Amador County, California v. United States Department of the Interior
The D.C. Circuit affirmed a lower court decision dismissing a Native American tribe's motion to intervene in a county's lawsuit against DOI challenging its approval of a casino gaming compact between the tribe and the state of California. Under the agreement, the tribe would open a casino on its pro...
Parish of Plaquemines v. Total Petrochemical & Refining USA, Inc.
A district court remanded to state court a Louisiana parish's lawsuit against 19 oil and gas companies for alleged environmental damages stemming from the companies' exploration, production, and transportation activities. The parish claims these operations were conducted in violation of the State an...
Smith v. Illinois Department of Natural Resources
An Illinois court denied residents' motion to preliminarily enjoin the state's proposed hydraulic fracturing rules from going into effect. Illinois' environmental agency promulgated the rules under the state Hydraulic Fracturing Regulatory Act on November 14, 2014, but they will not go into effect u...