News & Analysis as of

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Citizen Suits

Foley Hoag LLP - Environmental Law

Some Evidence that Deference to Agency Technical Decisions May Survive Loper-Bright

Late last month, I noted that the overturning of Chevron did not mean the end of judicial deference to agency expertise. Earlier this week, a decision by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals provided some confirmation that...more

Foley Hoag LLP - Environmental Law

After Jarkesy, What Happens to EPA's Authority to Collect Administrative Civil Penalties?

Yesterday, in SEC v. Jarkesy, the Supreme Court ruled that the defendants in a securities fraud case brought by the SEC were entitled to have the SEC’s claims for civil penalties decided by a jury. The question now is how...more

Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard,...

Biosolids/Clean Water Act: Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility Citizen Suit Action Against U.S. Environmental...

The Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (“PEER”) filed a Clean Water Act citizen suit action in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia against the United States Environmental Protection...more

Foley Hoag LLP - Environmental Law

The D.C. Circuit Vacates Most of EPA’s SSM SIP Call; Generators Breath a Sigh of Relief

Earlier this month, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals vacated most of EPA’s startup, shutdown, and malfunction SIP Call. The Court’s rationale boils down to EPA’s failure to make a predicate finding that the SIP call...more

Mintz

Another PFAS Clean Water Act Citizen Suit and there may be thousands more of these fish in the barrel.

Mintz on

Lara Beaven of Inside PFAS Policy is reporting on another PFAS citizen suit under the Federal Clean Water Act. This one, by Tennessee Riverkeeper, alleges that PFAS are being discharged from a former Lebanon, Tennessee...more

Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard,...

Citizen Suit Enforcement/Clean Water Act: Federal Court Addresses Challenge to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Approval of Mitigation...

A United States District Court (D. South Carolina) (“Court”) addressed in a December 27th Order and Opinion (“Order”) an issue arising out of a Clean Water Act citizen suit action challenging the United States Army Corps of...more

Foley Hoag LLP - Environmental Law

Guidance Is Still Not the Same as Regulation

Earlier this week, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals vacated EPA’s disapproval of Montana’s regional haze plan for the PacifiCorp’s Wyodak power plant. The basis for the disapproval was an issue near and dear to my heart. ...more

Jenner & Block

Montana State Court Sides with Youth Plaintiffs in Unique Climate Change Lawsuit (Corporate Environmental Lawyer )

Jenner & Block on

On August 14, 2023, a Montana state court found that a Montana environmental review statute (the Montana Environmental Policy Act or MEPA) that limited (and as amended in May 2023, precluded) consideration of greenhouse gas...more

Kilpatrick

Clean Water Act Citizen Suits – A Postscript – U.S. Supreme Court Denies Certiorari in Fourth Circuit Case.

Kilpatrick on

In March 2023, Kilpatrick Townsend reported on a number of Clean Water Act (CWA) citizen suit actions including Dakota Finance LLC d/b/a Arabella Farm v. Naturaland Trust (Arabella Farms). Arabella Farms addressed the issue...more

Kilpatrick

Citizen Suits under the Clean Water Act – Fundamental Changes Underway?

Kilpatrick on

The Clean Water Act (CWA), like many environmental laws, provides a supplementary enforcement mechanism, allowing citizens to sue any person who is alleged to be in violation of an effluent standard or limitation and seek...more

Foley Hoag LLP - Environmental Law

Discretion is the Better Part of Valor; Court Dismisses Clean Water Act Citizen Suit Challenging POTW’s Enforcement Discretion

The scope of suits available to private citizens under the Clean Water Act is not unlimited. A Federal District Court in Massachusetts recently made that clear in dismissing a citizen suit filed by the Conservation Law...more

Foley Hoag LLP - Environmental Law

It’s More Important for EPA to Ensure that States Are Good Neighbors Than That They are Perfect Neighbors

Last week, D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected challenges to EPA’s “Revised Cross-State Air Pollution Update Rule”. The Court found that the Rule was “an appropriate exercise of EPA’s statutory authority”....more

Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard,...

