The court holds that New Mexico's environmental agency may not bring an enforcement action in federal court to seek federalpenalties under §113 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) for violations of its state implementation plan (SIP) after successfully prosecuting a state court enforcement action against th...

The court holds that the Pacific Northwest Electric Power and Conservation Planning Council (Council) violated the Northwest Power Act (NPA) §839b(h)(7) and the Administrative Procedure Act by failing to explain, in its final amendments to its fish and wildlife program for the Columbia River Basin,...

Applying Nebraska law, the court holds that the instrument creating the Platte River Whooping Crane Maintenance Trust authorizes the trust to participate in Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) relicensing hearings for two hydroelectric projects on the Platte River and in litigation involving...

The court upholds a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule that allows a state to stop Clean Air Act (CAA) §179(a)'s 18-month countdown to imposition of sanctions when it is triggered by an EPA finding that the state failed to submit a complete state implementation plan (SIP). Under the ru...

The court holds that provisions of Indiana's Environmental Compliance Plans Act (ECPA) that favor a utility's use of Indiana coal violate the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The ECPA allows a utility to seek an early review by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) of the utility...

The court holds that provisions of Indiana's Environmental Compliance Plans Act (ECPA) that favor a utility's use of Indiana coal violate the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The ECPA allows a utility to seek an early review by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) of the utility...

The court holds that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) did not violate the U.S. Constitution's Tenth Amendment or Spending Clause by imposing Clean Air Act (CAA) offset and highway sanctions against Missouri for its failure to properly implement its state implementation plan (SIP). The ...

The court holds that timber companies, a trade association, and a county lack constitutional and prudential standing to challenge the U.S. Forest Service's interim guidelines on managing spotted owl habitat in California's western Sierra Nevada national forests. Plaintiffs alleged that the guideline...

The court holds that the Endangered Species Act's (ESA's) prohibition on the "take" of endangered species is not unconstitutional as applied to purely local activities that affect a fly that exists only in California. The court first holds that the record clearly shows that wildlife in general, and ...

The court holds that the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requires the U.S. Forest Service to release to an environmental group management territory maps identifying Mexican spotted owl nest sites. The Forest Service may not withhold the maps under FOIA exemption 2, which permits withholding of inf...