Opinion ID: 186101
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Environmental Justice Review

Text: 33 As noted above, the FAA included in the FEIS an environmental justice analysis, intended to evaluate whether the project would have disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects on low-income or minority populations. In order to assess the project's impact on minority populations, the FEIS compared the demographics of the area expected to be exposed to significant noise impacts (the actually affected area) with the demographics of the potentially affected area. The potentially affected area was defined as the whole of the cities and towns in which the actually affected area is located, encompassing all of Suffolk County. FEIS at 3-49, J.A. 776. The FEIS concluded that significant noise impacts from the project would not fall disproportionately on minorities. Minorities constitute 34% of the population expected to be exposed to significant noise impacts as a result of the project, whereas they constitute 48% of the population of the potentially affected area. Id. at 3-66, J.A. 791. In addition, minorities would constitute 34% of the population exposed to significant airport noise under either the Preferred Alternative or the No Action alternative. Id. at 3-58, J.A. 784. 34 Boston claims that the FAA's environmental justice analysis is arbitrary and capricious, because its choice of the comparison population — i.e., the population of the potentially affected area — is unreasonable. Boston argues that using Suffolk County as the basis for comparison improperly biased the analysis, and that the FAA should instead have used the greater Boston metropolitan area — Logan's core service area. Massport responds that Boston is precluded from raising this claim because the FAA's environmental justice analysis was undertaken pursuant to Executive Order 12,898 and a 1997 Department of Transportation order, both of which expressly state that they do not create a private right to judicial review. See Exec. Order No. 12,898, Federal Actions To Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations, 59 Fed. Reg. 7,629, 7,632-33 (Feb. 11, 1994) (§ 6-609); Department of Transportation (DOT) Order To Address Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations, 62 Fed. Reg. 18,377, 18,379 (Apr. 15, 1997). 35 We conclude, in agreement with the FAA, that Boston's claim is properly before this court because it arises under NEPA and the APA, rather than the two orders cited above. The FAA exercised its discretion to include the environmental justice analysis in its NEPA evaluation, and that analysis therefore is properly subject to arbitrary and capricious review under the APA. See City of Olmsted Falls, 292 F.3d at 269 (holding that the arbitrary and capricious standard is applied to determine the adequacy of an EIS). Boston's claim, in any event, clearly fails on the merits. The FAA's methodology was reasonable and adequately explained: The FEIS sought to compare the demographics of the population predicted to be affected by any increased noise resulting from the project to the demographics of the population that otherwise might conceivably be affected by noise from the airport. A comparison population based on a larger geographic area could reasonably be rejected because significant noise impacts are limited to the vicinity of the airport. The FAA's choice among reasonable analytical methodologies is entitled to deference from this court. See Citizens Against Burlington, 938 F.2d at 200-01 (We have ... held consistently that the rule of reason guides every aspect of the FAA's approach, including its choice of scientific method.). In any case, the FAA reasonably concluded that the minority proportion of the population exposed to significant noise impacts as a result of the project would be no greater than if no action were taken. FEIS at 3-58, J.A. 784.