The First Circuit held that a transit authority's state law contribution claims against a railroad operator for contamination that occurred more than 20 years ago are barred by a 1983 consummation order entered in bankruptcy. The June 30, 1983, consummation order discharged the railroad operator fro...

The Fifth Circuit affirmed a lower court decision dismissing a class action against 32 contractors hired by the United States to perform dredging activities in the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) for damages suffered as a result of Hurricane Katrina. The dredgers acted pursuant to contracts wit...

A California appellate court reversed a lower court decision denying developers' suit against a city challenging its extension of an ordinance restricting development in areas zoned for multifamily residential use. The extension was contrary to law and invalid because the city failed to identify "a ...

The Ninth Circuit held that animal rights organizations lacked standing to challenge a USDA notice stating that "there is no specific federal humane handling and slaughter statute for poultry." The lower court entered summary judgment in favor of the USDA, holding that while the plain meaning of the...

A California appellate court affirmed a lower court's decision not to interject itself into a city's still ongoing process of preparing an environmental impact report (EIR) for a proposed development project. The developer wanted the lower court to issue a writ of administrative mandamus to compel t...

The Ninth Circuit affirmed in part and reversed in part a lower court decision denying Native American tribes' motion to preliminarily enjoin BLM's approval of a large gold mining project on Mt. Tenabo, Nevada, which has religious significance for the tribes. The tribes failed to satisfy their burde...

A district court held that residents may go forward with their trespass claims against a liquor distillery that operates a coal-fired production facility near their homes, but dismissed their nuisance and negligence claims. The residents seek injunctive and monetary relief based on the presence of p...

A California appellate court reversed in part and affirmed in part a lower court decision denying a citizen group's petition to set aside an amendment to a county's general land use plan that altered the definition of "net acreage." Substantial evidence supports a finding that the amendment could ha...

The Third Circuit affirmed a lower court decision denying a mining company's motion to expand a preliminary injunction and enjoin asbestos claims against the state of Montana arising from the company's mining operations. The company filed for Chapter 11 under the Bankruptcy Code in 2001. The same da...

The California Supreme Court held that a county's decision not to renew a conditional use permit for a private airport is not a "project" subject to environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Declining to renew the conditional use permit was not a public project unde...