Court Battles

NRDC v. U.S. EPA (Perchlorate)

January 19, 2024 Court CaseUnited StatesActive

Perchlorate, a toxic component of rocket fuel, threatens the drinking water of millions of people across the United States. NRDC went to court to force the EPA to act.

Migrant Clinicians Network et al. v. U.S. EPA et al. (Streptomycin)

January 4, 2024 Court CaseUnited States, FloridaActive

After NRDC and our partners sued the EPA, the medically important streptomycin antibiotic may no longer be lawfully sold or distributed as a pesticide.

Amicus Brief: Athletics v. California Department of Toxic Substances Control

November 3, 2023 Court CaseCaliforniaActive

California has failed to fully implement hazardous waste laws at metal shredding facilities like Schnitzer Steel—and communities are suffering for it.

Potomac Riverkeeper v. U.S. Department of the Navy

June 21, 2023 Court CaseWashington, D.C., Maryland, VirginiaActive

Potomac Riverkeeper Network and NRDC are suing the U.S. Navy for illegally discharging pollutants into the waters of the Potomac River.

NRDC v. E. Scott Pruitt et al. (Neonic Pesticides)

May 15, 2023 Court CaseUnited StatesActive

Research shows neonics are highly toxic to wildlife, including key pollinators—and the EPA’s failure to act on that evidence violates the Endangered Species Act. So we’re suing.

Baez v. New York City Housing Authority

February 7, 2023 Court CaseNew York, New York CityActive

The agency’s failure to remediate mold and moisture in city-owned housing exposes residents to avoidable, sometimes deadly health risks. NRDC and community partners are holding it accountable.

NRDC v. EPA (Tetrachlorvinphos)

January 25, 2023 Court CaseUnited StatesActive

NRDC is fighting to ban the use of a dangerous pesticide in household pet products.

Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments et al. v. FDA et al. (Antibiotic Resistance)

January 24, 2023 Court CaseUnited StatesActive

NRDC and a coalition of public health advocacy groups are suing the FDA to halt unnecessary uses of antibiotics in animal agriculture—and protect people and the environment.

NRDC, Sierra Club, and Respiratory Health Association v. Illinois Power Resources Generating

December 31, 2022 Court CaseIllinois, PeoriaClosed

NRDC and partners fought to make sure the owners of the E.D. Edwards coal-fired power plant never again put local communities at risk from hazardous and illegal pollution.

Maine People’s Alliance and NRDC v. HoltraChem Manufacturing Co. LLC, and Mallinckrodt US LLC

October 11, 2022 Court CaseMaineActive

In 2000, NRDC and the Maine People’s Alliance sued Mallinckrodt—a former owner of a plant that contaminated the Penobscot River with toxic mercury—to seek a cleanup.

NRDC et al. v. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration et al.

August 4, 2022 Court CaseUnited StatesClosed

Fuel economy standards are good for our economy and our planet. When the Trump administration unlawfully attempted to weaken enforcement of these standards, we challenged them—and won.

Neighbors for Environmental Justice, et al. v. EPA, et al. (Methylene Chloride)

July 14, 2022 Court CaseUnited StatesActive

NRDC is demanding EPA do its job under the Toxic Substances Control Act and consider the serious risks methylene chloride poses to workers and communities.

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.

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.

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.

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.

NRDC v. David L. Bernhardt et al. (Rusty Patched Bumblebee Habitat)

September 1, 2020 Court CaseEast, MidwestClosed

More than two years since the rusty patched bumblebee was listed as an endangered species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has yet to designate and protect the bee’s critical habitat, as required by law.

Environmental Justice Health Alliance et al. v. Council on Environmental Quality et al. (NEPA Rule)

August 6, 2020 Court CaseUnited StatesActive

The Trump administration is rolling back critical environmental reviews and blocking public participation under the guise of “streamlining.” So we’re suing.

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

July 23, 2020 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.