The Federal Circuit affirmed in part and reversed in part a lower court decision in favor of the U.S. government on claims that it breached certain contracts between the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and California water districts concerning Central Valley Project water resources. The lower court concl...

The Court of Federal Claims held that a livestock operator was collaterally estopped from litigating the issue of ownership to a right-of-way, thereby defeating its takings claim against the BLM for dismantling a water diversion structure on federal land and preventing the operator's access to the s...

A district court dismissed an Eskimo village's nuisance claim against 24 oil, energy, and utility companies for their alleged contribution to climate change. The village claimed that the companies are responsible for a substantial portion of the greenhouse gas emissions that are contributing to clim...

The Fifth Circuit reversed a lower court decision dismissing Mississippi residents' class action lawsuit against several energy, fossil fuel, and chemical companies for their alleged contribution to climate change. The residents argued that the companies intentionally and unreasonably used their pro...

The Tenth Circuit reversed a lower court decision denying a railroad company's motion to intervene in the United State's CERCLA §107 action against 44 PRPs concerning a hazardous waste site owned by the railroad company. The government lodged a consent decree memorializing a settlement agreement th...

The Sixth Circuit held that a group of residents lacked standing to challenge the TVA's implementation of a land management plan for a nearby reservoir under NEPA and the Tennessee Valley Authority Act. The residents failed to connect the procedural harm alleged in their complaint—the creation of ...

A district court held that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is liable to five homeowners and business under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) for damages they incurred in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The Corps' negligent failure to properly maintain and operate the Mississippi River Gulf Out...

A district court approved a bankruptcy reorganization plan requiring a mining company to pay $1.79 billion to fund past and future environmental cleanup and restoration costs incurred by federal and state agencies at more than 80 sites in 19 states. The court approved the plan submitted by the gover...

The Ninth Circuit held that environmental groups were not prevailing parties in their action against BLM in which they sought a preliminary injunction against a timber sale and, thus, are not entitled to attorney fees under the Equal Access to Justice Act. BLM withdrew its challenged decision to con...

A district court held that an insurance company has a duty to defend the former owners and operators of a nuclear waste facility in EPA's CERCLA action against them for remediation costs associated with the site. The policy contained an endorsement that excluded coverage for environmental cleanup co...