Pretreatment Enforcement Discretion/Clean Water Act: Federal Court Addresses Massachusetts Water Utilities Motion to Dismiss

The United States District Court of Massachusetts (“Court”) addressed in a February 17th Memorandum and Order (“Memorandum”) an issue arising out of a Clean Water Act citizen suit action. See Conservation Law Foundation,...more

Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard,...

Stationary Combustion Engines/New Source Performance Standards: Environmental Organizations File Citizen Suit Action Against U.S....

The Sierra Club and the Environmental Defense Fund (collectively, “Sierra Club”) filed a December 8th Clean Air Act citizen suit action against the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) alleging a failure to...more

Foley Hoag LLP - Environmental Law

Our Environmental Statutes Are Broken

Last week, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a writ of mandamus to the Center for Biological Diversity, imposing a deadline on EPA to issue an “effects determination” concerning the potential impacts of the pesticide...more

Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard,...

Citizen Suit Enforcement/Clean Water Act: Federal District Court Addresses Alleged Violation by Wetland Biofilter Stormwater...

A United States District Court (W.D. Washington) (“Court”) addressed in an October 31st Order a Clean Water Act citizen suit action seeking an injunction to remedy alleged illegal discharge of pollutants into a lake and its...more

Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard,...

Citizen Suit Enforcement/Clean Water Act: Conservation Law Foundation and New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Enter into...

The Conservation Law Foundation (“CLF”) and New Hampshire Fish and Game Department (“Fish and Game”) entered into a September 8th Consent Decree (“CD”) addressing alleged violations of the Clean Water Act. See Civil No....more

Foley Hoag LLP - Environmental Law

The Battle Over PFAS Continues to Heat Up. The Assessment of Costs and Benefits Remains Undone.

Last month, EPA issued interim health advisories for PFOA and PFOS that took many people’s breath away.  It is rather amazing how quickly we’ve moved from parts per billion past parts per trillion to the low parts per...more

Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard,...

Stormwater/Citizen Suit Enforcement: Conservation Law Foundation Notice of Intent to File Suit Against EPA Under the Clean Water...

The Conservation Law Foundation and Charles River Watershed Association (collectively, “CLF”) sent a July 13th document to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) styled: Notice of Violations and Intent...more

Kilpatrick

First Circuit Court of Appeals Limits the Diligent Prosecution Bar to Clean Water Act Citizen Suits

Kilpatrick on

The Clean Water Act, like many environmental laws, provides a supplementary enforcement mechanism, allowing citizens to sue any person who is alleged to be in violation of an effluent standard or limitation under the Clean...more

Smith Gambrell Russell

First Circuit Reverses Bar on CWA Citizen Suits

Smith Gambrell Russell on

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit has overturned its bar on Clean Water Act (“CWA”) citizen suits seeking declaratory relief when a state is “diligently” prosecuting a violation. In the opinion, the Court...more

Foley Hoag LLP - Environmental Law

Sometimes the Law Really Is Unambiguous — Clean Water Act Edition

Last week, the First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a person who enters into an administrative settlement with a state is immune from citizen suits seeking civil penalties, but not immune from suits for declaratory or...more

Foley Hoag LLP - Environmental Law

DOJ Gets Off Its Moral High Horse: Ameren Missouri Will Close Early

In January, I noted that Ameren Missouri had surrendered in its defense of the NSR enforcement action brought by DOJ with respect to the Rush Island generating facility.  Ameren Missouri submitted to the Court a proposal to...more

Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard,...

Back from the Brink/Restoring Brownfield Sites to Economic Engines: February 15th U.S. House of Representatives Committee on...

The Center for Biological Diversity, Coosa Riverkeeper, Advance Etowah, and Our Children’s Earth Foundation (collectively “CBD”) filed a February 1st Clean Water Act citizen suit (“Complaint”) against the Water Works and...more

Foley Hoag LLP - Environmental Law

Another Nail In Coal’s Coffin

I’m not sure it’s even really news at this point, but earlier this week Ameren Missouri announced that it would close its Rush Island Energy Center generating plant early, rather than spend the money to install flue gas...more

67 Results
 / 
View per page
Page: of 3

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"

Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
*By using the service, you signify your acceptance of JD Supra's Privacy Policy.
- hide
- hide