William O. Douglas

“ Yet as of the effective date of the 1968 amendments there had been no authorization of construction and at least 280 persons remained in the project area to be dislocated. The State finally did prepare a relocation plan, but only in response to this lawsuit and while the federal officials have obtained a copy of it, we are told they have made no attempt to review it. The plan that was prepared does not consider competing and simultaneous needs of other displaced persons because competition was not considered relevant. ”

“ It is notorious that interstate highways have left displaced citizens without homes because no efforts or inadequate efforts have been made for relocation. In 1962 Congress amended the Federal-Aid Highway Act to require assurances of 'relocation advisory assistance' and authorized minimal payments for relocation assistance. ”

“ The common urban housing shortage is severe in Charleston, in part, because many homes have been demolished for public prjects. The impact of public projects in the Triangle has been exceptionally severe. Land clearance for a proposed expansion of a local water company displaced some 243 persons a few years ago. The planned interstate highway will displace about 300 more. And a proposed urban renewal project (which has been postponed indefinitely because of lack of replacement housing) will displace almost all of the area's 2,000 residents. ”