List of environmental lawsuits - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

On this page, environmental lawsuit means "a lawsuit where the well-being of an environmental asset or the well-being of a set of environmental assets is in dispute". Also on this page, lawsuit with environmental relevance means "a lawsuit where a non-environmental entity or a set of non-environmental entities is in dispute, but whose outcome has relevance for an environmental asset or for a set of environmental assets".

Because the distinction between the two types of lawsuit is not perfectly clear-cut, it is beneficial to keep the two lists together on one page, but separated according to that distinction.

Environmental lawsuits

Lawsuit(s)	Environmental asset(s) and subject(s) of lawsuit(s)	Court(s) of decision(s)	Year(s) of decision(s)
Aldred's Case Aldred's Case Aldred's Case 9 Co Rep 57b; 77 ER 816, is an often-cited seventeenth century case dealing with nuisance in English common law...	Aesthetics: smell from pig sty		1610
Amchem Products Inc. v. British Columbia Worker's Compensation Board Amchem Products Inc. v. British Columbia Worker's Compensation Board Amchem Products Inc. v. British Columbia Worker's Compensation Board, [1993] 1 S.C.R. 897 is a leading decision on forum non conveniens by the Supreme Court of Canada...	Workplace: asbestos	Supreme Court of Canada	1993
American Elec. Power Co. v. Connecticut American Elec. Power Co. v. Connecticut American Elec. Power Co. v. Connecticut, No. 10-174 , was a case in which United States Supreme Court overturned 8-0 a U.S. appeals court ruling against five big power utility companies, brought by U.S. states , New York City, and Land trusts, attempting to force cuts in United States greenhouse...	Climate: greenhouse gas emissions	Supreme Court of the United States	2011
Anderson v. Cryovac Anderson v. Cryovac Anderson v. Cryovac was a landmark federal case concerning toxic contamination in Woburn, Massachusetts. The book A Civil Action documents the case and surrounding issues...	Water: toxic contamination
Burmah Oil Co. v Lord Advocate Burmah Oil Co. v Lord Advocate Burmah Oil Company Ltd. v Lord Advocate, [1965] AC 75, was a court case, raised in Scotland, and decided ultimately in the House of Lords. The case is an important decision in UK constitutional law and had unusual legal repercussions at the time....	Oil fields: destruction during World War II	Courts of Scotland	1965
Cardwell v. American Bridge Co. Cardwell v. American Bridge Co. Cardwell v. American Bridge Co., , was a bill in equity, for the removal of a bridge erected by the defendant over the American River in California, below the lands of the plaintiff on that river....	Waterways: common highways	Supreme Court of the United States	1885
Castlemaine Tooheys Ltd v South Australia Castlemaine Tooheys Ltd v South Australia Castlemaine Tooheys Ltd v South Australia 169 CLR 436 is a High Court of Australia case that deals with whether a particular Act of South Australia contravenes section 92 of the Australian Constitution, which is about the freedom of interstate trade....	Recycling: bottle deposit	High Court of Australia	1990
Chemical Waste Management, Inc. v. Hunt Chemical Waste Management, Inc. v. Hunt Chemical Waste Management, Inc. v. Hunt, 504 U.S. 334 , was a United States Supreme Court case that held that an Alabama law imposing a fee on out-of-state hazardous waste being disposed of in-state violated the Dormant Commerce Clause...	Cleanliness: interstate importation fee for disposal of hazardous waste	Supreme Court of the United States	1992
Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. Chevron U.S.A. Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837 , was a case in which the United States Supreme Court set forth the legal test for determining whether to grant deference to a government agency's interpretation of a statute which it administers...	Air: emissions from new equipment and total emissions from plant	Supreme Court of the United States	1984
Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v. Volpe Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v. Volpe Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v. Volpe, 401 U.S. 402 , is a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States that established the basic legal framework for judicial review of the actions of administrative agencies...	Parkland: highway routing	Supreme Court of the United States	1971
City of Philadelphia v. New Jersey City of Philadelphia v. New Jersey City of Philadelphia v. New Jersey, , was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that states could not discriminate against another state's articles of commerce.-Court's Findings:...	Cleanliness: interstate importation of waste	Supreme Court of the United States	1978
Coeur Alaska, Inc. v. Southeast Alaska Conservation Council Coeur Alaska, Inc. v. Southeast Alaska Conservation Council Coeur Alaska, Inc. v. Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, 07-984 , is a United States Supreme Court case that was decided in favor of Coeur Alaska's permitted right to dump mine waste in a lake. The case addressed tailings from the Kensington mine, an underground mine located in Alaska...	Water: gold mine waste disposal in Lower Slate Lake	Supreme Court of the United States	2009
