The Fifth Circuit granted industry groups' challenge to EPA's 2024 rule that revised the equation for calculating vehicle fuel economy for purposes of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards and required manufacturers to certify fuel economy using E10 test fuel, containing 10% ethan...

A district court denied summary judgment for a company that owns and manages Iowa farmland in a lawsuit concerning a federal wetland conservation law known as Swampbuster. The company challenged the program, which disqualifies one from receiving USDA farm benefits if they convert certified wetl...

The Ninth Circuit reversed a district court's dismissal of a challenge to BLM's authorization of construction on a transmission line through the San Pedro Valley. Native American tribes and environmental groups argued BLM violated the National Historic Preservation Act by issuing limited notices to ...

The Fifth Circuit, 2-1, reversed a district court's summary judgment for the State Department in a FOIA lawsuit seeking records related to the Department's efforts to support the 2030 emissions reduction target in the Paris Agreement. A nonprofit group submitted a 10-part FOIA request, seeking ...

The Fifth Circuit reversed a district court's dismissal of a discrimination challenge brought against St. James Parish in Louisiana. Two faith- and community-based groups argued the Parish had discriminated against them by directing hazardous industrial facility development toward majority-Black dis...

A district court granted New York City's motion to dismiss a challenge to its statute prohibiting the use of fossil fuels in newly constructed residential buildings. Trade groups and a union argued the statute was preempted by the Energy Policy Conservation Act (EPCA) because it concerned "the ...

The Seventh Circuit vacated a preliminary injunction that had barred enforcement of an Indiana statute giving incumbent electric companies rights of first refusal (ROFRs) to build and operate new interstate transmission facilities that connect to facilities they own. Companies seeking to b...

The D.C. Circuit partially granted petitions for rehearing in a challenge to FERC's reauthorization of two liquefied natural gas terminals and an associated pipeline in Texas. In a prior opinion, the court held FERC erred by failing to issue supplemental EISs addressing its updated environmental jus...

Tribal groups argued NMFS violated NEPA in adopting the harvest specifications because they relied on outdated EISs despite dramatic changes to the ecosystem that necessitated an updated environmental analysis. The court found the specifications were not arbitrary and capricious because NMFS conclud...

A district court granted the Army Corps of Engineers' motion to dismiss a developer's challenge to the Corps' 2012 jurisdictional determination over certain wetlands in Virginia. The developer challenged the Corps' significant nexus finding between the wetlands and the Northwest River, arguing the s...