Environmental

  • September 23, 2026

    9th Circ. Grounds Suit Over Wash. Airport Flight Path Pollution

    A Ninth Circuit panel said Wednesday that a provision of the Clean Air Act limiting state regulation of aircraft emissions is enough to extinguish a group of Washington residents' proposed class action against Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines and the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's operator over alleged flight path pollution.

  • September 23, 2026

    Judge Won't Block Feds' Land Exchange With SpaceX

    SpaceX and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service can proceed with their planned land swap after a Texas federal judge determined that the groups challenging the deal failed to show that their members would suffer irreparable injury as a result of the exchange.

  • September 23, 2026

    9th Circ. Won't Rehear Klamath Project ESA Ruling

    The Ninth Circuit said Wednesday it won't disturb a divided three-judge panel's ruling affirming that a federal regulator must abide by the Endangered Species Act's interagency consultation requirements as it operates a water management project in northern California and southern Oregon.

  • September 23, 2026

    Data Center Co. Says It Was Misled By Texas Land Seller

    A developer accused a property seller in Texas federal court of obscuring how much of its land was dedicated to oil and gas development, claiming the energy operations are impeding a multibillion-dollar artificial intelligence data center project.

  • September 23, 2026

    Fla. Panel Won't Hear City's Immunity Bid In Partnership Suit

    A Florida state appellate panel issued a split decision on Wednesday dismissing a bid by a city to overturn an order striking its motion to argue for immunity in a lawsuit over a public-private partnership to build a green waste facility near protected wetlands, saying it lacks jurisdiction. 

  • September 23, 2026

    NY Judge Dismisses States' DOGE Treasury Data Access Suit

    A New York federal judge Wednesday tossed several states' lawsuit that challenged Department of Government Efficiency staff access to U.S. Department of the Treasury data, saying DOGE's dissolution rendered the states' access claims moot and that they failed to allege that any federal funding due to them was ultimately canceled.

  • September 23, 2026

    Talen Energy Plant's Pa. Deal Doesn't End Pollution Suit

    A Talen Energy coal and gas power plant in York County, Pennsylvania, can't dodge an environmental group's lawsuit over contamination leaking from a coal ash impoundment near the Susquehanna River, after a federal judge rejected arguments that a state consent decree for the same impoundment barred the suit.

  • September 23, 2026

    Judge Rejects $2.5M Fees For Opt-Out Attys In Chevy Case

    A Michigan federal judge has rejected a motion from LG Chem and its affiliates for $2.5 million in fees for attorneys who had urged their clients to opt out of a $150 million settlement resolving allegations that Chevrolet Bolt batteries were defective, then to opt back in, saying the attorneys did nothing to materially improve or work toward the deal.

  • September 23, 2026

    DC Judge Rules EPA Wrongly Nixed $7B Solar Program

    A D.C. federal judge ruled that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lacked authority to terminate a $7 billion Solar for All program and 60 grants awarded to recipients including Harris County, Texas, which challenged the termination.

  • September 23, 2026

    Matrix Chambers Adds 3 International Law Team Members

    Matrix Chambers has welcomed three members to its international law team, saying the newcomers bring expertise in the public and private spheres and in practices that include representation of senior government officials and cases involving crime, extradition and human rights.

  • September 22, 2026

    Spray Foam-Maker Says Calif. Is Forcing It To Fund Research

    Texas-based spray foam insulation manufacturer Quadrant Performance Materials has sued the California Department of Toxic Substances Control in federal court over an order the manufacturer alleges unconstitutionally conditions its ability to sell in the Golden State on subsidizing research and advocacy it does not agree with.

  • September 22, 2026

    Feds' Latest Permit For Calif. Pipeline Challenged At 9th Circ.

    Environmental groups are urging the Ninth Circuit to review Trump administration's recent decision approving operations of two coastal California oil pipeline segments, including one that was shut down for years following a 2015 oil spill, saying on Tuesday that the new permit waives key safety requirements.

  • September 22, 2026

    Hydropower Plant Needs More Monitoring, Wash. Panel Says

    A Washington appeals panel broadly upheld the state's certification of a hydroelectric power project near the Columbia River on Monday, although the court said officials need to impose additional monitoring and reporting requirements to address potential leakage into the surrounding watershed.