Colorado River Water Conservation District v. United States Colorado River Water Conservation District v. United States Colorado River Water Conservation District v. United States, 424 U.S. 800 , was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States created a new doctrine of abstention, to prevent duplicative litigation between state and federal courts....	Water: supply	Supreme Court of the United States	1976
Commonwealth v Tasmania Commonwealth v Tasmania Commonwealth v Tasmania 158 CLR 1, was a significant Australian court case, decided in the High Court of Australia on 1 July 1983. The case was a landmark decision in Australian constitutional law, and was a significant moment in the history of conservation in Australia...	Water: hydroelectric dam on Gordon River	High Court of Australia	1983
Department of Transportation v. Public Citizen Department of Transportation v. Public Citizen Department of Transportation v. Public Citizen, 541 U.S. 752 , is a case argued in the Supreme Court of the United States on 21 April 2004. The question the case presented relates to Presidential foreign affairs and foreign trade Actions exempt from environmental-review requirements under the...	Air: pollution from international transport	Supreme Court of the United States	2004
Dolan v. City of Tigard Dolan v. City of Tigard Dolan v. City of Tigard, , more commonly Dolan v. Tigard, was a United States Supreme Court case argued before the Court in 1994. It was a landmark case regarding the practice of zoning and property rights, and served to establish limits on the ability of cities and other government agencies, to...	Land: paving a parking lot, and providing a greenway and a pedestrian and bicycle pathway	Supreme Court of the United States	1994
Duke Power Co. v. Carolina Environmental Study Group Duke Power Co. v. Carolina Environmental Study Group Duke Power Co. v. Carolina Environmental Study Group, 438 U.S. 59 , was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the Fourth Circuit's ruling that the Price Anderson Act violated equal protection by treating victims of nuclear accidents differently than the victims of other...	Workplace: nuclear accidents	Supreme Court of the United States	1978
Edwards v. National Coal Board Edwards v. National Coal Board Edwards v. National Coal Board was an important case in English case law. The 1949 case revolved around whether it was "reasonably practicable" to prevent even the smallest possibility of a rock fall in a coal mine.-Underlying facts:...	Land: preventing accidental rock fall in coal mine		1949
Environment Agency v Clark	Land: compliance with landfill licence terms
Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker, 554 U.S. 471 , was a case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States. The Court ruled in a 5-3 decision that the punitive damages awarded to the victims of the Exxon Valdez oil spill should be reduced from US$2.5 billion to US$500 million.The case was appealed...	Water and land: compensation for victims of oil spill	Supreme Court of the United States	2008
Federal Power Commission v. Tuscarora Indian Nation Federal Power Commission v. Tuscarora Indian Nation Federal Power Commission v. Tuscarora Indian Nation, , was a case decided by the United States Supreme Court which determined that the Federal Power Commission was authorized to take lands owned by the Tuscarora Indian tribe by eminent domain under the Federal Power Act for a hydroelectric power...	Water: hydroelectric power from Niagara Falls	Supreme Court of the United States	1960
Friends of the Earth, Inc. v. Laidlaw Environmental Services, Inc. Friends of the Earth, Inc. v. Laidlaw Environmental Services, Inc. Friends of the Earth, Inc. et al. v. Laidlaw Environmental Services, Inc., 528 U.S. 167 , was a United States Supreme Court case that addressed the law regarding standing to sue and mootness....	Water: industrial pollution of North Tyger River	Supreme Court of the United States	2000
Gade v. National Solid Wastes Management Association Gade v. National Solid Wastes Management Association In Gade v. National Solid Wastes Management Association, 505 U.S. 88 , the United States Supreme Court determined that federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations preempted various Illinois provisions for licensing workers who handled hazardous waste...	Workplace: hazardous waste materials	Supreme Court of the United States	1992
Geer v. Connecticut Geer v. Connecticut Geer v. Connecticut, 161 U.S. 519 , was a United States Supreme Court decision, which dealt with the transportation of wild fowl over state lines. Geer held that the states owned the wild animals within their borders and could strictly regulate their management and harvest...	Wildlife: interstate transportation of wild fowl	Supreme Court of the United States	1896
Hadacheck v. Sebastian Hadacheck v. Sebastian Hadacheck v. Sebastian, 239 U.S. 394 , was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that an ordinance of Los Angeles, California prohibiting the manufacturing of bricks within specified limits of the city did not unconstitutionally deprive the petitioner of his property without...	Aesthetics: pollution from manufacture of clay bricks	Supreme Court of the United States	1915
Hornbeck Offshore Services LLC v. Salazar Hornbeck Offshore Services LLC v. Salazar Hornbeck Offshore Services v. Salazar is an on-going case in United States federal court. In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and the subsequent oil spill, the U.S. Department of the Interior issued a six month moratorium on exploratory drilling in deep water. Plaintiffs filed suit...	Water: offshore drilling	United States federal courts	ongoing
