Center for Biological Diversity v. EPA
A district court granted in part but largely denied in part EPA's motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by environmental groups alleging that EPA failed to consult with federal wildlife agencies before registering over 2,000 pesticide products. The groups argued that EPA violated the ESA by failing to e...
Western Organization of Resource Councils v. Zinke
The D.C. Circuit affirmed a lower court decision granting DOI's motion to dismiss an order compelling it to update the EIS for the federal coal management program. Environmental and community organizations claimed that the programmatic EIS (PEIS) for the program violated NEPA and the APA. They argue...
San Juan Citizens Alliance v. United States Bureau of Land Management
A district court held BLM violated NEPA when it approved 13 oil and gas leases covering 19,788 acres in the Santa Fe National Forest without considering the leases' impacts on climate change. BLM decided an EIS was not warranted based on its FONSI. But BLM failed to take a hard look at the impacts o...
National Parks Conservation Ass'n v. Semonite
A district court dismissed groups' NEPA and CWA claims against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in connection with its approval of a 17-mile transmission line across the James River near historic Jamestown, Virginia. The Corps took a "hard look" at the project and properly determined that no EIS was...
Greenpeace v. Department of Homeland Security
A district court held that that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) need not disclose information about certain chemical facilities per an environmental group's FOIA request. The group sought information regarding previously high-risk facilities that have reduced their chemical holdings. DHS p...
Beyond Pesticides v. Monsanto Co.
A district court denied a pesticide manufacturer's motion to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that the label on one of its weed-killing products is false and misleading. The product's label states that it targets an enzyme "found in plants but not in people or pets." But an anti-pesticide group alleges th...
Kirk v. Schaeffler Group USA, Inc.
The Eighth Circuit held that a lower court must hold a new trial with respect to a family's claims for punitive damages against a former manufacturing company for tricholorethylene contamination that allegedly caused their daughter to develop autoimmune hepatitis. The contamination occurred between ...