Overview

• In an 8-0 ruling, the Court held that the Surface Transportation Board lawfully approved the 88-mile oil rail line based on a NEPA review limited to direct project effects.
• The majority opinion asserted that NEPA does not obligate agencies to analyze remote or conjectural environmental harms.
• Eagle County’s concerns over community safety and Colorado River risks remain unresolved as the case returns to the appeals court under the tightened review standard.
• Justice Kagan’s dissent argued that the decision “hollows out” NEPA and disregards Congress’s intent for comprehensive environmental oversight.
• Critics warn the ruling may accelerate Uinta Basin oil development, raise greenhouse-gas emissions and prompt Congress to clarify NEPA’s parameters.