Latest news with #EnvironmentalImpactStatement
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Route 219 project clears regulatory hurdle
SOMERSET, Pa. – Somerset County and state transportation officials received federal clearance to proceed with a preferred U.S. Route 219 path to Maryland. The Federal Highway Administration has issued its final Environmental Impact Statement, enabling continued design work to proceed on a proposed six-mile four-lane route between Meyersdale and the Mason-Dixon Line. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation officials previously selected the route – called 'E-Shift Modified' on preliminary documents from a list of several finalists. And Somerset County leaders have backed the plan as the most direct – and most cost-effective – path. But plans for the path needed to complete a federal review before proceeding. An executive summary uploaded this month to the U.S. Route 219 project's website cited the plan's limited impact to farmland, populated areas and wetlands, compared to other options. With just two new bridges planned, the route's construction will likely be $100 million cheaper. As planned, the route will travel south of Meyersdale and veer several miles east of Salisbury Borough in Elk Lick Township before connecting to a yet-to-be-built nearly two mile link in Maryland to the Interstate 68 corridor. The two-mile path is incorporated into the project as part of a joint effort between the states of Maryland and Pennsylvania. The approval enables an extensive final design, right-of-way acquisitions and permitting to occur over the next several years, PennDOT officials said. Those phases are fully funded. But additional funding will need to be secured to complete the project's eventual construction, state and county officials have said. If all goes as planned, construction would start on the project in 2029 – and be completed in 2031. David Hurst is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @TDDavidHurst.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The Supreme Court said no, but this legal battle lives on
A major mining project in Arizona remains on hold this month even after the Supreme Court declined to consider a faith-based plea to block it. The justices said on May 27 that they wouldn't hear a religious freedom case aimed at preventing federal officials from transferring Oak Flat, a site that's sacred to the Western Apache, to Resolution Copper. At first, that announcement seemed like the end of the road for the mining project's opponents. But then on Monday, they secured a small but potentially significant victory in a federal court in Arizona in separate but related lawsuits on the future of Oak Flat. According to Inside Climate News, one of the ongoing lawsuits was brought by the San Carlos Apache Tribe and argues that the land transfer would violate a treaty between the tribe and the government, as well as environmental and historic preservation laws. The other lawsuit was brought by a group of environmental activists, who claim the government has failed to fully study the environmental impact of the proposed mining project. In Monday's ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Dominic W. Lanza said the government can't transfer the land until at least 60 days after the publication of the Environmental Impact Statement on the mining project and promised to revisit the transfer during that 60-day period to consider implementing an injunction that would block it. The battle over Oak Flat dates back to 2014, when Congress removed the federal protections that were preventing mining in the area, as the Deseret News previously reported. That legal shift made it possible for the land to be transferred to a private company, although seven years passed with no major developments along those lines. But then, in 2021, the federal government published an Environmental Impact Statement on Oak Flat, signaling that mining was soon to begin. That's when a group of Native Americans filed a religion lawsuit to block the land transfer, arguing that destroying Oak Flat would violate their religious freedom rights. While the lawsuit, called Apache Stronghold v. United States, delayed the mining project, it didn't restore land protections. Apache Stronghold lost at the district and circuit court level, where judges said destroying Oak Flat would not violate the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. With its May 27 announcement, the Supreme Court allowed those decisions to remain in place. Justice Neil Gorsuch criticized the court's refusal to take up the case in a strongly worded dissent, which was joined by Justice Clarence Thomas. 'Just imagine if the government sought to demolish a historic cathedral on so questionable a chain of legal reasoning. I have no doubt that we would find that case worth our time. Faced with the government's plan to destroy an ancient site of tribal worship, we owe the Apaches no less,' Gorsuch wrote. Although the Supreme Court's announcement brought an end to the religious freedom case, it did not end the battle. Two other lawsuits aimed at blocking the mining are ongoing, as Inside Climate News reported. By ensuring that the land transfer won't happen before late August, Judge Lanza in Arizona created time for those lawsuits to move forward. The mining project's opponents present the judge's move as significant, noting that they haven't given up hope. 'We are grateful that Judge Lanza has provided us an opportunity to be heard,' San Carlos Apache Tribe Chairman Terry Rambler said in a statement provided to the Deseret News. But the mining project's supporters believe their plan is still on track. 'The court correctly found no legal basis for a preliminary injunction, and its order is consistent with prior decisions about this project at every level, including the Supreme Court's recent decision to deny further review in Apache Stronghold v. United States,' said Vicky Peacey, president and general manager of Resolution Copper, in a statement. 'The order simply gives the parties time to review the (Environmental Impact Statement) within the timeframe Congress directed for the land exchange. We are confident the project satisfies all applicable legal requirements.' The statement is expected to be published by June 20, Inside Climate News reported. Once it's released, the 60-day countdown will start.
