Kansas Gas & Electric Co. v. United States
The Federal Circuit affirmed in part and reversed in part a lower court's award of over $10.5 million in damages to Kansas electric companies stemming from the U.S. government's partial breach of its contract for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel. In determining the amount of damages, the trial cou...
Appleton Papers Inc. v. George A. Whiting Paper Co.
A district court held that a paper company that sold "broke," a byproduct of its manufacturing process, to paper recyclers was not an arranger under CERCLA for PCB contamination in a river. The company lacked knowledge that broke could be hazardous; it invested money and labor in treating, sorting, ...
Clean Harbors, Inc. v. CBS Corp.
A district court dismissed a landfill owner's RCRA action in which it sought an injunction requiring the former owner to perform certain remedial and investigative actions at the site. EPA issued the former owner a RCRA cleanup order and permit in 1998. In 2002, the current owner purchased the site ...
Coalition for Responsible Regulation v. Environmental Protection Agency
The D.C. Circuit upheld four EPA rulemakings governing greenhouse gases. EPA issued the rules following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Massachusetts v. EPA, 549 U.S. 497 (2007), in which the Court clarified that greenhouse gases meet the definition of an air pollutant under the CAA. Petit...
Thrun v. Cuomo
A New York court dismissed individuals' lawsuit challenging the legality of New York's participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a regional cap-and-trade plan for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The individuals claimed they had standing because, as electric utility ratepaye...
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee, LLC
The Federal Circuit affirmed in part and reversed in part damages awarded to the current owner of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station stemming from the government's failure to dispose of spent nuclear fuel generated at the station. The owner's legal and lobbying fees to secure approval from...