TagNEPA(463)

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  • 2025-06-12

    Supreme Court Clarifies NEPA Scope in Light of Loper Bright

    By: Steven M. Taber, Esq. In Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado (May 29, 2025), the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Surface Transportation Board (STB) complied with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) when it declined to evaluate environmental impacts from increased oil drilling and refining that could result from a newly approved railway
  • 2025-05-30

    U.S. Supreme Court Narrows NEPA Review

    Court removes “indirect effects” requirement The U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision, on May 29, 2025, narrowing the scope of environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).  In Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado, the Court reversed in part the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals’ finding that the Surface Transportation
  • 2025-05-29

    Seven County Infrastructure Coalition et al. v. Eagle County, Colorado, et al.

    The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in May 2025 that federal agencies have broad discretion in determining the scope of environmental reviews required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The case involved a proposed 88-mile railroad in Utah, where the Court held that agencies do not need to analyze the environmental effects of separate upstream or downstream projects — such as oil drilling or refining — when reviewing a specific infrastructure project. Courts must give substantial deference to agency decisions about what to include in environmental impact statements, rather than imposing their own judgment about what details are required.
  • 2025-05-29

    Seven County Infrastructure Coalition et al. v. Eagle County, Colorado, et al.

    The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in May 2025 that federal agencies have broad discretion in determining the scope of environmental reviews required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The case involved a proposed 88-mile railroad in Utah, where the Court held that agencies do not need to analyze the environmental effects of separate upstream or downstream projects — such as oil drilling or refining — when reviewing a specific infrastructure project. Courts must give substantial deference to agency decisions about what to include in environmental impact statements, rather than imposing their own judgment about what details are required.

  • SAMP EA comments Debi Wagner Final pdf

    A formal comment document opposing FAA approval of a Sea-Tac Airport expansion project, citing seven reasons including false premise/purpose, environmental justice failures, inadequate air pollution analysis, and climate concerns. The document references EPA Scoping Comments dated 9/28/2018 and a 2020 FAA statement, with footnotes citing the SEA Airport Capacity Profile 2018 PDF and a Ninth Circuit Remand document.

  • SAMP EA comments Debi Wagner Final pdf

    A written public comment document opposing FAA approval of a Sea-Tac Airport expansion project, citing seven reasons including false premise/need, disproportionate health impacts, inadequate Clean Air Act compliance calculations, insufficient cumulative impact and environmental justice analysis, missing children's health analysis, and climate concerns. The document references EPA Scoping Comments dated 9/28/2018, a 2020 FAA statement on airport capacity constraints, and cites the SEA-Airport-Capacity-Profile-2018 document as a footnote source.
  • 2025-02-20

    FAA JO7400.2R Handling Airspace Matters

    FAA Order JO 7400.2R, effective February 20, 2025, sets out procedures for managing U.S. airspace, covering topics such as objects affecting navigable airspace, airport airspace analysis, terminal and en route airspace, special use airspace, and laser and rocket operations. The order updates policies related to surveillance facilities and airport proposals to reflect modern, contractor-supported National Airspace System technologies. Note that this document addresses broad national airspace management procedures and does not specifically cover Sea-Tac Airport noise policy.
  • 7400.2r bsc w chg 1 and 2 dtd 1 22 26 final pdf
    2025-02-20

    FAA JO7400.2R Handling Airspace Matters

    FAA Order JO 7400.2R, effective February 20, 2025, sets out procedures for managing U.S. airspace, covering topics such as objects affecting navigable airspace, airport airspace analysis, terminal and en route airspace, special use airspace, and laser and rocket operations. The order updates policies related to surveillance facilities and airport proposals to reflect modern, contractor-supported National Airspace System technologies. Note that this document addresses broad national airspace management procedures and does not specifically cover Sea-Tac Airport noise policy.
  • 2025-01-16

    Sustainable Airport Master Plan: Near-Term Projects Environmental Review — Release of the FAA NEPA Draft Environmental Assessment and Public Comment Period

    Jan 16 2025 presentation to PSRC by Dave Kaplan, Clare Gallagher. Port of Seattle presentation covering the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) Near-Term Projects (NTPs) Environmental Review, released October–November 2024. Covers the FAA NEPA Draft Environmental Assessment (Draft EA) and public comment period for Sea-Tac Airport (SEA). Includes historical passenger growth data from 1949 (130,600
  • 2025-01-15

    Interlocal agreement between the cities of Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park and SeaTac for environmental review of the Sea-Tac Airport Sustainable Airport Master Plan

    Four cities near Sea-Tac Airport — Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, and SeaTac — have joined together under a formal interlocal agreement to coordinate their review of the Port of Seattle's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP), which could bring significant noise and environmental impacts to surrounding communities over the next 20 years. The agreement establishes a shared process for hiring consultants, submitting joint public comments, and responding to environmental documents produced under federal (NEPA) and state (SEPA) law. The collaboration is set to run through December 31, 2027, with the City of Des Moines managing consultant contracts and the City of Burien overseeing fiscal matters.