Marcellus Shale Coalition v. Department of Environmental Protection
A Pennsylvania court preliminarily enjoined the commonwealth from enforcing certain Marcellus Shale drilling regulations pending the outcome of an industry group's lawsuit. The group alleged that the regulations were unreasonable, violated state law, were void for vagueness, and that the government ...
Diné Citizens Against Ruining Our Environment v. Jewell
The Tenth Circuit upheld a lower court decision denying environmental group's request to preliminarily enjoin the drilling of certain oil and gas wells in the Mancos Shale formation of the San Juan Basin in New Mexico. The groups filed a lawsuit under NEPA challenging 260 drilling permits in the Man...
Public Citizen v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
The D.C. Circuit dismissed Connecticut's and a citizen group's lawsuit against FERC in which they alleged that the agency failed to ensure that the 2014 wholesale electricity capacity rates in New England were just and reasonable. Due to insufficient competition, the 2014 "forward-capacity market" a...
Murray Energy Corp. v. McCarthy
A district court held that EPA, in connection with its enforcement and implementation of the CAA, failed to adequately evaluate potential job losses, particularly with respect to the coal industry, in violation of CAA §321(a). Section 321(a) requires EPA to “conduct continuing evaluations of pote...
Robinson Township v. Commonwealth
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court struck down as unconstitutional portions of a 2012 law governing oil and gas operations in the Marcellus Shale. This is the second time the law, known as Act 13, has been reviewed by the court: in 2013, the court struck down provisions that limited the zoning powers of...