Peoples Gas Light & Coke Co. v. Beazer East, Inc.
The Seventh Circuit held that a utility may not seek contribution against a corporation for remediation costs the utility incurred at a former coke plant that was operated by the corporation's predecessor more than 90 years ago. In 1920, the utility and the corporation's predecessor entered into a c...
Defenders of Wildlife v. United States Forest Service
A district court held that the U.S. Forest Service violated NEPA when it categorically excluded from environmental review a mining company's proposed mineral exploration plan in the Coronado National Forest. The Forest Service categorically excluded the project because it concluded that the project ...
Cascadia Wildlands v. Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Ninth Circuit upheld the Bureau of Indian Affairs' (BIA's) approval of a Native American tribe's plan to harvest 268 acres of timber in the Coquille Forest in southwest Oregon. An environmental group challenged the approval, arguing that BIA failed to adequately consider the cumulative environme...
Gunpowder Riverkeeper v. Federal Energy Regulatory Comm'n
The D.C. Circuit denied an environmental group's petition for review challenging FERC's decision to issue a natural gas pipeline operator a certificate of public convenience and necessity to extend a natural gas pipeline in Maryland. The group argued that FERC's issuance of the conditional certifica...
Openlands v. United States Department of Transportation
A district court held that the Federal Highway Administration's (FHwA's) record of decision (ROD) and EIS for a proposed tollroad project between Indiana and Illinois violated NEPA. The EIS stated that the purpose and need for the tollroad is to accommodate an anticipated population boom. The purpos...
WildEarth Guardians v. Montana Snowmobile Ass'n
The Ninth Circuit held that the U.S. Forest Service violated NEPA and other environmental safeguards when it designated over 2 million acres of public land within the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest for use by snowmobiles and other winter motorized vehicles. In 2009, the Forest Service issued a...