Court Battles

Since our founding in 1970, NRDC has been in court defending the environment and human health. Litigation is in our DNA. 

Here, you can follow some of our landmark court battles as well as other legal advocacy, including administrative cases and amicus briefs. Whether up against a fossil fuel corporation or a government agency, NRDC will continue using facts, evidence, and the rule of law to enforce safeguards and hold polluters accountable.

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Featured Court Battles

All Court Cases

Viewing 1 - 20 of 29

NRDC et al. v. Dan Brouillette et al.

Court CaseUnited StatesClosed
The Trump administration’s Energy Department abandoned its obligations to review and update efficiency standards. So we sued—and won.

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

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.

Migratory Bird Treaty Act Lawsuits

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.

Dirty Water Rule

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.

South Carolina Coastal Conservation League v. Ross

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.

NRDC v. E. Scott Pruitt et al. (Enlist Duo)

Court CaseUnited StatesClosed
The EPA approved the pesticide Enlist Duo despite its serious risks to people and monarch butterflies. So NRDC challenged the EPA’s decision—and won an important victory.

The California WaterFix project

Court CaseCaliforniaClosed
The California WaterFix project was no fix at all. In a victory for the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, California abandoned its two-tunnel project in May 2019.

NRDC Litigation in Action