11-06-2025
US Supreme Court sparks backlash after ruling in favor of controversial railroad project: 'Endangers local communities'
The U.S. Supreme Court delivered a blow to environmentalists, siding with a railroad expansion in Utah to help transport crude oil.
As the Guardian reported, the court ruled unanimously in favor of the railroad, deciding that the original lower court based its ruling to stop the railroad on an environmental impact assessment that was too limited in scope.
According to The Salt Lake Tribune, the expansion of the Uinta Basin Railway would add around 88 miles of track and could connect oil suppliers with a wider market, such as refining facilities on the Gulf Coast.
The project was approved in 2021 but paused in 2023 after multiple parties challenged it.
The recent ruling to continue the project worries environmentalists around the country. It challenges protections that have held since the 1970 National Environmental Policy Act.
NEPA sets forth a process for agencies to assess the environmental, social, and economic impact of a particular project, followed by a period of public review and community comments.
Siding with the railroad expansion could challenge environmental protection precedents.
Ashfaq Khalfan, Oxfam America's director of climate justice, said, "The Supreme Court's decision endangers local communities, many of them Indigenous and rural, in favor of the dirty energy status quo," per the Guardian.
The Supreme Court decision is a danger to communities around the railway. For one, the transported oil poses a large threat to the Colorado River, its ecosystem, and the communities it serves if the train derails or oil spills, as The Colorado Sun reported.
Communities can be exposed to pollutants from a variety of industrial activities. One of the most famous instances is the story of Erin Brockovich, who began a legal case against Pacific Gas and Electric Company regarding groundwater contamination in California.
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Pollution impacts communities around the world every day. Air pollution health risks include respiratory issues, cardiovascular disease, and cancers. Polluted water can cause a variety of gastrointestinal issues, skin conditions, and cancers.
"Our bedrock environmental laws, like NEPA, are meant to ensure people are protected from corporate polluters. … Today's decision will undoubtedly help the fossil fuel industry," said Sierra Club senior attorney Nathaniel Shoaff.
Most often, marginalized groups bear the brunt of environmental hazards and pollution.
With mass layoffs in key government organizations like the Environmental Protection Agency, scientists and experts warn of repercussions for the health of people and the environment.
Organizations like the Sierra Club and the Center for Biological Diversity are working to protect the people and environments most impacted by corporate decisions like this railroad expansion.
Voting for political leaders who recognize the serious nature of the changing climate and its effects, regardless of which side of the political aisle they fall on, is also vital to continuing to protect the environment.
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