Hughes v. Oklahoma Hughes v. Oklahoma Hughes v. Oklahoma, 441 U.S. 322 , was a United States Supreme Court decision, which held that the United States Congress may enact legislation governing wildlife on federal lands. When conflicting state law exists, the supremacy clause ensures that federal legislation will prevail. The Court...	Wildlife: federal legislation	Supreme Court of the United States	1979
Industrial Union Department v. American Petroleum Institute Industrial Union Department v. American Petroleum Institute Industrial Union Department v. American Petroleum Institute , , was a case heard before the United States Supreme Court. This case represented a challenge to the OSHA practice of regulating carcinogens by setting the exposure limit "at the lowest technologically feasible level that will not impair...	Workplace: exposure to benzene	Supreme Court of the United States	1980
Interprovincial Cooperatives v. The Queen Interprovincial Cooperatives v. The Queen Interprovincial Cooperatives v. The Queen , [1976] 1 S.C.R. 477 is a leading decision of the Supreme Court of Canada on the constitutional limits of provincial powers....	Water: interprovincial river pollution	Supreme Court of Canada	1975
Jackson v Attorney General Jackson v Attorney General Jackson v Attorney General [2005] UKHL 56 was a House of Lords case concerning the legality of the use of the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949 to pass the Hunting Act to ban fox hunting...	Wildlife: hunting foxes and hares	House of Lords	2005, 2006
Jacksonville, MD ExxonMobil Gas Leak Case Jacksonville, MD ExxonMobil Gas Leak Case The Jacksonville, MD ExxonMobil gas leak case is a series of lawsuits against ExxonMobil as a result of a February 2006 underground gasoline leak from an ExxonMobil service station in Jacksonville, Maryland.- Case History :...	Land and aquifers: gasoline leak from service station		2009
Kansas v. Colorado Kansas v. Colorado Kansas v. Colorado is a longstanding litigation before the Supreme Court of the United States between two states of the United States, Kansas and Colorado. The Court has rendered numerous opinions in this case:* Kansas v. Colorado, * Kansas v. Colorado,...		Supreme Court of the United States	1902, 1907, 1943, 1995, 2001, 2004, 2009
Kivalina v. ExxonMobil Corp., Et al. Kivalina v. ExxonMobil Corp., Et al. Kivalina v. ExxonMobil Corporation, et al. is a lawsuit filed on February 26, 2008 in a United States district court. The suit based on the common law theory of nuisance claims monetary damages from the energy industry for the destruction of Kivalina, Alaska by flooding caused by climate change....	Climate: destruction of a community by climate change	United States federal courts	ongoing
Kleppe v. New Mexico Kleppe v. New Mexico Kleppe v. New Mexico, 426 U.S. 529 , was a United States Supreme Court decision, which unanimously held that the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 , passed in 1971 by the United States Congress to protect these animals from “capture, branding, harassment, or death,” was a...	Wildlife: horses and burros	Supreme Court of the United States	1976
Kruger and al. v. The Queen Kruger and al. v. The Queen Kruger and al. v. The Queen, [1978] 1 S.C.R. 104, was a decision by the Supreme Court of Canada on the relationship between the Indian Act and provincial game laws. The Indian Act is a federal law enacted under the British North America Act, 1867, which gives jurisdiction over Aboriginals to the...	Wildlife: hunting of deer by Aboriginals out of season	Supreme Court of Canada	1978
Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal Council Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal Council Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal Council, 505 U.S. 1003 , was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States established the "total takings" test for evaluating whether a particular regulatory action constitutes a regulatory taking that requires compensation.-Parties:Plaintiff/Petitioner :...	Coastland: erecting homes	Supreme Court of the United States	1992
Lujan v. Defenders of Wildlife Lujan v. Defenders of Wildlife Lujan v. Defenders of Wildlife, , was a United States Supreme Court case decided on June 12, 1992, in which the court held that a group of American wildlife conservation and other environmental organizations lacked standing to challenge regulations jointly issued by the U.S...	Wildlife: geographical limits of a section of the Endangered Species Act of 1973	Supreme Court of the United States	1992
M. C. Mehta v. Kamal Nath M. C. Mehta v. Kamal Nath M. C. Mehta v. Kamal Nath was a landmark case in Indian environmental law. In the case, the Supreme Court of India held that the public trust doctrine applied in India.-Facts of the case:...	Water and land: land encroachment causing swelling of Beas River and washing away of land	Supreme Court of India	1997
M.C. Mehta v. Union of India (Oleum Gas Leak Case) M.C. Mehta v. Union of India (Oleum Gas Leak Case) The case of M.C. Mehta v. Union of India originated in the aftermath of oleum gas leak from Shriram Food and Fertilisers Ltd. complex at Delhi. This gas leak occurred soon after the infamous Bhopal gas leak and created a lot of panic in Delhi. One person died in the incident and few were hospitalized...	Air: pollution causing a hazard to community of Delhi	Supreme Court of India
