Sauk Prairie Conservation Alliance v. United States Department of the Interior
The Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for NPS in a lawsuit concerning acceptable activities on land acquired by Wisconsin through the Federal Land to Parks Program for recreational use. An environmental group argued that NPS' approval of three activities at the park—dog training, off-road ...
Massachusetts Lobstermen's Ass'n v. Ross
The D.C. Circuit affirmed a district court decision that upheld President Barack Obama's 2016 proclamation of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument off the New England coast. Commercial fishing associations argued the monument exceeded the president's authority under the Antiq...
Should We Ban Single-Use Plastics?
Millions of tons of plastic enter the environment every year, killing wildlife, releasing toxins, clogging drains, and marring landscapes. Bans or restrictions on single-use plastics have exploded in popularity in recent years as a means of addressing these problems. Yet these bans remain controversial, with some businesses pushing back against what they consider excessive regulation and others maintaining that banning single-use plastics uses political capital that could be spent advancing more urgent and systemic agendas.
Friends of the Rapid River v. Probert
A district court denied environmental groups' motion for summary judgment in a lawsuit concerning the Forest Service's plan for harvesting timber on 2,500 acres in the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest. The groups argued that the Service exceeded its statutory authority under the Healthy Forest R...
United States v. Exxon Mobil Corp.
The Ninth Circuit reversed a district court order denying the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Board's petition to enforce subpoenas issued against an oil company following an explosion and chemical release at one of its refineries. The district court found that 29 of the subpoenas were enforceable, ...