Barnstable v. O'Connor
The First Circuit reversed a lower court decision dismissing a lawsuit concerning a proposed offshore wind power generation facility in Nantucket Sound. Opponents of the facility—a town, an advocacy group, and several individuals and businesses in the area—sought to nullify the state's approval ...
Committee for a Better Arvin v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The Ninth Circuit held that EPA violated the CAA when it approved California SIPs concerning NAAQS for ozone and fine particulate matter in the San Joaquin Valley. The SIPs relied on state-adopted mobile emissions standards to achieve their emission reduction goals. But the SIPs approved by EPA did ...
Haw River Assembly v. Rao
A North Carolina court issued a preliminary injunction barring the state Mining and Energy Commission from accepting or processing any hydraulic fracturing applications until the state Supreme Court issues its opinion in a similar case concerning the constitutionality of the Commission's appointment...
El Comité Para el Bienestar de Earlimart v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The Ninth Circuit denied community groups' petition for review challenging EPA's approval of revisions to California's SIP concerning air emissions from pesticides, known as the "pesticide element." The revisions related to the reduction of volatile organic compounds in the San Joaquin and Ventura a...
In re Lipsky
The Supreme Court of Texas held that courts may consider all relevant circumstantial evidence when granting or denying an expedited motion to dismiss suits that could stifle a defendant's communication on matters of public concern under the Texas Citizens Participation Act (TCPA). The case arose aft...
Delaware Department of Natural Resources v. Environmental Protection Agency
The D.C. Circuit reversed and vacated a portion of a January 2013 rule in which EPA revised the NESHAPs and new source performance standards for backup generators. Specifically, the court held that EPA acted arbitrarily and capriciously when it modified the NESHAPs and NSPS to allow backup generator...