A district court granted states’ motion to preliminarily enjoin federal agencies from implementing the Biden Administration’s interim estimates on the social costs of greenhouse gas emissions. The states argued the president lacked authority to promulgate and enforce the estimates or to consider...
A district court vacated and remanded FWS’ 2020 rule that removed the gray wolf from the ESA list of endangered and threatened wildlife. Environmental groups argued FWS violated the ESA by failing to analyze gray wolves across the entire lower 48 states and based its delisting decision on the purp...
The Tenth Circuit affirmed a district court’s order remanding to state court a climate liability lawsuit against fossil fuel companies. Municipalities in Colorado argued in state court that they faced substantial and rising costs from the threat of climate change, to which the companies had substa...
The Alaska Supreme Court affirmed, 3-2, a lower court's dismissal of a climate liability lawsuit brought against the state of Alaska. Alaskans argued the state's natural resource development was contributing to climate change and adversely affecting their lives. The lower court dismissed the suit, c...
A district court denied advocacy groups' motion to preliminarily enjoin BLM's gather of wild horses in eastern Nevada. The groups argued BLM violated the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act by not developing a herd management area plan, which resulted in an inhumane gather process; violated NEPA...
The Fourth Circuit vacated and remanded FWS' biological opinion and incidental take statement for a proposed natural gas pipeline from West Virginia to Virginia. Environmental groups argued FWS failed to adequately consider the pipeline's environmental context while analyzing impacts to the endanger...
A Minnesota appellate court affirmed in part and reversed in part the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's (MPCA's) issuance of a permit for a copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota that would allow discharging water from mine facilities. Environmental groups and a tribal band argued the MPCA ...
A district court vacated and remanded BOEM's approval of an oil and gas lease sale covering 80.8 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico. Environmental groups argued that BOEM violated NEPA by failing to include foreign greenhouse gas emissions in its emissions calculation for the "no action" alternativ...
The Fourth Circuit vacated and remanded the Forest Service's and BLM's renewed records of decision (RODs) for an interstate natural gas pipeline to cross through Jefferson National Forest. The groups argued the agencies violated NEPA, the National Forest Management Act (NMFA), and the Mineral Leasin...
The Washington Supreme Court upheld the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's issuance of a marine finfish aquaculture permit to allow a fish farmer to transition from farming Atlantic salmon to steelhead trout. Conservation groups argued the Department's conclusion that an EIS was not requir...