A district court granted the Massachusetts Department of Transportation's (MassDOT's) motion for judgment in a case involving its violation of municipal separate storm sewer system NPDES permits in the Boston area and denied an environmental group's motion for additional injunctive relief. Once a co...

The Eleventh Circuit vacated a lower court decision remanding a permit issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers back to the agency and enjoining a mining company from conducting operations approved in that permit. The lower court concluded the permit's issuance did not comply with the requirements...

The First Circuit held that the U.S. Coast Guard violated NEPA when it issued regulations that preempt state environmental law with respect to tank vessels in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. In promulgating the rule, the Coast Guard used a standard environmental checklist that included prompts correspo...

A district court held that FWS complied with NEPA when it approved the opening and expansion of sport hunting in 60 National Wildlife Refuges. Between 1997 and 2005, the FWS issued nine final rules creating or expanding recreational hunting opportunities on 60 wildlife refuges. In 2006, a court...

A district court denied environmental groups' motion to preliminarily enjoin the BLM from authorizing the site clearing and construction of a wind energy facility in Spring Valley, Nevada. The groups are not likely to succeed on the merits of their claim that an EIS was required. The BLM's deci...

A district court held that mining companies violated the selenium effluent limitations set forth in their state-issued NPDES and surface mining permits. The companies had sought permit modifications from the state's environmental agency, and when those requests were denied, the companies appeal...

A district court, on cross-motions for summary judgment, upheld a DOI regulation requiring oil lessees to obtain drilling permits for development and production drilling but denied both motions as to a DOI regulation setting forth new requirements for drilling in the western Gulf of Mexico. Oil...

A district court dismissed property owners' CERCLA, RCRA, and CWA claims against the current owner of a contaminated site for damages caused by the migration of contamination onto their property. Each of the three federal statutes requires plaintiffs to provide the owner with particular notice of th...