Recent Developments

• Date: 01 October 2014

10-2014 NEWS & ANALYSIS 44 ELR 10907

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

In the Courts

ese entries summarize recent cases under the following categories: A ir, Energy, Land Use, Natural Resources, Toxic

Substances, Waste, and Water. e entries are arranged alphabetically by case name within each category. is material is

updated monthly. For archived materials, visit http://elr.info/articles/news-analysis/cases-update/archive.

AIR

.,

No. 3:13-CV-01214, 44 ELR 20171

(W.D. Ky. July 17, 2014). A district

court held that a group of residents

may go forward with their state tort law

claims aga inst a Kentucky power plant.

Sierra Club v. McCarthy, No. 01-1537,

44 ELR 20172 (D.D.C. July 25, 2014).

A district court held that EPA failed to

set emissions standards for ha zardous

air pollutants under CA A §112(c)(6) in

violation of prior court orders.



Protection Agency, Nos. 11-73342,

-73356, 44 ELR 20184 (9th Cir. Aug.

12, 2014). e Ninth Circuit vacated

and remanded EPA’s decision to issue a

PSD permit allowing a power company

to build and operate a 600-megawatt

natural gas- red power plant.

ENERGY

-

, No. 2013CV31385, 44

ELR 20183 (Colo. Dist. Ct. Aug. 7,

2014). A Colorado court held that the

state’s Oil and Gas Conservation Act

preempts a city’s ve-year moratorium

on hydraulic fr acturing.



Coast Guard, No. 12-73385, 44 ELR

20179 (9th Cir. Aug. 5, 2014). e

Ninth Circuit held that it lacked juris-

diction to review a U.S. Coast Guard

letter to FERC concerning the suit-

ability of the Columbia River for vessel

trac associated with a proposed lique-

ed natural gas f acility and pipeline.

LAND USE



, No. 13-5281,

44 ELR 20173 (D.C. Cir. July 29,

2014). e D.C. Circuit upheld USDA

regulations mandati ng the disclosure

of country-of-origin information about

meat products.

-

-

way Administration, No. 13-6214, 44

ELR 20188 (6th Cir. Aug. 7, 2014).

e Sixth Circuit, in an unpublished

opinion, upheld the dismissal of claims

that FHwA violated NEPA when it ap-

proved a $2.6-billion construction and

transportation mana gement project

designed to improve mobility across the

Ohio River in Louisvi lle, Kentucky.



, No. 13-

2215, 44 ELR 20181 (4th Cir. Aug. 6,

2014). e Fourth Circuit armed a

lower court’s decision that FHwA and

North Carolina complied with NEPA

in their approval of a bridge and high-

way improvement project between the

mainland and the Outer Banks barrier

islands, but reversed that court’s de-

termination that the defendants were

exempt from complying with §4(f) of

the Department of Transportation Act

of 1966.

NATURAL RESOURCES

 ,

No. 3:12-cv-00 466, 44 ELR 2 0176

(D. Idaho July 25, 2014). A district

court denied environ mental group s’

motion for an injunction a nd stay of

an earlier decision that al lows logging

operations in the Nez Perce National

Forest to proc eed.

-

, No.

307602, 44 ELR 20185 (Mich. Ct.

App. Aug. 12, 2014). A Michigan ap-

pellate court upheld the state environ-

mental agency’s decision to grant min-

ing and discharge permits to a company

to develop an underground mine to

extract nickel and copper from the su l-

de ores beneath the headwaters of the

Salmon Trout River.

-

 ,

No. 308366, 44 ELR 20186 (Mich.

Ct. App. Aug. 12, 2014). A Michigan

appellate court upheld the state envi-

ronmental agency’s decision to grant

a groundwater discharge permit to a

company in connection with its plan

to develop an underground mine to

extract nickel and copper from the su l-

de ores beneath the headwaters of the

Salmon Trout River.

TOXIC SUBSTANCES

 

-

tration, Nos. 12-2106, -3607, 44 ELR

20174 (2d Cir. July 24, 2014). e

Second Circuit reversed a lower court

decision that FDA was required to hold

hearings to determine whether to with-

draw approval for the use of penicillin

and tetracyclines in a nimal feed.

WASTE

, No. 12-

15691, 44 ELR 20182 (9th Cir. Aug. 1,

2014). e Ninth Circuit armed in

Copyright © 2014 Environmental Law Institute®, Washington, DC. Reprinted with permission from ELR®, http://www.eli.org, 1-800-433-5120.