Greenbelt Federal Court to Hear Opening Arguments in Challenge of ICC Approval

What:             The Intercounty Connector (ICC) approval. The ICC is a proposed $2.3 billion, six- lane, toll 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 groups will argue that state and federal agencies studying and approving the ICC failed to consider the reasonable alternatives that would better address traffic problems and cost less, while protecting public health and the region’s parks and natural resources. Plaintiffs also will argue that the proposed ICC would dramatically increase traffic and air pollution in the region that the federal agencies failed to consider before approving the ICC. Opening arguments in federal court challenge by local residents, community and environmental groups of
 
Why:               The study of the proposed ICC toll road has been considered incomplete by many since it was designed to favor a new toll road as the answer from the start and it failed to adequately consider the environmental and public health impacts.  State and federal officials continually refused requests from residents and regional organizations to study a range of options to address traffic congestion, including significant transit options, local road fixes and shifting future jobs to transit stations in Prince George’s County.  The Audubon Naturalist Society of the Central Atlantic States, Environmental Defense and other partners even commissioned a study of a package of alternatives and submitted it to the state.  The ICC has been tabled twice before by government officials because of the lack of transportation benefits to the community and environmental impacts. 
 
When:          Monday, October 1, 2007, 2 p.m. ET
 
Where:           U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, Greenbelt Division, 6500 Cherrywood Lane, Greenbelt, MD 20770
 

Who:            Representation, Co-counsel, Environmental Defense/Sierra Club Erik Bluemel, Staff Attorney, Georgetown University Law Center Institute for Public Representation, Co-counsel, Environmental Defense/Sierra Club

Bob Yuhnke, Co-counsel, Environmental Defense/Sierra Club

 

Contact:         Sean Crowley, Environmental Defense, (202) 550-6524-c, scrowley@ed.org

Mike Harold, Audubon Naturalist Society of the Central Atlantic States, (301) 652-9188 x 22, MHarold@audubonnaturalist.org

 

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