News & Analysis as of

Environmental Violations Citizen Suits

Holland & Hart LLP

Supreme Court Declines to Limit Environmental Citizen Suits

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On June 30, 2025, the Supreme Court denied industry group petitions to review and reverse two cases—one out of the Fifth Circuit and the other out of the Ninth Circuit—that could have significantly restricted the ability of...more

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

Citizen Suit Action/Clean Water Act: Two California Municipalities' Motion Alleges Spoilation of Laboratory Data by Environmental...

The Towns of Sunnyvale and Mountain View, California (collectively, “Cities”) filed a January 17th Pleading against San Francisco Baykeeper (“Baykeeper”) styled: Defendants’ Motion for Sanctions for Spoilation of...more

Allen Matkins

Citizen Suit Enforcement Under the Industrial General Permit: How Businesses Can Avoid Substantial Costs Associated with Notice...

Allen Matkins on

Each year, many California businesses receive letters from private entities, typically environmental nongovernmental organizations (Citizen Groups), alleging that those businesses’ facilities are in violation of applicable...more

Lowenstein Sandler LLP

TSCA Citizen Suit and Public Nuisance Claims Dismissed by EDNY

On May 19, the Eastern District of New York (the Court) dismissed claims brought by the Town of Oyster Bay, New York (the Town) under Section 20(a)(1) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)1 and for public nuisance...more

Troutman Pepper Locke

Citizen Suits and Larger Penalties May Be the Future of California Water Quality Protections

Troutman Pepper Locke on

The California legislature continues to advance Senate Bill 601 (SB 601), the “Right to Clean Water Act,” which aims to safeguard protections for California’s streams and wetlands that lost federal protection under the Clean...more

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

Waters of the United States/ Construction General NPDES Stormwater Permit: Federal District Court Addresses Request to Dismiss...

A United States District Court (D. Massachusetts) (“Court”) addressed in a February 25th Memorandum and Order (“Memorandum”) an issue arising pursuant to a Clean Water Act citizen-suit action. See Blackstone Headwaters...more

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

Citizen Suit Action/RCRA: Conservation Law Foundation Alleges Violations by Natural Gas Pipeline System

The Conservation Law Foundation, Inc. filed a citizen suit Complaint in the United States District Court of Massachusetts on November 12th alleging violations by the following: Besides the Conservation Law Foundation, the...more

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

Citizen Suit Actions/Clean Water Act: Arkansas and 24 Other State Attorney Generals File Amicus Brief in Support of Writ of...

The Arkansas and 24 other State Attorney Generals (collectively, “Amici Curiae”) filed on October 28th an Amicus Brief supporting a Petition for a Writ of Certiorari to the United States Supreme Court to address a Clean Water...more

ArentFox Schiff

Two Reasons Why Environmental Citizen Suits Pose Increasing Risk to Businesses

ArentFox Schiff on

Back in the 1970s, US Congress passed laws that allow private parties to bring citizen suits to enforce federal environmental laws. While those statutes have not significantly been amended, changes in both administrative law...more

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

Citizen Suit Action/Clean Water Act: Black Warrior Riverkeeper and Tuscaloosa, Alabama Coal Mine Operator Enter into Consent...

Black Water Riverkeeper (“Riverkeeper”) and Warrior Met Coal Mining, LLC (“WMC”) entered into a July 29th Consent Decree (“CD”) addressing alleged violations of the Clean Water Act. See Case No. 7:22-cv-01178-LSC. The CD...more

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

Clean Air Act Citizen Suit Enforcement/Pennsylvania Chemical Facilities: Food & Water Watch Judicial Action Alleging Allegheny...

The Environmental Action Project on behalf of Food & Water Watch (“F&W”) filed a November 15th Clean Air Act citizen suit action in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, against the Allegheny County...more

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

Conservation Easement/Endangered Species Act: Citizen Suit Action Challenges U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Opinion...

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (“Ninth Circuit”) addressed in a December 4th Opinion an issue arising out of the federal Endangered Species Act (“ESA”). See Center for Biological Diversity, et al. v....more

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

Citizen Suit Enforcement/Clean Water Act: Environmental Integrity Project Notice of Intent to Sue Newburgh, Indiana, Aluminum...