The Advertiser
10-06-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
Going up: new project hoped to breathe life into former Spotlight site
A MAJOR $118.9 million development is proposed to breathe new life into a dilapidated corner of the city's CBD. The former Spotlight building and run-down car park in Newcastle West are set to be transformed into two towers housing 260 new apartments and street-front retail if the proposal wins approval. Designed by Stewart Architecture and spearheaded by developer 711 Hunter Street Pty Limited, the ambitious project replaces previous plans for the site. St Hilliers and Spotlight Group secured development approval in October 2023 for two 26-storey apartment towers on the site after winning development approval for a 257-unit development marketed as West Village, but put the land up for sale the following month. In 2024, the Newcastle Herald reported that development and construction firm Bloc had purchased the site as part of a joint venture. If approved, the new proposal would deliver a four-story podium built with two residential towers rising above, one at 14 storeys and the other at 31 storeys. In total, the development would deliver 87 one-bedroom, 80 two-bedroom and 93 three-bedroom units along with seven ground-floor retail tenancies. An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) lodged with the City of Newcastle said the underutilised site contains buildings in a "state of disrepair" that are "inconsistent with the desired future character" of the CBD. "The proposal will contribute to the revitalisation of the Newcastle city centre," the statement said. It went on to say the site has "excellent" access to essential services, education, jobs, open space and community facilities and "will provide public benefit by delivering diverse housing and retail opportunities, activating the site and contributing to the amenity of the public domain". The proposed design was developed in consultation with the council and the Newcastle Urban Design Review Panel. The plans include 363 carparks hidden within the podium levels, with access via Little King Street to the south. Upstairs, a communal space including a 'tranquil garden', seating areas, two plunge pools and a regular pool, a children's play area, a barbecue spot, space for a residential library or common room, an outdoor gym and shade structures would be available to residents. A pocket park would be open to the public along National Park Street, complete with a featured artwork or mural. The development application will be determined by the Hunter and Central Coast Regional Planning Panel. Public submissions on the proposal are open until July 1 at 5pm on the City of Newcastle's website. A MAJOR $118.9 million development is proposed to breathe new life into a dilapidated corner of the city's CBD. The former Spotlight building and run-down car park in Newcastle West are set to be transformed into two towers housing 260 new apartments and street-front retail if the proposal wins approval. Designed by Stewart Architecture and spearheaded by developer 711 Hunter Street Pty Limited, the ambitious project replaces previous plans for the site. St Hilliers and Spotlight Group secured development approval in October 2023 for two 26-storey apartment towers on the site after winning development approval for a 257-unit development marketed as West Village, but put the land up for sale the following month. In 2024, the Newcastle Herald reported that development and construction firm Bloc had purchased the site as part of a joint venture. If approved, the new proposal would deliver a four-story podium built with two residential towers rising above, one at 14 storeys and the other at 31 storeys. In total, the development would deliver 87 one-bedroom, 80 two-bedroom and 93 three-bedroom units along with seven ground-floor retail tenancies. An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) lodged with the City of Newcastle said the underutilised site contains buildings in a "state of disrepair" that are "inconsistent with the desired future character" of the CBD. "The proposal will contribute to the revitalisation of the Newcastle city centre," the statement said. It went on to say the site has "excellent" access to essential services, education, jobs, open space and community facilities and "will provide public benefit by delivering diverse housing and retail opportunities, activating the site and contributing to the amenity of the public domain". The proposed design was developed in consultation with the council and the Newcastle Urban Design Review Panel. The plans include 363 carparks hidden within the podium levels, with access via Little King Street to the south. Upstairs, a communal space including a 'tranquil garden', seating areas, two plunge pools and a regular pool, a children's play area, a barbecue spot, space for a residential library or common room, an outdoor gym and shade structures would be available to residents. A pocket park would be open to the public along National Park Street, complete with a featured artwork or mural. The development application will be determined by the Hunter and Central Coast Regional Planning Panel. Public submissions on the