Gulfport highway venture results in lawsuit in opposition to DOT over impression to wetlands

An advocacy coalition filed a lawsuit in federal court docket Thursday in opposition to the U.S. Division of Transportation and Secretary Pete Buttigieg over a proposed highway extension in Gulfport, arguing that the company hasn’t completely examined potential impacts to the realm’s wetlands.

Gulfport officers are proposing the extension of Airport Highway to scale back site visitors congestion in a rising business part of the town.

The DOT authorized a remaining environmental evaluation in September, which discovered that the venture, which may value $48.5 million, would have “no vital impression.”

However the lawsuit’s plaintiffs — the Nationwide Council of Negro Ladies (NCNW), Training, Economics, Environmental, Local weather and Well being Group (EEECHO), Sierra Membership, and Wholesome Gulf — say the DOT violated federal laws by not conducting an environmental impression assertion, or EIS, which is required for tasks with a sure footprint.

The Federal Freeway Administration, below the DOT, solely required an environmental evaluation, or EA, which has much less rigorous necessities than an EIS.

Opponents argue the proposed highway extension would worsen flooding in an space that already faces common inundation, particularly the historic Black neighborhoods of Turkey Creek and Forest Heights.

“Our roads already get flooded, our church car parking zone was lately flooded with six inches of water,” Lula Dedeaux, Gulfport Part president of the Nationwide Council of Negro
Ladies, mentioned in an announcement. “These wetlands have been acknowledged as Aquatic Sources of Nationwide Significance by the Environmental Safety Company as a result of they supply very important flood safety to the Forest Heights, North Gulfport, and Turkey Creek communities. The Connector Highway will solely serve to make these present and harmful flooding issues worse.”

The venture’s proposal consists of constructing a “retention pond” to supply some flood management, however the EA additionally states that “ought to improvement proceed alongside the alignment, extra stormwater retention can be wanted to mitigate stormwater flows.”

DOT awarded the venture a $20 million BUILD grant in 2019.

The Sierra Membership additionally argued that the venture gained’t obtain its marketed advantages.

“The fact is that $48 plus million in taxpayer {dollars} will do nothing to assist site visitors congestion,” Louie Miller, state director for Mississippi Sierra Membership, mentioned. “It’s clear the objective of this proposal is to advertise new business improvement for the enrichment of politically related, non-public actual property builders, on the expense of the local people.”

Mississippi In the present day reached out to the DOT and the town of Gulfport for remark.