Dept. of Transportation v. Public
Citizen case brief
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541 U.S. 752 (2004)
CASE SYNOPSIS: Respondent organizations
petitioned for judicial review, alleging that petitioner Department
of Transportation's (DOT) Application and Safety Monitoring Rules
(Rules) violated the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA), 42 U.S.C.S. §§ 4321-4370f, and the Clean Air Act (CAA), 42
U.S.C.S. §§ 7401-7671q. The United States Court of Appeals for the
Ninth Circuit granted the petitions and set aside the Rules.
Certiorari was granted.
FACTS: The President of the United States made clear his intention to lift a moratorium on Mexican motor carrier certification following the preparation of new regulations. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), an agency within the DOT, issued a programmatic environmental assessment (EA) for the proposed Rules concerning safety regulation of Mexican motor carriers. FMCSA did not consider any environmental impact that could be caused by the increased presence of Mexican trucks within the United States based upon lifting the moratorium. The Court determined that FMCSA did not violate NEPA or the relevant regulations when it did not consider the environmental effect of the increase in cross-border operations of Mexican motor carriers in its EA. Because the President, not FMCSA, could authorize or not authorize cross-border operations from Mexican motor carriers, and because FMCSA had no discretion to prevent the entry of Mexican trucks, its EA did not need to consider the environmental effects arising from the entry. FMCSA did not act improperly by not performing, pursuant to the CAA, a full conformity review analysis for its proposed regulations.
CONCLUSION: The United States Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the appellate court and remanded the case for further proceedings.
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FACTS: The President of the United States made clear his intention to lift a moratorium on Mexican motor carrier certification following the preparation of new regulations. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), an agency within the DOT, issued a programmatic environmental assessment (EA) for the proposed Rules concerning safety regulation of Mexican motor carriers. FMCSA did not consider any environmental impact that could be caused by the increased presence of Mexican trucks within the United States based upon lifting the moratorium. The Court determined that FMCSA did not violate NEPA or the relevant regulations when it did not consider the environmental effect of the increase in cross-border operations of Mexican motor carriers in its EA. Because the President, not FMCSA, could authorize or not authorize cross-border operations from Mexican motor carriers, and because FMCSA had no discretion to prevent the entry of Mexican trucks, its EA did not need to consider the environmental effects arising from the entry. FMCSA did not act improperly by not performing, pursuant to the CAA, a full conformity review analysis for its proposed regulations.
CONCLUSION: The United States Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the appellate court and remanded the case for further proceedings.
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