Maine v. Taylor Maine v. Taylor Maine v. Taylor, 477 U.S. 131 , was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that there was an exception to the "virtually per se invalidity" rule of the dormant commerce clause...	Fisheries: interstate importation of fish	Supreme Court of the United States	1986
Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency, 549 U.S. 497 , is a U.S. Supreme Court case decided 5-4 in which twelve states and several cities of the United States brought suit against the United States Environmental Protection Agency to force that federal agency to regulate carbon dioxide...	Air: regulation of greenhouse gases	Supreme Court of the United States	2007
McLaren v. Caldwell McLaren v. Caldwell McLaren v. Caldwell 9 A.C. 392 was a landmark decision of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council that upheld upheld Ontario Premier Oliver Mowat's Rivers and Streams Act, which prevented private ownership of streams and rivers in the province, and which was sharply opposed by prime minister...	Waterways: common highways	Judicial Committee of the Privy Council	1884
Metropolitan Edison Co. v. People Against Nuclear Energy Metropolitan Edison Co. v. People Against Nuclear Energy Metropolitan Edison Co. v. People Against Nuclear Energy, was a case decided by the United States Supreme Court.-Facts:After the meltdown of reactor number 2 at Three Mile Island, The People Against Nuclear Energy contended that restarting reactor number 1 would cause severe psychological trauma...	General environment: restarting reactor	Supreme Court of the United States	1983
Missouri v. Holland Missouri v. Holland Missouri v. Holland, 252 U.S. 416 , the United States Supreme Court held that protection of its quasi-sovereign right to regulate the taking of game is a sufficient jurisdictional basis, apart from any pecuniary interest, for a bill by a State to enjoin enforcement of federal regulations over the...	Wildlife: hunting migratory waterfowl	Supreme Court of the United States	1920
Monsanto Canada Inc. v. Schmeiser Monsanto Canada Inc. v. Schmeiser Monsanto Canada Inc. v. Schmeiser [2004] 1 S.C.R. 902, 2004 SCC 34 is a leading Supreme Court of Canada case on patent rights for biotechnology. The court heard the question of whether growing genetically modified plants constitutes "use" of the patented invention of genetically modified plant...	Farmland: deliberate propagation of canola contaminated by genetically modified organisms	Supreme Court of Canada	2004
Monsanto Co. v. Geertson Seed Farms Monsanto Co. v. Geertson Seed Farms Monsanto Co. vs. Geertson Seed Farms is a U.S. Supreme Court case decided 7-1 in which several groups including Geertson Seed Farms filed suit and challenged the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on their decision to completely deregulate Roundup Ready Alfalfa , a genetically...	Farmland: genetically modified alfalfa	Supreme Court of the United States	2010
Morrison v. Olson Morrison v. Olson Morrison v. Olson, 487 U.S. 654 , was a case that went before the Supreme Court of the United States. By a 7 to 1 margin, the Court ruled that the Independent Counsel Act was constitutional...	Land: Superfund law regarding hazardous waste	Supreme Court of the United States	1998
National Assn. of Home Builders v. Defenders of Wildlife National Assn. of Home Builders v. Defenders of Wildlife National Assn. of Home Builders v. Defenders of Wildlife, 551 U.S. 644 , was a United States Supreme Court case about federal jurisdiction over anti-pollution statutes...	Water and wildlife: granting state authority over anti-pollution statutes	Supreme Court of the United States	2007
National Audubon Society v. Superior Court National Audubon Society v. Superior Court The case of National Audubon Society v. Superior Court was a key case in California highlighting the conflict between the public trust doctrine and appropriative water rights...	Water: supply from Mono Lake	Supreme Court of California	1983
New York v. United States New York v. United States New York v. United States, 505 U.S. 144 was a decision of the United States Supreme Court. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, writing for the majority, found that the "Take Title" provision of the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985 exceeded Congress's power under the Commerce...	General environment: disposal of radioactive waste	Supreme Court of the United States	1992
Nollan v. California Coastal Commission Nollan v. California Coastal Commission In Nollan v. California Coastal Commission, 483 U.S. 825 , the United States Supreme Court reviewed a regulation under which the California Coastal Commission required that an offer to dedicate a lateral public easement along the Nollans' beachfront lot be recorded on the chain of title to the...	Coastland: erecting a house, and providing a public greenway and a bicycle path	Supreme Court of the United States	1987
Norton v. S. Utah Wilderness Alliance Norton v. S. Utah Wilderness Alliance Although the Administrative Procedure Act says that a person may challenge an agency's failure to act, this provision essential just carries forward the writ of mandamus. Thus an agency cannot be compelled to act unless there is some non-discretionary, discrete act...	Wilderness: preservation	Supreme Court of the United States	2004
Nulyarimma v Thompson Nulyarimma v Thompson Nulyarimma v Thompson was an Australian court case decided by the Federal Court of Australia. Two separate cases, Nulyarimma v Thompson and Buzzacott v Minister for the Environment were heard in conjunction. In both cases, members of the Aboriginal community alleged that certain members of the...	Water: mining company draining Lake Eyre	Federal Court of Australia	1999
