Media Advisory for Monday, October 29, 10am; Round 2 of Legal Challenge to ICC Approval to be Debated in Greenbelt Federal Court

What:             Environmental Defense and the Sierra Club will present their second round of arguments in their suit to force the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to withdraw its approval of the proposed Intercounty Connector (ICC) highway that would connect I-95 and US-1 in Prince George’s County with I-270/I-370 at Shady Grove in Montgomery County. The issues include:
1.      The ICC was approved without a proper evaluation of its effects on local particle pollution.
2.      The air pollution analysis failed to quantify the impacts of dangerous toxic pollutants for which Maryland has set standards, but EPA has not set federal standards.
3.      The ICC fails to meet a strengthened requirement in federal transportation law Congress passed in 2005 requiring that the transportation projects added to a metropolitan transportation system be funded only if they “minimize fuel consumption.”
 
Why:               Environmental Defense and Sierra Club argue that the ICC was approved without a proper evaluation of its effects on local air pollution and public health. The approval assumed that monitors located more than 1 1/2 miles from major highways are representative of the pollution levels experienced by neighborhoods, schools, and parks in immediate proximity to major highways such as I-95, I-270, and I-370. The ICC would increase traffic and pollution on these and other highways. Monitoring of soot pollution close to these roads is needed to ensure that the ICC would not exacerbate existing violations of federal air pollution health standards designed to protect the health of people living, working, or going to schools in our communities.
 
When:          Monday, October 29, 2007, 10 a.m. ET
 
Where:           U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, Greenbelt Division, 6500 Cherrywood Lane, Greenbelt, MD 20770
 
Who:               Erik Bluemel, Staff Attorney, Georgetown University Law Center Institute for Public Representation, Co-counsel, Environmental Defense/Sierra Club
Michael Replogle, Transportation Director, Environmental Defense/Former Transportation Consultant, U.S. Federal Highway Administration
Bob Yuhnke, Co-counsel, Environmental Defense/Sierra Club
 
Contact:             Sean Crowley, Environmental Defense, (202) 550-6524-c, scrowley@environmentaldefense.org
Steve Caflisch, Sierra Club, (301) 509-2891-c, Steve.Caflisch@rcn.com
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