New York v. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
The D.C. Circuit denied several states', environmental groups', and Native Americans' petitions for review challenging an NRC rule and generic EIS concerning the continued, and possibly indefinite, storage of spent fuel from nuclear power plants in the United States. The petitioners argued that NRC ...
Protect Our Communities Foundation v. Jewell
The Ninth Circuit upheld BLM's decision to grant a right-of-way allowing a wind energy project to be built and operated on federal lands in southeast San Diego County. Community groups argued that BLM violated NEPA, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act i...
Oregon Natural Desert Ass’n v. Jewell
The Ninth Circuit held that BLM’s approval of a wind-energy development project in southeastern Oregon failed to adequately address impacts to the greater sage grouse in violation of NEPA. The challenged project entails the construction of wind turbines and a right-of-way across a sagebrush landsc...
Coyote Lake Ranch, LLC v. City of Lubbock
The Texas Supreme Court held that the common-law "accommodation doctrine," which gives an oil-and-gas lessee an implied right to use the land as reasonably necessary to produce and remove the minerals as long as it exercises that right with due regard for the landowner's rights, also extends to grou...
State v. Atlantic Richfield Co.
The Vermont Supreme Court affirmed a lower court decision dismissing as untimely the state's claims against a number of companies for generalized injury to state waters due to groundwater contamination from methyl tertiary butyl ether, a gasoline additive. The state's lawsuit was barred by the six-y...
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility v. United States Fish & Wildlife Service
A district court vacated two FWS depredation orders reauthorizing the killing of double-crested cormorants in certain states. The court previously held that FWS violated NEPA when it reissued the orders. At issue here was the remedy. FWS argued that remand without vacatur was appropriate, whereas pl...
Citizens v. Graham
The Florida Supreme Court held that the state's public utility commission exceeded its statutory rate-setting authority when it allowed an electric company to use customer money to recover costs incurred investing in a shale gas operation in Oklahoma. The company asserted that its ownership interest...
Kain v. Department of Environmental Protection
Massachusetts' highest court held that the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) failed to issue regulations setting limits on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as required by Massachusetts' Global Warming Solutions Act §3(d). DEP claimed it complied with its statutory mandate by establi...