Court Battles

NRDC and United Auto Workers v. Louis DeJoy and U.S. Postal Service

June 21, 2022 Court CaseUnited StatesActive

The USPS’s backward plan to purchase 150,000 gas-powered vehicles is based on an environmental review packed with errors.

NRDC v. U.S. Department of the Interior et al. (Gray Wolf Delisting)

April 25, 2022 Court CaseUnited StatesActive

A ruling secured by NRDC and others will save hundreds of wolves nationwide. But the fight to protect them isn’t over.

NRDC et al. v. County of Dickson et al.

March 31, 2022 Court CaseTennessee, DicksonClosed

In the 1960s, manufacturing companies in Tennessee dumped a toxic industrial solvent that causes cancer, as well as reproductive and neurological harm, into an unlined landfill. NRDC helped to hold the companies to account.

Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association v. Raimondo

March 1, 2022 Court CaseUnited States, EastClosed

With our partners, NRDC is defending the first and only national monument in the Atlantic Ocean.

Migratory Bird Treaty Act Lawsuits

March 1, 2022 Court CaseUnited StatesClosed

To reinstate bedrock protections for more than 1,000 species of birds, NRDC and partners challenged a radical reinterpretation of the MBTA.

Friends of the Earth et al. v. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

February 24, 2022 Court CaseFlorida, MiamiActive

NRDC and our partners are advocating for the NRC to analyze the potentially grave environmental impacts of extending the operating licenses of two Florida nuclear reactors.

Communities for a Better Environment v. Corteva Inc. et al.

February 15, 2022 Court CaseCaliforniaActive

NRDC is working with a top environmental justice watchdog to clean up a chemical plant in California.

Conservation Law Foundation v. Biden (Northeast Canyons and Seamounts)

November 11, 2021 Court CaseUnited States, EastClosed

NRDC and our partners are suing to restore full protections to this special monument.

Keystone XL Pipeline Lawsuits

November 1, 2021 Court CaseNebraska, South Dakota, MontanaActive

The massive pipeline threatened our climate and public health—and the government’s approvals violated environmental laws. So we went to court.

Fastlane Transportation, Inc. et al. v. City of Los Angeles and BNSF Railway Co.

September 21, 2021 Court CaseCalifornia, Los AngelesActive

When the city of Los Angeles approved the construction of a noisy, polluting rail yard in a low-income community of color, NRDC went to court on behalf of local groups.

Dirty Water Rule

September 1, 2021 Court CaseUnited StatesClosed

The Trump-era rule narrowed the scope of the Clean Water Act by revoking federal protections for countless streams, wetlands, and other waters.

NRDC v. Federal Communications Commission

August 13, 2021 Court CaseUnited StatesActive

The FCC attempted to sidestep environmental review and public participation concerning the deployment of 5G wireless infrastructure. NRDC and our allies challenged their moves in court–and won.

League of Conservation Voters v. Trump (Offshore Leasing Ban)

April 13, 2021 Court CaseUnited StatesClosed

Our broad coalition is fighting the Trump administration to keep our coasts permanently off-limits to oil and gas drilling.

National Audubon Society et al. v. David Bernhardt et al.

February 17, 2021 Court CaseAlaska, ArcticActive

NRDC and allies are suing over the Trump administration’s decision to open the heart of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas leasing.

NRDC et al. v. McCarthy et al.

January 22, 2021 Court CaseUtahActive

When the BLM reopened the area around Utah’s Factory Butte to unrestricted off-road vehicle use, it did so without analyzing the impacts and without public notice. So we sued.

Diné Citizens Against Ruining Our Environment et al. v. U.S. Bureau of Land Management et al.

January 20, 2021 Court CaseNew MexicoActive

The BLM failed to consult tribal communities and consider environmental impacts before it approved fracking permits in the Greater Chaco region of New Mexico.

Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance et al. v. David Bernhardt et al.

January 8, 2021 Court CaseUtahActive

The Trump administration snuck around a new conservation law to approve helium drilling in the iconic Labyrinth Canyon Wilderness. So we’re suing.

Concerned Pastors for Social Action v. Khouri

December 1, 2020 Court CaseMichigan, FlintActive

In a citizen-led case, NRDC and partners filed a lawsuit against the city of Flint and Michigan state officials for unlawfully exposing the people of Flint to lead-contaminated drinking water.

South Carolina Coastal Conservation League v. Ross

November 30, 2020 Court CaseSouth Carolina, EastClosed

NRDC, partners, and coastal states sued to stop seismic blasting in the Atlantic Ocean, which threatens marine life like the endangered North Atlantic right whale.

Western Organization of Resource Councils et al. v. U.S. Bureau of Land Management et al.

October 21, 2020 Court CaseMontana, WyomingClosed

The Bureau of Land Management failed to comply with the National Environmental Protection Act when it approved management plans in the Powder River Basin.