Opinion ID: 399881
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Equitable Remedy Appropriate?

Text: 42 In summary, the record demonstrates that, in apparent good faith, HUD attempted to comply with NEPA requirements and that it in fact did so with two exceptions that, in the context of the issues raised, are minor. Considering the good-faith and relatively minor deficiencies in HUD's preconstruction environmental clearance study, as well as the circumstance that, unopposed by the plaintiffs, the construction and occupancy of the apartment complex are now complete, we do not think that the nonmoot post-completion equitable remedy sought-the enjoining of rent-subsidy payments to the low-income tenants until the deficiencies are cured-should appropriately be granted. On the one hand, it is doubtful that the remedy sought would actually afford relief to the plaintiffs as to the environmental harms of which they complain-the schools and traffic would be as much or as little congested by the unsubsidized tenants who would replace the low-income families formerly aided by the rent-subsidy payments. On the other hand, the great harm that would be sustained by the displaced low-income tenants weighs heavily against granting the plaintiffs the equitable remedy they seek. See Sworob v. Harris, supra, 451 F.Supp. at 102. Moreover, in our view it is extremely unlikely that any HUD (re)approval of the apartment project would be conditioned upon the developer accepting any of the alternative tenant-occupancy plans suggested by the plaintiffs. 43 In similarly denying post-completion relief grounded on preconstruction environmental-study inadequacies belatedly raised, the First Circuit noted the social waste, without contribution to the legislative environmental purposes, of ordering the undoing and redoing (of) what has been done in the light of (r)etrospective review (that), with the benefit of hindsight, would predictably reveal in many projects some lapse of planning and foresight.... Ogunquit Village Corp. v. Davis, 553 F.2d 243, 245 (1st Cir. 1977). For these reasons, as well as those previously set forth to the effect that an injunctive remedy would be inappropriate under present circumstances, we find no error in the judgment of the district court denying the plaintiffs' demand for post-completion relief grounded on inadequacies in the preconstruction environmental clearance study.