449 F.2d 1109 (D.C. Cir. 1971)
The case of Calvert Cliffs' Coordinating Committee, Inc. v.
Did the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission violate NEPA by failing to ensure proper environmental impact reviews before licensing nuclear facilities?
Under the National Environmental Policy Act, federal agencies are required to integrate environmental considerations at every step of decision-making by preparing detailed Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) to evaluate the effects of proposed federal actions.
The Court held that the AEC had violated NEPA by failing to conduct comprehensive environmental reviews before licensing decisions, thereby rendering the agency's regulations invalid.
Calvert Cliffs’ Coordinating Committee v. U.S. Atomic Energy Commission is significant because it established judicial enforcement of NEPA’s EIS requirement, affirming that agencies must integrate environmental considerations from the outset of their planning processes. This reshaped the regulatory landscape, ensuring environmental protection is prioritized within federal decisions, and it remains a critical case study in administrative and environmental law.