Environmental groups sue FAA over fuel tanks
Thursday, June 9, 2022 by Jo Clifton
Two Austin environmental organizations have filed suit against the Federal Aviation Administration seeking to overturn its decision allowing new fuel tanks to be installed at the Austin airport. The groups are the new Southeast Austin Residents and Neighbors Organized for Environmental Justice, or SANAR, and the well-established People Organized in Defense of Earth and Her Resources, or PODER. Austin attorneys Marisa Perales and Lauren Ice are representing the two organizations. The suit, which was filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in May, challenges the FAA’s finding on April 8, 2020, that the new fuel tanks will have no significant impact. Construction has begun on the tanks. Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, who represents the area, attempted to convince her colleagues to seek a new location for the fuel tanks, but fell one vote short. Airport officials warned that delaying the new tanks would be detrimental to airport operations and potentially raise costs for passengers.
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