Four local groups filed a lawsuit in the federal district court for the Southern District of Ohio challenging the Federal Highway Administration’s NEPA review for the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project a bridge and highway project. The project involved constructing a new bridge west of the existing Brent Spence Bridge, which crosses the Ohio River between Cincinnati and Covington, Kentucky, as well reconfiguration of the existing bridge, addition of collector-distributor lanes, extension of frontage roads, and rebuilding of overpass bridges and interchanges. The plaintiffs that the Revised Supplemental Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for the project did not give adequate consideration to significant impacts. The failures alleged by the plaintiffs included failing to reasonable address greenhouse gas emissions from “the huge amount of induced traffic resulting from the Project’s added capacity” and failing to mention emissions from construction.

Challenge to the environmental review for a project to expand a bridge and highway system over the Ohio River.

Devou Good Project, Inc. v. U.S. Department of Transportation

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Plaintiffs Said NEPA Review for Ohio River Bridge and Highway Project Failed to Adequately Consider Climate Change

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Policy instruments are techniques or tools used by governing authorities to promote certain policies in order to achieve predetermined goals. Put simply, instruments are how a government tries to achieve its goals, with this taxonomy being focused on national policy instruments.

Risk is the potential for adverse consequences resulting from the dynamic interplay between (climate-related) hazards, exposure, and vulnerability of affected human or ecological systems.

Groups  of people who are adversely affected by climate change or the response to it

A set of principles, processes, and practices that build economic and political power to shift from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy.

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Renewable energy means all forms of energy produced from renewable sources in a sustainable manner.

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Molecules in the atmosphere that play a key role in the greenhouse effect by trapping heat radiating from Earth’s surface.

Area of the economy in which actors engage in identical or related activities.

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The management and allocation of funds, assets and investments to meet various objectives

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Zoning and spatial planning are both methods for guiding the distribution of people and activities in a space, and are regulatory restriction.

Either money or something of monetary value is transferred between two or more organisations, people or countries.

Actions or measures to adapt freshwater systems to climate change.

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Actions or measures to adapt freshwater, coastal and marine systems to climate change.

The release of heat-trapping gases, primarily from human activities such as burning fossil fuels, agriculture and industry.

A long-lived, colourless gas, chiefly emitted from fossil fuel combustion, deforestation and cement production.

Extreme weather refers to events where a weather variable exceeds (or falls below) a threshold. Meaning it is significantly different from the average or usual weather pattern.

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Oil is a combustible liquid fossil fuel composed mainly of hydrocarbons, occurring as crude oil and refined into petroleum products such as petrol, diesel and kerosene.

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Plaintiffs Said NEPA Review for Ohio River Bridge and Highway Project Failed to Adequately Consider Climate Change

Policy instrument

Risk

Impacted group

Fossil fuel

Greenhouse gas

Economic sector

Adaptation/resilience

Finance