Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition v. Elk Run Coal Co.
A district court held that mining companies discharged excessive amounts of ionic pollution, measured as conductivity, into the waters of West Virginia in violation of their federal NPDES and state surface mining permits. The companies argued that the court could not rule in the groups' favor becaus...
Black Warrior Riverkeeper, Inc. v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
A district court dismissed an environmental group's lawsuit challenging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' 2012 reissuance of Nationwide Permit 21 (NWP 21), a five-year general permit authorizing surface coal mining operations to discharge dredged or fill material into waters of the United States if ...
Klein v. United States Department of Energy
The Sixth Circuit held that DOE's environmental review of a proposed plant that would convert lumber into ethanol complied with NEPA. The company that plans to build the plant sought financial assistance from DOE, which is directed to fund alternative energy projects under the Energy Policy Act of 2...