Facts
The municipal corporation of Baar, [A.] , the married couple [B.] , the heirs of [C.] , the heirs of [H.] , [N.] and the [O.] Foundation filed objections against the expropriation of easement and building rights for the construction of two high-voltage lines by the Nordostschweizerische Kraftwerke AG (NOK) and the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB). The Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) authorised the electricity companies to expropriate the required rights and dismissed the objections. The expropriated parties filed an administrative court appeal against this decision.Considerations
The Federal Court dismissed the appeal, insofar as it was admissible. It stated that the reasoning of the DETEC decision met the requirements for the duty to provide reasons. A subsequent environmental impact assessment was not necessary, as the voltages of the lines are below the threshold for mandatory EIA. The request to obtain a "neutral" expert opinion on the feasibility and…