Operation Dismantle v. The Queen Operation Dismantle v. The Queen Operation Dismantle v. The Queen [1985] 1 S.C.R. 441 is a decision by the Supreme Court of Canada where the court rejected a section 7 Charter challenge against the government for allowing the US government to test cruise missiles over Canadian territory....	General environment: military tests increasing risk or nuclear war	Supreme Court of Canada	1985
Oregon Waste Systems, Inc. v. Department of Environmental Quality of Oregon Oregon Waste Systems, Inc. v. Department of Environmental Quality of Oregon Oregon Waste Systems, Inc. v. Department of Environmental Quality of Oregon, is a United States Supreme Court decision focused on the aspect of state power and the interpretation of the Commerce Clause as a limitation on states' regulatory power...	Cleanliness: interstate disposal of waste	Supreme Court of the United States	1994
Palila v. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources Palila v. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources Palila v. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources was an ecological court case pertaining to the Palila and the Māmane-Naio ecosystem of Mauna Kea. The case stems from the introduction of goats and sheep onto Hawaii island in the late 18th century, which became feral and damaged the local...	Wildlife: introduced species (goats and sheep)	United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit	1981
Partridge v Crittenden	Wildlife: advertising brambling cocks and hens	Queen's Bench Division of the High Court of England and Wales	1968
R. v. Badger R. v. Badger R. v. Badger, [1996] 1 S.C.R. 771 is a leading Supreme Court of Canada decision on the scope of aboriginal treaty rights. The Court set out a number of principles regarding the interpretation of treaties between the Crown and aboriginal peoples in Canada....	Wildlife: hunting by Aboriginals on private land	Supreme Court of Canada	1996
R. v. City of Sault Ste-Marie R. v. City of Sault Ste-Marie R. v. City of Sault Ste-Marie [1978] 2 S.C.R. 1299 is a Supreme Court of Canada case where the Court defines the three types of offences that exist in Canadian criminal law and further defines the justification for "public welfare" offences.- Background :...	Water: locating a waste disposal site near a stream	Supreme Court of Canada	1978
R. v. Crown Zellerbach Canada Ltd. R. v. Crown Zellerbach Canada Ltd. R. v. Crown Zellerbach Canada Ltd. [1988] 1 S.C.R. 401, is a leading constitutional decision of the Supreme Court of Canada. The Court upheld the validity of the Ocean Dumping Act - now part of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act - finding that all matters related to polluting the ocean are...	Water: ocean dumping	Supreme Court of Canada	1988
R. v. Hydro-Québec R. v. Hydro-Québec R. v. Hydro-Québec, [1997] 3 S.C.R. 213 is a leading constitutional decision of the Supreme Court of Canada. The Court held that the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, a law for the purpose of protecting the environment, constituted criminal law and was upheld as valid federal...	Water: dumping polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) into the St. Maurice River	Supreme Court of Canada	1997
R. v. Jim R. v. Jim R. v. Jim 26 C.C.C. 236, was a decision by the British Columbia Supreme Court on Aboriginal hunting and provincial game laws...	Wildlife: hunting by Aboriginals on Indian reserves	British Columbia Supreme Court	1915
R. v. Van der Peet R. v. Van der Peet R. v. Van der Peet, [1996] 2 S.C.R. 507 is a leading case on aboriginal rights under section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. The Supreme Court held that aboriginal fishing rights did not extend to commercial selling of fish. From this case came the Van der Peet test for determining if an...	Fisheries: Aboriginal fishing rights extending to selling	Supreme Court of Canada	1996
Rapanos v. United States Rapanos v. United States Rapanos v. United States, 547 U.S. 715 , was a United States Supreme Court case challenging federal jurisdiction to regulate isolated wetlands under the Clean Water Act. It was the first major environmental case heard by the newly appointed Chief Justice, John Roberts and Associate Justice, Samuel...	Wetlands: filling with sand	Supreme Court of the United States	2006
Rylands v Fletcher Rylands v Fletcher Rylands v Fletcher [1868] was a decision by the House of Lords which established a new area of English tort law. Rylands employed contractors to build a reservoir, playing no active role in its construction. When the contractors discovered a series of old coal shafts improperly filled with debris,...	Water and land: reservoir flooding adjacent land	British House of Lords	1868
Ryuichi Shimoda et al. v. The State Ryuichi Shimoda et al. v. The State Ryuichi Shimoda et al. v. The State was a case brought before the District Court of Tokyo by a group of five survivors of the atomic attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, who claimed the action was illegal under the laws of war and demanded reparations from the Japanese government on the ground that...	General environment: atomic bombs damaging Hiroshima and Nagasaki	District Court of Tokyo	1963
