The Tenth Circuit affirmed a district court ruling that upheld the U.S. Forest Service's management plan to protect the San Isabel and White River National Forests from insects, disease, and fire, improve wildlife habitat, and maintain watershed conditions. A conservation group argued that the Fores...

A district court granted California's and New Mexico's motion for summary judgment in an APA challenge to DOI's repeal of the Valuation Rule and its restoration of prior regulations governing payment of royalties on oil, gas, and coal extracted pursuant to leases of federal and Indian lands. The cou...

The D.C. Circuit denied downwind states' petition challenging EPA's refusal to expand the Northeast Ozone Transport Region, which consists of states required by the Agency to enact tight restrictions on pollutants that contribute to ozone that drifts across state lines. The downwind states argued th...

A district court granted FWS' motion to dismiss a challenge brought by an environmental group concerning conservation of the lesser prairie chicken. The group argued that FWS unreasonably delayed submitting to Congress a 2003 policy concerning conservation efforts when making listing decisions under...

A district court dismissed a lawsuit brought by conservation groups challenging FWS' 2017 enhancement finding that overturned a previous ban on the importation of elephant trophies from Zimbabwe. Conservation groups challenged the finding, which concluded that hunting elephants in Zimbabwe enhanced ...

A state high court affirmed a lower court's summary judgment for the Montana Department of Environmental Quality in a challenge to the Department's issuance of a NPDES general permit for discharges from municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s). An environmental group challenged the permit, argu...

A district court denied a city's motion for a preliminary injunction in a RCRA lawsuit against two utility companies that owned a long-abandoned manufactured gas plant. The city alleged that the plant had contaminated soil in a nearby park and around a decommissioned water main, and sought to requir...

In an unpublished opinion, the Tenth Circuit vacated a district court's order enjoining BLM's Waste Prevention Rule, which restricted the venting and flaring of natural gas wells, pending finalization of a replacement rule that was undergoing public notice and comment. California, New Mexico, and en...

The D.C. Circuit granted hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) manufacturers' petitions to review a 2016 EPA rule that rendered certain HFCs unacceptable for various uses in aerosols, motor vehicle air conditioners, commercial refrigerators, and foams. The court found that it was bound by a previous ruling that s...

A district court dismissed a lawsuit brought by California farming and ranching groups challenging FWS' designation of 1.8 million acres of critical habitat for two endangered yellow-legged frog species and the threatened Yosemite toad. The groups argued that FWS did not evaluate the effects of the ...