Overview

• The Supreme Court delivered an 8-0 decision with Justice Neil Gorsuch recusing himself, overturning the DC Circuit’s 2023 finding that the project’s environmental review under NEPA was inadequate.
• The ruling revives federal clearance granted in 2021 by the Surface Transportation Board for an 88-mile rail line to carry waxy crude oil from Utah’s Uinta Basin into the national freight network.
• Proponents say the railway will stimulate local economies, create jobs and diversify domestic energy transport options in northeastern Utah.
• Opponents including the Center for Biological Diversity and Colorado’s Eagle County had challenged the project over safety risks, spill concerns and impacts on the Colorado River headwaters.
• The decision clarifies the scope of environmental impact assessments under the National Environmental Policy Act and could shape review standards for future infrastructure and energy projects.