The Impact of recent NEPA litigation upon army decision making

• Author: Brian Boru O'Neill
• Pages: 04

I. INTRODUCTION

The Kational Environmental Palm . k t (KEPA] %%as enacted b5

Congress I" 1969 IO protect endangered natural re~aurcei In rhe parr tho \ears meral cases ieaulting from Department of Defense hare realignment actions ha\e interpreted the scope of NEPA and considered mo issues of particulai importance The first, ~n\ol\mg the coberage ofrhe Act, IS vhetherits procedures appl, IO proposals T+here rhe onl\ impacts ~$111 be economic, such as loss ofjobs The second. concerning procedural requirements. 1s i

This article (till specificall) consider the manner in vhich ilieie two queirioni haie been answered in rhe cares rparned h\ iecenr militat) realignments and xi11 address geneiall) the applicahiliti of NEPA to all othei Armi aciioni. The article hill open >\ith a discus-smn ofrecenr~udicial and leg&t!\e acti\it\ and uill conclude !\ith ahsenations on how planners and laxias can hest emure and demonirrare adequare compliance ,iith NtPA

11. THE SATIONAL

ESVIRONSIEYTAL POLICY ACT

The National Environmenral Polic\ .Act of 1969 requires agenciei of the fedeial qmeinment to ioiiipli with stud, and public dido-

sure requirementi uhen making decisions (hat uill affect the en\!-ronmenr The operative seciion of the Act, section 102(2)(C) direct~federal agencies to consider fully the envronmental effects of proposed federal acimns through the use of a derailed ita~einent

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The total KEPA process as mandated br rhe statute and b% the implementing guidelines of the Council on En\ironmenral Qualit) [CEQ, and federal agencies nnii mcludei.

1 Prepararion of an en\ironmental asseismenr 10 determine rherher rhe proposed action is a major one that will ha\e a significant effecr on rhe human en\ironmeiit: '

2 If the acrion LS such an action, pieparatian of a draft en-3 Circularion of the draft enaironmenral impact iraremenr

(EIS) to other agencies and to the public BI large, allowing forti.-fiie dars for rhem IO comment,1 Preparation of a final en\ironmental impacr statement and circulation to all agencies, organirarioni and Indniduale that commented on the drafr and to rhe Council on Emironmenid Qualit%: and

ilronmental 1mpacr statement:

d of the threshold decidon on xheiher to publish an m p s a itaternent140

19771 IMPACT OF RECENT NEPA LITIGATION 5. The accompaniment of the proposal through the agency's TeYiew process.

111. BASE REALIGNMENT LITIGATION

1. REALIGNMENT ACTIONS

   AS a result of the American withdrawal from Vietnam and the attendant reduction in defense activities there has been a series of military base realignments. One generation of these realignments was announced on November 22, 1974 by the Secretary of Defense and involved 1 II separate actions, consisting of realignments of units and functions, partial closures, and total closures of baser. The Army prepared environmental assessments of the actions and other studies, including detailed cost justifications and community em-nomic impact studies. For many of the actions the Army obtained the services of private companies which studied rhe rocial and eco-nomic impacts the proposed realignments would have on the communities to be affected. As the defense agencies concluded that there actions would not have a significant impact upon the environment-the impacts were primarily economtc-environmental impact statements were not prepared and the detailed public participation requirements of NEPA were not utilized

   The November 22,1974 announcements did, however, generate a considerable amount of laraely to forestall the projected

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   'NEPA litlgrllon ~ncluder Bmckmndge Y Srhlcmger, Cn KO 75100 (E D Ky Ju1) 9, 1975). rm'd, 537 F.2d 864 (6th Cir. L976), apphtmnfo~ nrf. pdmg (Lexington Bluegrass Army Depot). National Asi'n of Go,', Employeci \

   Rumrfeld 1Phdadrlphm). 418 F Supp 1502 (E.D Pa 19761 (Frankford Arsenal). NaLlonal As'n of G d t Employecs I Rumiicld IPuehlo). 413 F Supp 1224 (D D C 1976). notice Dfa@pplaifiiid (Pueblo Army Depot). IMAGE oi San Antonio ,, Rumrfcld, 9 E R G . 1183 (Nos SA-7bCA-116. 117. WD. Ter. May 13, 1976), netice ofa@edjkd (Kelly Air Form Base. Texas), McDoxcll Y Schleimger, 404 F. Supp 221 (W.D Mo. 19751 (Richards-Gehaur Air Force Bare. Mlrroun). Shiftler ,