S. D. Warren Co. v. Maine Board of Environmental Protection	Water: hydroelectric dams discharging into Presumpscot River	Supreme Court of the United States	2006
Sierra Club v. Morton	Parkland: development	Supreme Court of the United States	1972
Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook Cty. v. Army Corps of Engineers Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook Cty. v. Army Corps of Engineers Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 531 U.S. 159 , was a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States interpreting a provision of the Clean Water Act...	Water: waste disposal	Supreme Court of the United States	2001
Sporhase v. Nebraska ex rel. Douglas Sporhase v. Nebraska ex rel. Douglas Sporhase v. Nebraska ex rel. Douglas, 458 U.S. 941 , was a case in which the United States Supreme Court decided that a Nebraska statute forbidding commercial exportation of water from Nebraska was unconstitutional in that it violated the dormant commerce clause.-External links:* courtesy of...	Water: exportation of water	Supreme Court of the United States	1982
St. Louis v. Myers St. Louis v. Myers St. Louis v. Myers, , was a motion to dismiss for want of a federal question to give jurisdiction regarding Acts that admitted Missouri into the Union while leaving the rights of riparian owners on the Mississippi River to be settled according to the principles of state law and relinquishing to the...	Water: rights of landowners beside Mississippi River	Supreme Court of the United States	1885
Sterling v. Velsicol Chemical Corp Sterling v. Velsicol Chemical Corp Sterling v. Velsicol Chemical Corp., 855 F2d 1188 was an environmental lawsuit filed by citizens of Hardeman County, Tennessee, led by Steven Sterling, who sued Velsicol Chemical Corporation for contaminating their water supply through improper disposal of toxic chemicals.-Background:In August...	Water: disposal of waste from insecticide production	United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit	1986, 1988
Tahoe-Sierra Preservation Council, Inc. v. Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Tahoe-Sierra Preservation Council, Inc. v. Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Tahoe-Sierra Preservation Council, Inc. v. Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, 535 U.S. 302 , is one of the United States Supreme Court's more recent interpretations of the Takings Clause of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments....	Water: supply from Lake Tahoe Basin	Supreme Court of the United States	2002
Tennessee Valley Authority v. Hill Tennessee Valley Authority v. Hill Tennessee Valley Authority v. Hill et al., or TVA v. Hill, 437 U.S. 153 , was a United States Supreme Court case. It is a commonly cited example of the canon of construction expressio unius est exclusio alterius .- Background :The Tennessee Valley Authority started the building of the Tellico Dam...	Habitat: destruction by hydroelectric dams	Supreme Court of the United States	1978
Tri-state water dispute Tri-state water dispute The tri-state water dispute is a water use debate among the states of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida over the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin and the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin...	Water: supply from Lake Lanier		undecided
United Haulers Assn. v. Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Mgmt. Auth. United Haulers Assn. v. Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Mgmt. Auth. United Haulers Assn., Inc. v. Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Mgmt. Auth., 550 U.S. 330 , was a United States Supreme Court case about interstate commerce...	Cleanliness: interstate exportation of waste	Supreme Court of the United States	2007
United States v. Dion United States v. Dion United States v. Dion, 476 U.S. 734 , was a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States which held that, pursuant to the Eagle Protection Act, American Indians were prohibited from hunting eagles...	Wildlife: American Indians hunting eagles	Supreme Court of the United States	1986
United States v. Riverside Bayview United States v. Riverside Bayview United States v. Riverside Bayview, 474 U.S. 121 was a United States Supreme Court case challenging the scope of federal regulatory powers over waterways as pertaining to the definition of "waters of the United States" as written in the Clean Water Act of 1972...	Wetlands: placement of fill materials	Supreme Court of the United States	1985
United States v. SCRAP United States v. SCRAP United States v. Students Challenging Regulatory Agency Procedures , 412 U.S. 669 , was a landmark 8-0 decision of the United States Supreme Court which was argued February 28, 1973 and decided June 18, 1973...	Recycling: railroad freight rate	Supreme Court of the United States	1973
United States v. Weitzenhoff United States v. Weitzenhoff United States v. Weitzenhoff is a legal opinion from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that addresses the confusing mens rea requirement of a federal environmental law that imposed criminal sanctions on certain polluters...	Water: ocean dumping	Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
United States v. Winans United States v. Winans United States v. Winans, , was a U.S. Supreme Court case that held that the Treaty with the Yakima of 1855, negotiated and signed at the Walla Walla Council of 1855, as well as treaties similar to it, protected the Indians’ rights to fishing, hunting and other privileges.- Background :In 1854 and...	Fisheries: Americans using a fish wheel to catch salmon	Supreme Court of the United States	1905
