News & Analysis as of

State and Local Government Environmental Litigation

Perkins Coie

VMT Thresholds Must Be Based on Substantial Evidence Specific to Local Conditions

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The County of San Diego’s thresholds for exempting certain projects from vehicle miles traveled (VMT) analysis were not supported by substantial evidence showing they were appropriate specifically for the County. Cleveland...more

Allen Matkins

California Environmental Law & Policy Update 5.23.25

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The Senate on Thursday blocked California’s landmark plan to phase out the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles, setting up a legal battle that could shape the electric car market in the United States. The consequences of...more

Mintz

Pennsylvania State Court Dismisses Climate Tort Litigation Against Major Fossil Fuel Companies

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A local state court in Pennsylvania recently dismissed an array of climate tort claims brought against major fossil fuel companies by a local government--in this case, Bucks County. Among the three dozen or so climate tort...more

Alston & Bird

Land Use Matters | May 2025 | CEQA Appellate Decisions & Other Legal Developments

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City of Los Angeles - Expedited and Streamlined Review Process for Community Rebuilding - On March 18, 2025, Mayor Karen Bass issued Revised Emergency Executive Order No. 1 (EO 1) directing the Department of City Planning,...more

Pillsbury - Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real...

States and Municipalities Advance Climate Change Lawsuits as Trump Administration Seeks to Block Them

Even as the Trump administration moves to block state and local climate liability efforts, states and municipalities continue to advance lawsuits seeking to hold fossil fuel companies liable for harms associated with climate...more

Goldberg Segalla

Breaking News: Significant PFAS Settlement in New Jersey

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Another major settlement was announced this week in New Jersey in consolidated cases filed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and other state entities. (You can review the Judicial Consent Order here as...more

Holland & Knight LLP

An Update on Climate Superfund Laws and Climate Change Lawsuits

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In recent years, states and municipalities have attempted to hold fossil fuel companies liable for their alleged impacts on climate change. Numerous states and municipalities have sued fossil fuel companies, alleging that...more

Mintz

Colorado Supreme Court Allows Climate Tort Litigation to Proceed

Mintz on

On May 12, 2025, in a 5-2 decision, the Colorado Supreme Court held that the tort claims brought by local governments in Colorado against major fossil fuel companies concerning damages stemming from climate change could...more

Foley Hoag LLP - Energy & Climate Counsel

Trump Administration Sues Four States to Block Climate Superfund Legislation and Climate Deception Litigation

As we have noted previously, a number of states have enacted legislation and/or brought claims against fossil fuel producers seeking payment for damages resulting from climate change. Legislative efforts include New York...more

Allen Matkins

California Environmental Law & Policy Update 5.9.25

Allen Matkins on

The House passed resolutions last week to rescind federal waivers that allow California to set stricter vehicle emissions standards than the rest of the country. California’s standards currently require the sale of most...more

Pillsbury - Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real...

Federal Government Sues Four States Over Climate Superfund Laws and Climate Change Litigation

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a series of federal lawsuits against four states—New York, Vermont, Michigan and Hawaii—alleging that recent legislative and enforcement efforts to hold fossil fuel companies...more

Goldberg Segalla

Navigating Environmental Jurisdiction: DOJ’s Challenge to State Climate Superfund Laws

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The U.S. Department of Justice filed lawsuits against New York and several other states, challenging their newly enacted state Superfund laws (Superfund lawsuits). The laws aim to address the environmental damages attributed...more

Cozen O'Connor

Vermont’s Climate Superfund Law Draws Heated Challenge from GOP AGs

Cozen O'Connor on

A group of 24 Republican AGs, along with several trade associations, sued Vermont over the state’s Climate Superfund Act, which authorizes the state to levy billions of dollars in fines on fossil fuel companies for alleged...more

Perkins Coie

State Control of Injection Well Permitting Stays in Focus Amid Legal Challenges Over CCS Infrastructure

Perkins Coie on

Key Takeaways - - EPA is evaluating the Texas Railroad Commission's formal primacy application. If granted, Texas will assume primary enforcement authority—or primacy—over Class VI wells. - Carbon capture and storage...more

Downey Brand LLP

Are Your CEQA Thresholds Supported by Substantial Evidence? Fourth District Rules San Diego County’s Thresholds of Significance...

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In Cleveland National Forest Foundation v. County of San Diego (2025) 109 Cal. App.5th 1257, the Fourth District Court of Appeal invalidated two thresholds of significance adopted by the County of San Diego (“County”) that in...more

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

Alabama Water Quality Criteria/Toxicity Values: Six Environmental Organizations Submit Petition to Alabama Environmental...

Six environmental organizations submitted an April 15th Petition to the Alabama Environmental Management Commission to amend Ala. (ADEM) Admin. Code Chap. 335-6-10, Appendix A....more

Vinson & Elkins LLP

Trump Administration Sues New York and Vermont Over Climate Superfund Legislation

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On May 1, 2025, the federal government brought separate suits against both New York and Vermont alleging that these state’s “climate Superfund” statutes are unconstitutional on multiple grounds. In two nearly identical...more

Mintz

Trump Administration Files Preemptive Lawsuits Against Hawaii and Michigan to Block Climate Change Litigation

Mintz on

Recently, both the State of Hawaii and the State of Michigan had announced that they would be pursuing litigation against fossil fuel companies concerning alleged damages stemming from the companies' contribution to climate...more

ArentFox Schiff

ESG Litigation Update: Environmental NGOs and Local Governments Target ‘Climate Deception’

ArentFox Schiff on

In recent years, environmental nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and local governments have increasingly sued gas, oil, and energy companies, challenging their historic messaging on climate change, plastic recycling, and...more

Mintz

Trump Issues Executive Order Targeting State Action on Climate Change

Mintz on

Earlier this month, President Trump issued an executive order that sought to target actions undertaken by individual U.S. states to combat climate change, for the stated purpose of ensuring “American energy dominance.”...more

Alston & Bird

PFAS Primer Quarterly Update: 2025 Q1 – Setting the PFAS Standard

Alston & Bird on

In the latest edition of the PFAS Primer Quarterly Update, our roundup of regulatory, litigation, and scientific actions involving PFAS, states exempt PFAS products – except the states that don’t, defendants can remove PFAS...more

Jenner & Block

Our Power, Our Planet

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An Update on the Legal Landscape Surrounding Plastic Pollution - It’s hard to reflect on “Our Power, Our Planet” this Earth Day without discussing plastic. Plastic is deeply embedded in our daily lives. Consider, for...more

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

State Climate Laws and Litigation Face Federal Pushback Under New Executive Order

On April 8, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14260, Protecting American Energy From State Overreach​. Framed as part of the Administration’s broader strategy of unleashing American energy, the Order directs...more

Allen Matkins

California Court Clarifies CEQA Tribal Consultation Duties in First Published AB 52 Decision

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On March 14, 2025, the California Court of Appeal for the First District issued the first published opinion interpreting Assembly Bill 52 (AB 52), the law governing tribal consultation procedures under the California...more

ArentFox Schiff

Three Takeaways From $745 Million Louisiana Verdict Against Chevron for Coastal Wetland Damage

ArentFox Schiff on

Public companies can face significant liability based on past operations. While most industrial companies have long-term experience evaluating potential remediation obligations imposed by laws such as the federal...more

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