   Rumifeld, Civ No 7b2129 1D N J May 4. 1975), nolice ofoppdpd (Forts Mon-mouth and Gordon, and the Nauonal Capiial Region) Other Ihrigauon includes Perkrmv Rumifeld, Civ No 76108(E D Ky Aug 3, 1976) (LexingranBluegraxr Army Depot, hama of iuii was dleged Fraud). City ai Philadelphia % Srhlemnger. No 751405 (ED Pa No" 4. 1975). a/fd, No. 7C1050 1Sd Cir Apr. IS 1976) (Frankford Arxnal. vi~lationof Arsenal Act). National Ars'n of Gor'r Employees, Schlcsingcr, 397 F. Supp 694 (ED Pa ). @fd, 523 F 2d 1051 (3d Cir 1975) (Frankford Arsenal. vlolauon ai reponing requirements ~n ~ertion

   613 of Milhrsr)

   Construmon Art of 1970). Two NEPA riies arc m11 pending Fuller Y Rumiield and Local 1546 Y Rurnsfeld, Civ No,. 5-75-50, 51 1E.D Cnl 1976) (Sharp? and Sacramenta Army Dcpora). In rhore cases a mmim for a pmlimmrry tnjunctvm vas denied Other recent base dowre or rcahgnment Ihtigalion not arrooawd xirh the November 1974 snn~unremen~includes Concerned Ahour Trident v

   loss of jobs and the other adierse economic impacts the closures

   i$ould ha\e on rhe various communities Ofren the lirigation has biought Lii interested members of Congress: aluayi the local unions,rere part, plamt1ffr.

   The plamuffs rrpicalli sought io retain the existing econoniic '11-mate in their localities in the face of Departmenr of Defense ar-remprr to reduce merall gorrrnmenr expenditures The Govern-inem trpxall) proposed such iealignment actions LO consolidate similar functions carried on ai several installations at one location The iealignmenrs would result in a reduction in the total number of emploiees. and a transfer ofpbr from rhe installation loring func. tionr and reiponribiliriei 10 rhe one expanding the scope of Its oper-atlo"

   B REALIG.YME.YT LITIGATI0,Y

   I Soctnl mid Econormc Importi under the Sotional Enrtionrnm!d Palq At!-The Scope ofihr Humon Eni'irorrrnenl

   Section 102(2)(C) of the .kt iequirei impacr statements nhen the piapoied acmn will rignificanth affect Ihe "human entironment ''

   The plainriffs in the realignment litigatron took w o separate bur related tacks to state claim under SEPA. The f i l s ilai hat economic ~mpact. be It rhc ~ncon\enience of emplotee dislocatmn or short-rerm COIIIIIIU~L~

   economic dliruptmn. affected the human eniitonmeni simpl\ hecause It affected human beings 'The second %cas that rhere ere incidental en%ironmenral impacrr m the [rad)-tional sense. for evample impacts on ~ei+ersand parks, and that these mcidenral enr ironmental impacts combined rith the econom~ arpecrs

   TheHmly Tnlog) lo resulted from a proposal b) the General Services Administration (GSA) ro construct a jail and a courthouse at Folev Square. Neu York. The Second Circuit thrice considered anemironmental assessment determination that the Construction of the jail tn the inner c w would not haie a "significant" impact on the qualit) of the human eniiranment After txice orderrng reassess. menrr of the impact of the proposed jail construction. the court eventually upheld the GSA's determinarion that no eniiranmenral impact starement UPS required Of note 1s thar mHadj I, the court suggested thar an en\ironmental assessment should consider factors such as "[nloise. rraffic. oberburdened mass transportation systems, crime. congestion and ewn a%ahbility of drugs , , ." This language m Had? 1 uai discussed tn the first of the cases dealing with the November 1974 announcements-.Md)aiilrli v Schleiingar.'z

   In.LlrDowaI1, civilian Air Force employees and rhe American Federation of Go\ernment Empheer alleged thar rhe Air Force had failed to cornpi! hith the requmments of NEP.4 in deciding to transfer an Air Force unit from Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, hliisouri to Scott Air Force Base. Illmo~s.and the, sought KO enjoin [he transfer and realignment action until the Air Force complied hith the Act The proposed mme mvohed approximarel) 2,992 militan emp1o)eei and. uith the families of the emplorees, could pareibl) ha\e resulted in an influx of 10,000 people inro rhe Scott Air Force Bare region The Air Force did not prepare an impact statement bur prepared a derailed assessment thar concluded there would be no significant enrironmental impact...