  • September 22, 2026

    NJ Fines Data Center $1M For 62 Unpermitted Generators

    New Jersey on Tuesday fined a data center more than $1 million after discovering dozens of large natural gas-powered generators operating without permits, the largest enforcement action ever taken against a data center in the Garden State, according to an announcement.

  • September 22, 2026

    Colo. Justices Mull Trial Court's Authority In Water Rights Suit

    The Colorado Supreme Court grappled Tuesday with ranchers' bid for the justices to overturn a water court's order allowing a change of water right for a right they say was not at issue, questioning counsel on the water court's authority to impose certain conditions in the neighbors' 10-year legal battle.

  • September 22, 2026

    SEC E-Delivery Plan Draws Access Concerns, Enviro Praise

    State regulators, labor unions and at least one member of Congress are among those urging the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to rethink a proposal that would allow issuers and market intermediaries to default to electronic delivery of investor documents, while Wall Street groups and environmental advocates praised the measure.

  • September 22, 2026

    Data Center Power Provider Accelevation Eyes $660M IPO

    Data center power provider Accelevation Holdings on Tuesday outlined a price range for an estimated $660 million initial public offering steered by Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP.

  • September 22, 2026

    Blue States Expand Fight Over Trump Offshore Wind Buyouts

    Democratic-led states on Tuesday stepped up their fight against the Trump administration's buyouts of U.S. offshore wind leases, filing a trio of lawsuits that seek to undo payments to developers for abandoning projects on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

  • September 22, 2026

    Oil Cos. Escape Mich. Climate Change Antitrust Suit

    A federal judge on Tuesday nixed a lawsuit from Michigan accusing global oil and gas giants of conspiring for decades to delay the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, ruling the allegations do not amount to valid antitrust claims.

  • September 22, 2026

    HVAC Contractor Accused Of $8M 'Mass Save' Rebate Fraud

    A group of utility companies that participate in a Massachusetts energy-efficiency incentive program have alleged in state court that an HVAC contractor defrauded the program out of around $8 million through various schemes, including claiming rebates for heat pumps that were never installed.

  • September 22, 2026

    AI Data Centers Accused Of Skirting Enviro Permits In Texas

    Two environmental groups sued Vantage and VoltaGrid in Texas federal court, claiming the artificial intelligence data center developers are exploiting fast-track permits reserved for minor polluters even though their projects would use as much power as about one-fifth of the homes in San Antonio.

  • September 21, 2026

    Mich. City Says Data Center Moratorium Suit Is Premature

    A Michigan city has urged a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit from developers that challenges a one-year moratorium on data center development, saying the pause doesn't represent a final land use decision that can be reviewed by a court.

  • September 21, 2026

    FERC Wrongly Segmented Pipeline's Water Eval, DC Circ. Told

    Environmental groups have told the D.C. Circuit that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission botched its analysis of the effects of a Williams Cos. unit's pipeline expansion project on streams and other aquatic resources in Virginia and North Carolina.

  • September 21, 2026

    Groups Want Colo. Detention Facility Halted Over Enviro Risks

    Advocacy groups urged a Colorado federal judge to order the halt of construction and planned operation of a federal immigrant detention facility in a Colorado town, contending Monday that the facility poses significant environmental risks and the agencies violated federal law in developing the facility's plans.

  • September 21, 2026

    Ex-NJ Utility Worker Gets 3 Years For False Water Reports

    A former employee of the water utility for Trenton, New Jersey, was sentenced to three years in state prison after admitting he falsified water testing records and failed to collect required samples while working for the public utility, New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said Monday.

Expert Analysis

  • AI Regulatory Gaps May Fuel FCA Enforcement Action

    Author Photo

    The intersection of artificial intelligence and False Claims Act enforcement presents legal risk for government contractors across several industries, particularly in the absence of a federal regulatory framework explicitly governing its development and use, say attorneys at O’Melveny.

  • AI Agents Will Test The Bounds Of Expert Witness Rules

    Author Photo

    Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence does not address whether a testifying expert must be human, but as the rule’s amended admissibility framework intersects with the accelerating capabilities of agentic AI, courts may be forced to confront whether AI-generated expertise fits within existing evidentiary doctrine, says Steven Cordero at Akerman.

