impact analysis for 370 applications for permits to drill (APDs) for oil and gas in New Mexico's San Juan Basin. Environmental groups argued that BLM's 81 EAs and EA addendum violated NEPA because the Bureau imprope...
The Federal Highway Administration received, reviewed, and issued a determination of complete, for a renewal package from the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities requesting renewed participation in the Surface Transportation Project Delivery Program, which allows the Administration to assign, and states to assume, responsibilities under NEPA, and all or part of the Administration’s responsibilities for environmental review, consultation, or other actions required under any federal environmental law with respect to one or more federal highway projects within the state.
A district court granted in part and denied in part cross-motions for summary judgment in a challenge to BLM's approval of a new open-pit phosphate mine in southeast Idaho. Environmental groups argued the approval violated NEPA, FLPMA, and the CWA. The court found BLM failed to adequately consider t...
A district court denied a civil rights group's motion for summary judgment in a challenge to the Federal Highway Administration's (FHwA's) approval of a categorical exclusion for a highway improvement project in Pennsylvania. The group argued the approval violated NEPA. The court found the group fai...
The Fourth Circuit affirmed dismissal of a challenge to CEQ's 2020 final rule that affected how federal agencies conduct reviews under NEPA. Environmental groups filed suit shortly after the rule was promulgated and several weeks before it took effect, bringing nine APA claims and one allegation tha...
CEQ issued interim guidance to assist agencies in analyzing greenhouse gas and climate change effects of their proposed actions under NEPA.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service announced that it intends to issue a series of revised conservation practice standards in the National Handbook of Conservation Practices, and notified the public of the opportunity to provide comments on specified conservation practice standards in the handbook.
A district court vacated in part the Forest Service's 2017 record of decision (ROD) that closed approximately 196,000 acres of recommended wilderness areas in Clearwater National Forest to motorized vehicles and eliminated motorized use on 38 miles of existing trails. An environmental group had chal...