The Fourth Circuit reversed a district court order abstaining from ruling on constitutional claims brought by mineral interest owners challenging amendments to West Virginia's oil and gas conservation law. Plaintiffs argued the amendments, which for the first time authorized "unitization of interest...
The Natural Resources Conservation Service gave notice that it intends to issue a series of revised conservation practice standards in the National Handbook of Conservation Practices.
A district court denied an environmental group's motion for summary judgment in a challenge to the Forest Service's approval of a restoration project in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. The group argued the Service violated NEPA and its implementing regulations in designing, analyzing, and implem...
The Third Circuit denied petitions to review FAA's FONSI decision approving construction of a new terminal at an airport in New Jersey. Petitioners argued FAA erroneously determined that the project did not expand the terminal and would not induce air traffic growth, failed to consider the cumulativ...
EPA adopted DOE’s electric vehicle charging stations categorical exclusion under NEPA.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency adopted the Department of the Navy’s categorical exclusion under NEPA for the installation and operation of passive scientific measurement devices.
A district court denied Indigenous and environmental groups' motion for injunction pending appeal of their challenge to BLM's approval of an oil and gas development project in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. The groups initially sought to preliminarily enjoin construction through the remainde...
The Ninth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for the Forest Service in a challenge to its approval of a logging project in Inyo National Forest. Environmental groups argued the Service failed to adequately consider alternatives, failed to solicit public comments following its 2018 EA, and failed to s...
OSM approved, with two deferrals, an amendment to the Virginia regulatory program under SMCRA.
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement proposed to incorporate certain documents by reference—Production Measurement Industry Standards and Safety Industry Standards, including one International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission standard—into the regulations governing oil, gas, and sulfur operations on the outer continental shelf.