proposal are open until July 1 at 5pm on the City of Newcastle's website. A MAJOR $118.9 million development is proposed to breathe new life into a dilapidated corner of the city's CBD. The former Spotlight building and run-down car park in Newcastle West are set to be transformed into two towers housing 260 new apartments and street-front retail if the proposal wins approval. Designed by Stewart Architecture and spearheaded by developer 711 Hunter Street Pty Limited, the ambitious project replaces previous plans for the site. St Hilliers and Spotlight Group secured development approval in October 2023 for two 26-storey apartment towers on the site after winning development approval for a 257-unit development marketed as West Village, but put the land up for sale the following month. In 2024, the Newcastle Herald reported that development and construction firm Bloc had purchased the site as part of a joint venture. If approved, the new proposal would deliver a four-story podium built with two residential towers rising above, one at 14 storeys and the other at 31 storeys. In total, the development would deliver 87 one-bedroom, 80 two-bedroom and 93 three-bedroom units along with seven ground-floor retail tenancies. An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) lodged with the City of Newcastle said the underutilised site contains buildings in a "state of disrepair" that are "inconsistent with the desired future character" of the CBD. "The proposal will contribute to the revitalisation of the Newcastle city centre," the statement said. It went on to say the site has "excellent" access to essential services, education, jobs, open space and community facilities and "will provide public benefit by delivering diverse housing and retail opportunities, activating the site and contributing to the amenity of the public domain". The proposed design was developed in consultation with the council and the Newcastle Urban Design Review Panel. The plans include 363 carparks hidden within the podium levels, with access via Little King Street to the south. Upstairs, a communal space including a 'tranquil garden', seating areas, two plunge pools and a regular pool, a children's play area, a barbecue spot, space for a residential library or common room, an outdoor gym and shade structures would be available to residents. A pocket park would be open to the public along National Park Street, complete with a featured artwork or mural. The development application will be determined by the Hunter and Central Coast Regional Planning Panel. Public submissions on the proposal are open until July 1 at 5pm on the City of Newcastle's website. A MAJOR $118.9 million development is proposed to breathe new life into a dilapidated corner of the city's CBD. The former Spotlight building and run-down car park in Newcastle West are set to be transformed into two towers housing 260 new apartments and street-front retail if the proposal wins approval. Designed by Stewart Architecture and spearheaded by developer 711 Hunter Street Pty Limited, the ambitious project replaces previous plans for the site. St Hilliers and Spotlight Group secured development approval in October 2023 for two 26-storey apartment towers on the site after winning development approval for a 257-unit development marketed as West Village, but put the land up for sale the following month. In 2024, the Newcastle Herald reported that development and construction firm Bloc had purchased the site as part of a joint venture. If approved, the new proposal would deliver a four-story podium built with two residential towers rising above, one at 14 storeys and the other at 31 storeys. In total, the development would deliver 87 one-bedroom, 80 two-bedroom and 93 three-bedroom units along with seven ground-floor retail tenancies. An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) lodged with the City of Newcastle said the underutilised site contains buildings in a "state of disrepair" that are "inconsistent with the desired future character" of the CBD. "The proposal will contribute to the revitalisation of the Newcastle city centre," the statement said. It went on to say the site has "excellent" access to essential services, education, jobs, open space and community facilities and "will provide public benefit by delivering diverse housing and retail opportunities, activating the site and contributing to the amenity of the public domain". The proposed design was developed in consultation with the council and the Newcastle Urban Design Review Panel. The plans include 363 carparks hidden within the podium levels, with access via Little King Street to the south. Upstairs, a communal space including a 'tranquil garden', seating areas, two plunge pools and a regular pool, a children's play area, a barbecue spot, space for a residential library or common room, an outdoor gym and shade structures would be available to residents. A pocket park would be open to the public along National Park Street, complete with a featured artwork or mural. The development application will be determined by the Hunter and Central Coast Regional Planning Panel. Public submissions on the proposal are open until July 1 at 5pm on the City of Newcastle's website.
