A district court dismissed environmental groups' CAA citizen suit against EPA for failing to respond to their 2011 petition concerning ammonia gas pollution. In 2011, the groups petitioned EPA asking it to find that ammonia gas pollution endangers the public health and welfare, designate ammonia as ...
The D.C. Circuit dismissed a truck association's lawsuit against EPA challenging California's tractor-trailer emission rules. The association argued that the state regulations impermissibly discriminate against out-of-state tractor trailers in violation of the dormant Commerce Clause. The associatio...
The Sixth Circuit held that the CAA does not preempt property owners' state common law tort claims against a nearby power plant for allowing ash, dust, and coal combustion by-products to blow onto their properties. The owners brought RCRA and CAA claims against the power plant in addition to their s...
The Sixth Circuit held that the CAA does not preempt property owners' state common-law tort claims against a whiskey distillery for excess ethanol emissions that allegedly caused "whiskey fungus" to grow on their properties. Below, the district court rejected the distillery's argument that the CAA p...
The D.C. Circuit upheld EPA's designation of Yellowstone County, Montana, and Wayne County, Michigan, as "nonattainment" under the sulfur dioxide (SO2) NAAQS. Two petitioners—an industry association and a steel company—challenged the designations, albeit for different reasons. The industry assoc...
A district court upheld Oregon's clean fuels program, which seeks to reduce lifecycle emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) from transportation fuels by 10% over a 10-year period. Trade associations argued that the program was unconstitutional because it discriminates against out-of-state commerce. Bu...
The Third Circuit vacated and remanded EPA's approval of Pennsylvania's 2014 regional haze SIP. CAA §169A requires states to evaluate the impact that emissions from certain sources of pollution within their borders have on atmospheric visibility in national parks and wilderness areas, known as Clas...
The Fifth Circuit reversed an oil company's convictions for violating the CAA and Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) in connection with its wastewater treatment system at its Corpus Christi refinery. The company was convicted for knowingly operating two uncovered tanks as oil-water separators without ...
The Seventh Circuit upheld EPA's approval of revisions to Illinois' SIP, thereby rejecting challenges raised by Indiana. Indiana argued that the relaxation of Illinois' vehicle emissions testing program will decrease the likelihood that the Chicago area—which includes two Indiana counties—will a...
A district court held that it lacks jurisdiction over Oklahoma's lawsuit against EPA challenging its proposed emission standards for coal-fired power plants. The state argues that the proposed emission standards, if adopted as a final rule, would constitute an ultra vires action in violation of the ...