Two months ago, we issued a post regarding oral arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in National Wildlife Federation v. Secretary of the Department of Transportation. That case asked whether approval of pipeline spill response plans by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) triggered consultation and review processes under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). In an opinion released on Friday, June 5, 2020, the Sixth Circuit answered that question in the negative. The court’s decision avoids adding another substantial burden to the review process for response plans, and, since it reaches the same result as the only other appellate court to consider the question, the decision likely will not attract the attention of the Supreme Court.
Continue Reading Sixth Circuit: Spill Response Plans Do Not Trigger Endangered Species Act or NEPA Review