The Age
04-06-2025
- General
- The Age
Flight path changes for Western Sydney Airport revealed
The flight paths for Sydney's new international airport have been authorised, revealing a range of changes aiming to spare some of western Sydney's more populated areas from overnight noise. The Blue Mountains and Wallacia will benefit from changes made to the flight paths for Western Sydney International Airport, unveiled by federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Catherine King on Wednesday. Stepping out on the newly completed 3.7-kilometre runway to announce the authorisation of the paths, on a freezing cold morning in Sydney's west, King called it a 'crucial step' to opening the airport in late 2026. The flights paths were first revealed in 2023, with a final Environmental Impact Statement released in November 2024. Following feedback from the community, King said a total of five changes were made to help minimise aircraft noise, four of which relate to night-time operations. 'We've learnt lessons from other airports, which is why I have imposed a number of additional conditions that will reduce our aircraft noise,' King said. 'Most notably, I'll be issuing a ministerial direction to Airservices Australia … to make reciprocal runway operations the default operating mode at night, including the use of a specific noise abatement procedure, when both are safe to do so.' Reciprocal runway operations, or RRO, is a flight path design where planes take off and land from the same direction, but at the opposite end of the runway. When RRO mode is in use and when traffic permits, jet aircraft departing to destinations in the north, north-west and west would be kept on runway heading – travelling in the same direction of the runway – longer, until clear of Silverdale, before being processed by air traffic control to their destinations.
Sydney Morning Herald
04-06-2025
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
Flight path changes for Western Sydney Airport revealed
The flight paths for Sydney's new international airport have been authorised, revealing a range of changes aiming to spare some of western Sydney's more populated areas from overnight noise. The Blue Mountains and Wallacia will benefit from changes made to the flight paths for Western Sydney International Airport, unveiled by federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Catherine King on Wednesday. Stepping out on the newly completed 3.7-kilometre runway to announce the authorisation of the paths, on a freezing cold morning in Sydney's west, King called it a 'crucial step' to opening the airport in late 2026. The flights paths were first revealed in 2023, with a final Environmental Impact Statement released in November 2024. Following feedback from the community, King said a total of five changes were made to help minimise aircraft noise, four of which relate to night-time operations. 'We've learnt lessons from other airports, which is why I have imposed a number of additional conditions that will reduce our aircraft noise,' King said. 'Most notably, I'll be issuing a ministerial direction to Airservices Australia … to make reciprocal runway operations the default operating mode at night, including the use of a specific noise abatement procedure, when both are safe to do so.' Reciprocal runway operations, or RRO, is a flight path design where planes take off and land from the same direction, but at the opposite end of the runway. When RRO mode is in use and when traffic permits, jet aircraft departing to destinations in the north, north-west and west would be kept on runway heading – travelling in the same direction of the runway – longer, until clear of Silverdale, before being processed by air traffic control to their destinations.
