The Ninth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for an environmental group in a suit against a California resident who engaged in instream suction dredge mining in Idaho’s South Fork Clearwater River without an NPDES permit. The group argued the resident violated the CWA each time he operated a suctio...

A district court denied the city of New Orleans' motion to remand to state court its lawsuit against oil companies for allegedly damaging coastal wetlands with their operations. The city initially sued the companies in state court, arguing they violated the Louisiana State and Local Coastal Resource...

A district court granted DOI's motion to dismiss a lawsuit concerning tribal water rights on the Crow Reservation in Montana. Tribal members who hold property on the reservation challenged the 2010 Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act (Settlement Act), which provided benefits to the tribe in excha...

The Fifth Circuit reversed a district court ruling upholding the Army Corps of Engineers' decision to issue a CWA §404 permit to fill wetlands for a commercial and residential development project in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. Parish residents and environmental groups argued the Corps' decision ...

A district court granted in part and denied in part summary judgment for environmental groups in a CWA/SMCRA citizen suit concerning the discharge of pollutants from surface coal mines in West Virginia. The groups argued a coal mining company violated the CWA by discharging mining pollutants at Rush...

A district court denied in part and dismissed in part two nonprofit groups' challenge to DOE's approval of a freshwater offshore wind project in Lake Erie. The groups argued DOE violated NEPA by failing to prepare an EIS and failing to take a "hard look" at reasonable alternatives and cumulative imp...

A district court denied an environmental group's motion for summary judgment in a challenge to BLM's decision to amend the California Desert Conservation Area Plan and grant a right-of-way to a company to construct and operate an electric energy project near Joshua Tree National Park. The group argu...

A district court denied environmental groups' motion for summary judgment in a challenge to the Forest Service's approval of a grazing project in the Apache-Sitgreaves and Gila National Forests. The groups argued the Service violated NEPA by failing to take a "hard look" at impacts on Mexican gray w...

The Fifth Circuit denied environmental groups' petition to review the Army Corps of Engineers' issuance of a CWA permit for a proposed liquefied natural gas production and export terminal on the Calcasieu River in Louisiana. The groups argued the Corps failed to adequately consider a particular alte...

A district court granted in part summary judgment for an environmental group in a challenge to EPA's issuance of recommended water quality criteria for cadmium in 2016. The group argued EPA violated the ESA by failing to consult with expert agencies before issuing the recommended criteria. The Agenc...