Opinion ID: 458564
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Corps' Position

Text: 43 The Corps' brief starts from the premise that the case must, because of an inadequate evaluation of cumulative impacts, be remanded to the Corps for further consideration. 4 The Corps argues, however, that the relief ordered by the district court exceeds the scope of its authority. The district court erred, the Corps maintains, by ordering the preparation of an EIS because, although the court found that the EA was inadequate, it did not expressly find that there may be significant cumulative impacts from this and other related projects. Absent such a finding, according to the Corps, the district court was empowered, at most, to remand the case to the Corps for a reassessment of cumulative impacts. In the alternative, the Corps argues that, even if the court properly ordered the preparation of an EIS, it should have allowed the Corps to determine its scope in the first instance. Finally, the Corps argues that, even if the court correctly ordered the preparation of a comprehensive EIS, the injunction against all similar developments on West Galveston Island is overbroad. According to the Corps, the injunction, to the extent that it enjoins activities other than the Mitchell project, does not make sufficiently clear the nature of the conduct that is prohibited, is not adequately supported by a statement of reasons, see Fed.R.Civ.P. 65(d), and does not adequately balance the interests involved.