  • What New PFAS Rule Means For Tracking And Disclosure

    Author Photo

    In the wake of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's publication of its rule adding PFHxS-Na to the Toxics Release Inventory, companies should identify this substance in their facilities and supply chains, and prepare for disclosures to both regulators and the public, says Ayodeji Ayolola at Gordon Rees.

  • Reel Justice: 'Project Hail Mary' Can Aid Cross-Examination

    Author Photo

    In the new science fiction film, "Project Hail Mary," a character understood that survival depended on eliminating ambiguity — a useful lesson that trial lawyers can implement by asking statements that are delivered in the form of a question during cross-examination, says Veronica Finkelstein at Wilmington University.

  • AI-Proofing Class Action Notices From Pro Se Objection Surge

    Author Photo

    Class action practitioners should prepare for a likely surge in artificial intelligence-enabled pro se objections by implementing several practical strategies to navigate this shift, says Britany Wessan at Almeida Law Group.

  • Series

    Judges On AI: How Courts Can Survive The Tech Revolution

    Author Photo

    Colorado Supreme Court Justice Maria Berkenkotter and Colorado Court of Appeals Judge Lino Lipinsky de Orlov discuss how artificial intelligence has already fundamentally altered the legal system and offer tips for courts navigating deepfakes, hallucinations and a gap in access to AI tools.

  • What Jury Holdouts Can Teach Trial Lawyers About Strategy

    Author Photo

    Though a hung jury can be a disappointment, a psychological understanding of jury holdouts can help trial lawyers shape their damages arguments and understand leadership and group composition as a function of jury selection, says Clint Townson at Townson Litigation.

  • 'Mobile' Sources For On-Site Generation May Be A Risky Bet

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is considering treating large on-site generators used at data centers as mobile rather than stationary sources under the Clean Air Act, a significant policy change that would leave developers that adopt this solution at risk of regulatory reversals, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

  • 3 AI Adoption Mistakes GCs Should Avoid

    Author Photo

    The pressure in-house legal teams face to quickly adopt artificial intelligence tools, combined with budget constraints and the need to evaluate a crowded market of options, sets the stage for implementation mistakes that are often difficult to undo, says former 23andMe general counsel Guy Chayoun.

  • Series

    Playing Basketball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    My grandfather used to say "I wear your jersey" as shorthand for wholly committing to support someone with loyalty and integrity — ideals that have shaped my life on the basketball court and in legal practice, says Tracy Schimelfenig at Schimelfenig Legal.

  • EPA Listing Signals New Scrutiny Of Drugs In Drinking Water

    Author Photo

    The recent publication of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's latest draft drinking water contaminant list highlights pharmaceuticals as a category of concern, marking the start of a process that could shape future research priorities, monitoring requirements, and federal and state actions, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Georgia Court Has Business On Its Mind

    Author Photo

    Thanks to recent legislation, the Georgia State-wide Business Court will soon offer business litigants greater access to the court than ever before, further enhancing the court's emphasis on efficiency, predictability and accessibility for sophisticated commercial disputes, says former GSBC judge Walt Davis at Jones Day.

  • Md. Justices' State Climate Tort Ban May Shape National Path

    Author Photo

    The Maryland Supreme Court’s recent ruling that federal law preempted state-level deceptive marketing tort claims brought by several municipalities could offer the U.S. Supreme Court a road map to use in the pending Suncor Energy v. Boulder County case to exclude states from the business of regulating global emissions, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • 4 Emerging Approaches To AI Protective Order Language

    Author Photo

    Over the last year, at least five federal district courts have issued or analyzed specific protective order provisions restricting the use of generative artificial intelligence platforms with protected materials, establishing that proactive AI-specific provisions are now standard practice and demonstrating that no single model works for every case, says Joel Bush at Kilpatrick.

  • Heppner Ruling Left AI Privilege Risk For Lawyers Unresolved

    Author Photo

    While a New York federal judge’s recent ruling in U.S. v. Heppner resolved a privilege question surrounding client-side artificial intelligence use, it did not address how to mitigate the risks that can arise when confidential information enters the operative context of an AI system used by an attorney, says Jianfei Chen at Quarles & Brady​​​​​​​.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Environmental archive.