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.	General environment: rulemaking, and environmental effects of the uranium fuel cycle	Supreme Court of the United States	1978
Ward v. Canada (Attorney General) Ward v. Canada (Attorney General) Ward v. Canada , 2002 SCC 17, [2002] 1 S.C.R. 569, is a leading Supreme Court of Canada decision on federalism. The Court re-articulated the "pith and substance analysis and upheld the regulations prohibiting sale of "blueback" seals for the valid purpose of "curtailing commercial hunting of young...	Fishing and hunting: catching seals and selling their pelts	Supreme Court of Canada	2002
Whitman v. American Trucking Associations, Inc. Whitman v. American Trucking Associations, Inc. Whitman v. American Trucking Associations, Inc., , was a case decided by the United States Supreme Court in which the Environmental Protection Agency's National Ambient Air Quality Standard for regulating ozone and particulate matter was challenged by the American Trucking Association along with...	Air: ozone and particulate matter	Supreme Court of the United States	2001
Winter v. Natural Resources Defense Council Winter v. Natural Resources Defense Council Winter v. Natural Resources Defense Council, 555 U.S. 7 , was a case heard before the United States Supreme Court on October 8, 2008 concerning the United States Navy ability to use sonar during drills causing possible harm to whales and other marine mammals.In balancing military preparedness...	Biophony: navy sonar harming whales and other marine mammals	Supreme Court of the United States	2008
Wisconsin v. Illinois Wisconsin v. Illinois Wisconsin v. Illinois, also referred to as the Chicago Sanitary District Case, is an opinion of the Supreme Court of the United States which held that the equitable power of the United States can be utilized to impose positive action on one state in a situation in which nonaction would result in...	Water: supply from the Great Lakes	Supreme Court of the United States	1929
Wyoming v. Colorado Wyoming v. Colorado Wyoming v. Colorado is a set of court cases, all dealing with water distribution from the Laramie River. Petition for rehearing was granted which revised the original decision. A motion to dismiss was later denied....	Water: supply from Laramie River	Supreme Court of the United States	1922

Lawsuits with environmental relevance

Lawsuit(s)	Environmental asset(s) and subject(s) of lawsuit(s)	Court(s) of decision(s)	Year(s) of decision(s)
Anglo-lranian Oil Co. (United Kingdom v. Iran) Anglo-lranian Oil Co. (United Kingdom v. Iran) The Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. case was a dispute between the UK and Iran, in which the UK alleged that the Iranian Oil Nationalization act of 1951 was counter to a convention agreed upon by the Anglo-Persian Oil Co. and the Imperial Government of Persia in 1933, which granted the Anglo-Iranian Oil Co...	Oil fields: licence to extract oil	International Court of Justice	1952
Arizona v. California Arizona v. California Arizona v. California is a set of United States Supreme Court cases, all dealing with water distribution from the Colorado River.When a dispute arises between two states, the case is filed for original jurisdiction with the United States Supreme Court. This is one of the very limited circumstances...	Water: supply from Colorado River	Supreme Court of the United States	1931, 1934, 1936, 1963, 1964, 1968, 1979, 1983, 1984, 2000 and 2006
Babbitt v. Sweet Home Chapter of Communities for a Great Oregon Babbitt v. Sweet Home Chapter of Communities for a Great Oregon Babbitt, Secretary of the Interior v. Sweet Home Chapter of Communities for a Great Oregon, 515 U.S. 687 , is a U.S. Supreme Court case, decided by a 6-3 vote, in which the plaintiff's challenged the Department of Interior's interpretation of the word 'harm' in the Endangered Species Act...	Wildlife: interpretation of law protecting fish and wildlife	Supreme Court of the United States	1995
Bamford v Turnley Bamford v Turnley Bamford v Turnley 3 B & S 62; 122 ER 25, is an important English tort law case, concerning nuisance and what it means to be a reasonable user of land.-Facts:...	Aesthetics: smoke from brick kiln		1860
Baldwin v. Fish and Game Commission of Montana Baldwin v. Fish and Game Commission of Montana Baldwin v. Fish and Game Commission of Montana, 436 U.S. 371 , is a United States Supreme Court case that affirmed the right of the state of Montana to charge higher fees for out of state elk hunters...	Wildlife: elk hunting	Supreme Court of the United States	1978
BG Checo International Ltd. v. British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority BG Checo International Ltd. v. British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority BG Checo International Ltd. v. British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority, [1993] 1 S.C.R. 12 is a leading decision by the Supreme Court of Canada. The Court held that there is a prima facie presumption that a claimant is able to sue concurrently in tort and contract where sufficient grounds exist...	Electromagnetic fields: terms regarding clearing of land	Supreme Court of Canada	1993
Bowoto v. Chevron Corp. Bowoto v. Chevron Corp. In October 2008, a lawsuit against Chevron Nigeria Ltd. , went to trial in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California...	Oil fields (offshore): injuries and human rights violations	United States District Court for the Northern District of California	2008
