The Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court's denial of a car owner's motion to intervene in DOJ's case against a German automaker to resolve alleged CAA violations. The owner argued that DOJ's settlement with the automaker violated Virginia's SIP by not requiring all affected vehicles to be bought ...

The D.C. Circuit denied Delaware's petition to review EPA's decision granting the Philadelphia area an extra year to comply with national ground-level ozone standards. Delaware argued that the Agency's extension violated the CAA because not all four states in the Philadelphia area applied for an ext...

The D.C. Circuit denied petitions from industry groups challenging EPA's new kiln air emissions standards for brick and clay manufacturers, and largely granted petitions from environmental groups who argued the standards were not strict enough to protect human health. Industry groups argued that the...

The Texas Supreme Court upheld an appellate court decision prohibiting a city's efforts to ban the use of single-use plastic and paper bags. A retail association argued that an ordinance adopted in 2014 to reduce litter from the bags conflicted with the Texas Solid Waste Disposal Act. The appellate ...

A district court granted South Carolina's motion to preliminarily enjoin DOE from terminating a mixed-oxide fuel fabrication facility project currently under construction until the case can be decided on its merits. The project is designed to turn weapons-grade plutonium into commercial reactor fuel...

A district court ordered EPA to issue federal implementation plans fully resolving interstate transport obligations under the CAA's "good neighbor" provision for the 2008 ozone NAAQS. EPA conceded that it missed the deadline to do so under the Act. The Agency also acknowledged that it was feasible t...

The Tenth Circuit refused to stay pending interlocutory appeal a lower court order staying BLM's waste prevention rule, which was issued to reduce the venting, flaring, and leaking of natural gas emissions during oil and gas production activities on onshore federal land. California, New Mexico, and ...

The D.C. Circuit upheld amendments EPA made to its CAA regional consistency regulations that allow regional offices to act counter to national policies when ordered to do so by federal circuit courts. EPA issued the amended regulations in 2016 in response to the D.C. Circuit's decision in National E...