The Environmental Integrity Project (“EIP”) on behalf of the Sierra Club sent a November 14th Notice of Intent to Sue (“NOI”) to Warrick Newco Operations (“Warrick”) alleging violations of the Clean Water Act. The NOI...more

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

Citizen Suit Enforcement/Clean Water Act: Alabama/Black Warrior Riverkeeper Judicial Action Addressing Alleged City of Tuscaloosa...

The State of Alabama and two environmental organizations filed a Complaint in the Circuit Court of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, against the City of Tuscaloosa alleging violations of the Clean Water Act. See Civil Action No....more

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

Citizen Suit Enforcement/Clean Water Act: Columbia Riverkeeper and Port of Vancouver U.S.A. Enter into Consent Decree

Columbia Riverkeeper and the Port of Vancouver U.S.A. (collectively, “Port”) entered into a Consent Decree (“CD”) on September 12th to address alleged violations of the Clean Water Act. The Washington State port district...more

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

Air/Water Enforcement: Conservation Law Foundation Citizen Suit Action Addressing Quincy, Massachusetts, Fatty Acid/Glycerin...

The Conservation Law Foundation (“CLF”) filed on August 14th a Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief and Civil Penalties (“Complaint”) against Twin Rivers Technologies, Inc., and Twin Rivers technologies...more

Kilpatrick

Clean Water Act Citizen Suits – A Postscript – U.S. Supreme Court Denies Certiorari in Fourth Circuit Case.

Kilpatrick on

In March 2023, Kilpatrick Townsend reported on a number of Clean Water Act (CWA) citizen suit actions including Dakota Finance LLC d/b/a Arabella Farm v. Naturaland Trust (Arabella Farms). Arabella Farms addressed the issue...more

Kilpatrick

Citizen Suits under the Clean Water Act – Fundamental Changes Underway?

Kilpatrick on

The Clean Water Act (CWA), like many environmental laws, provides a supplementary enforcement mechanism, allowing citizens to sue any person who is alleged to be in violation of an effluent standard or limitation and seek...more

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

Pretreatment Enforcement Discretion/Clean Water Act: Federal Court Addresses Massachusetts Water Utilities Motion to Dismiss

The United States District Court of Massachusetts (“Court”) addressed in a February 17th Memorandum and Order (“Memorandum”) an issue arising out of a Clean Water Act citizen suit action. See Conservation Law Foundation,...more

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

Citizen Suit Enforcement/Clean Water Act: Conservation Law Foundation and New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Enter into...

The Conservation Law Foundation (“CLF”) and New Hampshire Fish and Game Department (“Fish and Game”) entered into a September 8th Consent Decree (“CD”) addressing alleged violations of the Clean Water Act. See Civil No....more

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

404 Wetland/Clean Water Act Enforcement: Federal Court Addresses Scope of Potential Liability Related to Subdivision Development

A United States District Court (S. D. Georgia) (“Court”) addressed in a June 30th Order certain issues arising out of a 404 Clean Water Act citizen suit enforcement action. See Baker v. Mortgage of America Lenders, LLC et al,...more

Kilpatrick

First Circuit Court of Appeals Limits the Diligent Prosecution Bar to Clean Water Act Citizen Suits

Kilpatrick on

The Clean Water Act, like many environmental laws, provides a supplementary enforcement mechanism, allowing citizens to sue any person who is alleged to be in violation of an effluent standard or limitation under the Clean...more

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

Citizen Suit Enforcement/Clean Water Act: Environmental Organizations Notice of Intent to Sue Related to Expansion of Mine Site

Several environmental organizations sent the following document to Rosemont Copper Company (“Rosemont”) on April 14th: 60-Day Notice of Intent to Bring Citizen Suit for Rosemont Copper Company’s Violations of the Clean...more

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

Citizen Suit Enforcement/Clean Water Act: Black Warrior Riverkeeper Notice of Intent to Sue Birmingham, Alabama, Metal Finishing...

Black Warrior Riverkeeper sent on March 22, 2022, a 60-day Notice of Intent to Sue (“NOI”) pursuant to the citizen suit provisions of the Clean Water Act to Kamtek Inc. (“Kamtek”) for alleged violations. Kamtek is stated...more

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

Stormwater/Citizen Suit Enforcement: Coosa Riverkeeper, Inc., Alleges Violations by Alabama Homebuilder

The Southern Environmental Law Center on behalf of Coosa Riverkeeper, Inc., (“CRI”) filed a Complaint in the United States District Court (Northern District of Alabama) against Newcastle Homes, Inc. (“Newcastle”) alleging...more

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