Iowa League of Cities v. Environmental Protection Agency
The Eighth Circuit vacated two EPA letters announcing new legislative rules for water treatment processes at municipally owned sewer system. EPA admitted it did not engage in notice and comment procedures, but it insisted there has been no procedural impropriety because the letters should be conside...
Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition v. United States Army Corps of Engineers
A district court held that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers violated the CWA and NEPA when it issued a §404 permit allowing a mining company to permanently fill 11,194 linear feet of streams in Boone County, West Virginia. The court previously issued a remand order requiring the Corps to: (1) re-is...
Friends of the Earth v. United States Environmental Protection Agency
A district court held that EPA has no mandatory or nondiscretionary duty to make a determination as to whether lead emissions from general aviation aircraft engines using aviation gasoline endanger the public health or welfare under CAA §231(a)(2)(A). A finding that emissions cause or contribute to...
United States v. DTE Energy Co.
The Sixth Circuit held that the CAA does not categorically prevent EPA from challenging preconstruction projections of whether and to what extent emissions will increase following construction. The preconstruction projection determines whether the project constitutes a “major modification” and t...