Description: Challenge to the U.S. Maritime Administration’s record of decision for the licensing of the Sea Port Oil Terminal and the final environmental impact statement for the project.
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Citizens for Clean Air & Clean Water in Brazoria County v. U.S. Department of Transportation
Case Documents:
Filing Date Type File Action Taken Summary 01/19/2023 Petition for Review Download Petition for review filed. Lawsuit Filed to Challenge Environmental Review for Deepwater Crude Oil Port. Five nonprofit organizations filed a petition for review in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the U.S. Maritime Administration’s record of decision for the licensing of the Sea Port Oil Terminal and the final environmental impact statement for the project, which is a deepwater port for transportation of domestically produced crude oil for export to the global market. The project has onshore components in Brazoria and Harris Counties in Texas and offshore components located 27.2 to 30.8 nautical miles off the coast of Brazoria County. In a press release announcing the lawsuit, the organizations said the project would be the largest offshore export terminal in the U.S. and would facilitate a 50% increase over 2022 total oil exports. They said the environmental review of the project failed to account for the project’s impacts on climate change and also failed to adequately assess oil spill risk, harms to endangered species, and public health harms, including impacts to air quality in local communities.