Environmental groups sue DOT over Mississippi road project

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A gaggle of environmental and racial justice organizations filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday in opposition to the U.S. Division of Transportation and its secretary, Pete Buttigieg, looking for to halt a Gulf Coast highway challenge that the group says will hurt the atmosphere close to historic Black neighborhoods in north Gulfport.

The swimsuit, which argues that the DOT violated the Nationwide Environmental Coverage Act, was filed within the U.S. District Courtroom for the Southern District of Mississippi. It argues {that a} proposed highway connecting Gulfport’s north and south sides would exacerbate flooding issues in neighborhoods surrounding a big wetland space.

“The encompassing communities have lengthy spoken out in opposition to this pricey, ineffective, and environmentally hazardous plan. It should solely ship extra environmental injustice to one of the vital historic Black communities in Mississippi,” Ruth Story, the manager director of the Training, Economics, Environmental, Local weather and Well being Group, mentioned in a information launch. “The legacy of inequitable freeway choices continues regardless of the guarantees of this Administration.”

A DOT spokesperson mentioned the company doesn’t touch upon ongoing litigation.

The opposite plaintiffs apart from Story’s group are the Nationwide Council of Negro Ladies, the Sierra Membership and Wholesome Gulf. They oppose the DOT’s Interconnecting Gulfport challenge, which might construct a highway in a wetland space subsequent to the U.S. 49 and I-10 interchange. Metropolis officers have inspired business growth within the space, and the highway challenge goals to supply simpler entry to procuring facilities. Proponents of the challenge additionally say it will ease congestion close to the highways.

Gulfport obtained a $20 million DOT grant to assist pay for the challenge.

The highway would run via wetlands straight adjoining to at least one historic Black neighborhood, Forest Heights, and upstream from one other, Turkey Creek.

Forest Heights was developed within the mid-Sixties as a cooperative challenge of the Nationwide Council of Negro Ladies, the U.S. Division of Housing and City Improvement and the Ford Basis. Its title is a tribute to Dorothy Top, who was president of the Nationwide Council of Negro Ladies from 1947 to 1997, based on courtroom data.

Flooding has lengthy been a difficulty within the neighborhoods. Environmental teams say the highway challenge would enhance the chance of damaging floods.

“Our roads already get flooded, our church car parking zone was not too long ago flooded with six inches of water,” Lula Dedeaux, Gulfport Part President of the Nationwide Council of Negro Ladies, mentioned in a information launch. “The Connector Street will solely serve to make these current and harmful flooding issues worse”

The Nationwide Environmental Coverage Act requires federal businesses to judge the environmental results of their proposed actions prior to creating choices.

In September, the DOT authorized a remaining environmental evaluation which discovered that the challenge would have “no vital impression” on the atmosphere. However the environmental teams declare the evaluation failed to have a look at all the results business growth close to the highway would convey. They’re asking the courtroom to order the DOT to conduct one other environmental evaluation.

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Michael Goldberg is a corps member for the Related Press/Report for America Statehouse Information Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit nationwide service program that locations journalists in native newsrooms to report on undercovered points. Comply with him on Twitter at twitter.com/mikergoldberg.