A district court held that owners of Volkswagen-branded franchise dealerships could move forward with their suit against an auto parts manufacturer over its alleged role in the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal. The dealers contended that the manufacturer conspired with Volkswagen to help create a...

The court reverses a district court holding that collateral estoppel barred an environmental group's citizen suit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for failure to take corrective or enforcement action regarding a recognized illegal point source. In 1995, the group alleged that a...

The court holds that a South Dakota irrigation district's method of assessing construction debt and operation and maintenance (O&M) costs to landowners within the district does not violate state or federal law. The landowners argued that the district's equal assessment of O&M costs and the p...

A district court held that the city of Flint, Michigan, must choose a long-term water source and gave the city a week in which to do so. After the events of the Flint water crisis, EPA notified the city that it would need to make a decision about a long-term source of drinking water, probably before...

The Fourth Circuit held that a proposed class of residents alleging that improper chemical disposal at a Frederick, Maryland, Army base contaminated their groundwater can't sue the government. The residents brought a claim under the Federal Torts Claim Act alleging that the Army negligently disposed...

A district court held that a solar energy company that entered into an agreement to close a landfill and turn it into a solar farm cannot recover closure costs under CERCLA. The solar company bought the property and entered into an agreement with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection...

A Louisiana appeals court held that an oil company's oilfield cleanup plan was properly rejected by a trial court. An oil company sued a larger oil company alleging environmental damage to its property caused by decades of oil and gas exploration activities. The larger company was found 100% liable ...

A district court held that the Forest Service did not violate NEPA when it reduced grazing permits on federal land in New Mexico. The Jarita Mesa Allotment and the Alamosa Allotment are both within the El Rito Ranger District of Carson National Forest. The Forest Service issues ten-year permits that...

The D.C. Circuit held that EPA did not violate the CAA by modifying, without notice and comment, its prior understandings of how to measure a proposed transportation project’s impact on ambient levels of particulate matter. In 2006, EPA revised “hot spot" regulations for fine particulate matter....

The court affirms in part and reverses in part a district court decision requiring property owners to apply for permits for certain uses of a road traversing their property, which is completely surrounded by federally owned National Forest System lands. In 1964, the property owners purchased the pro...