Annotations for Subject-headings: Courts

Lawyers for the Clinton administration, and for a coalition of environmental groups, appeared before the US Court of Appeals in Washington, arguing the merits of a recent ruling, which prevents the administration from presenting the North American Free Trade Agreement to Congress until an environmental impact study is conducted. Patricia Guadalupe filed this report.

The Coalition of Consumer Groups maintains that the North American Free Trade Agreement is in violation of the 1970 National Environmental Policy Act. That law requires that any proposal significantly affecting the environment must be accompanied by an environmental impact study. Patti Goldman is the senior litigator from the consumer group Public Citizen.

We would like to see the environmental impact statement. There are serious environmental consequences of the recent vintage of trade agreements, including the NAFTA, and we'd also like to see a system developed under the National Environmental Policy Act for a full analysis of the environmental effects of future trade agreements.

The Clinton administration, represented by the Solicitor General Drew Days, contends that the environmental impact study applies only to federal agencies, and not to actions by the president, such as treaties. For Latino USA, I'm Patricia Guadalupe in Washington.