Burford v. Sun Oil Co. Burford v. Sun Oil Co. Burford v. Sun Oil Co., 319 U.S. 315 was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court created a new doctrine of abstention.-Facts:...	Oil fields: complex geology and multiple users	Supreme Court of the United States	1943
Carter v. Carter Coal Company Carter v. Carter Coal Company Carter v. Carter Coal Company, 298 U.S. 238 , is a United States Supreme Court decision interpreting the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution, which permits the United States Congress to "regulate Commerce.....	Land: regulating the coal mining industry	Supreme Court of the United States	1936
Case Concerning Maritime Delimitation between the Republic of Peru and the Republic of Chile (Peru v. Chile)	Water: sea border between Chile and Peru	International Court of Justice	unresolved
Celotex Corp. v. Catrett Celotex Corp. v. Catrett Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317 , was a case decided by the United States Supreme Court, written by then-Associate Justice William Rehnquist...	Workplace: asbestos exposure	Supreme Court of the United States	1986
C&A Carbone, Inc. v. Town of Clarkstown, New York C&A Carbone, Inc. v. Town of Clarkstown, New York C&A Carbone, Inc. v. Town of Clarkstown, New York, was a case before the United States Supreme Court in which the plaintiff , a private recycler with business in Clarkstown, New York, sought to ship its non-recyclable waste to cheaper waste processors out-of-state...	Recycling: interstate exportation restriction	Supreme Court of the United States	1994
Department of Interior v. Klamath Water Users Protective Assn. Department of Interior v. Klamath Water Users Protective Assn. Department of Interior v. Klamath Water Users Protective Assn., , was a United States Supreme Court case decided in 2001. The case concerned whether Exemption 5 of the Freedom of Information Act, which applies to "intra agency memoranda or letters", was applicable to documents within the Department...	Water: federal legislation	Supreme Court of the United States	2001
Diamond v. Chakrabarty Diamond v. Chakrabarty Diamond v. Chakrabarty, , was a United States Supreme Court case dealing with whether genetically modified organisms can be patented.-Background:...	Genetics and water: patent for GMO for cleaning oil spills	Supreme Court of the United States	1980
Dimmock v Secretary of State for Education and Skills Dimmock v Secretary of State for Education and Skills Dimmock v Secretary of State for Education and Skills was a case heard in September–October 2007 in the High Court of Justice of England and Wales, concerning the permissibility of the government providing Al Gore's documentary An Inconvenient Truth to English state schools as a teaching aid...	Climate: providing documentary An Inconvenient Truth (about climate change) to English state schools	High Court of Justice	2007
English v. General Electric English v. General Electric In English v. General Electric Co., 496 U.S. 72 , the United States Supreme Court held that state-law claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress is not pre-empted by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974....	Workplace: work table contaminated with uranium	Supreme Court of the United States	1990
Farley v Skinner Farley v Skinner Farley v Skinner [2001] is an English contract law case, concerning the measure and availability of damages for distress.-Facts:Mr Farley bought a big house - Riverside House - in Blackboys, Sussex, not far from Gatwick. It had a croquet lawn, tennis court, orchard, paddock and swimming pool...	Soundscape: aircraft noise	House of Lords	2001
Funk Brothers Seed Co. v. Kalo Inoculant Co. Funk Brothers Seed Co. v. Kalo Inoculant Co. Funk Brothers Seed Co. v. Kalo Inoculant Co., 333 U.S. 127 is a United States Supreme Court decision in which the Court held that a facially trivial implementation of a natural principle or phenomenon of nature is not eligible for a patent....	Leguminous plants: patent for product for promoting nitrogen fixation	Supreme Court of the United States	1948
Hunt v. T&N plc Hunt v. T&N plc Hunt v. T&N plc, [1993] 4 S.C.R. 289 is a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of Canada on conflict of laws. The Court ruled that the Quebec law prohibiting the removal of company documents from the province was constitutionally inapplicable to a British Columbia court order. The decision was...	Workplace: asbestos exposure	Supreme Court of Canada	1993
Keystone Bituminous Coal Ass'n v. DeBenedictis Keystone Bituminous Coal Ass'n v. DeBenedictis Keystone Bituminous Coal Ass'n v. DeBenedictis, 480 U.S. 470 , is an important United States Supreme Court case interpreting the Fifth Amendment's Takings Clause...	Land: coal mining causing damage to buildings, etc.	Supreme Court of the United States	1987
McDonald's Restaurants v Morris & Steel	Water and rainforests: waste and destruction, respectively	European Court of Human Rights	2005
Minnesota v. Mille Lacs Band of Chippewa Indians Minnesota v. Mille Lacs Band of Chippewa Indians Minnesota v. Mille Lacs Band of Chippewa Indians, 526 U.S. 172 , was a United States Supreme Court decision concerning the usufructuary rights of the Chippewa tribe to certain lands it had ceded to the federal government in 1837...	Wildlife: hunting, fishing, and gathering rights	Supreme Court of the United States	1999
Pacific Gas & Electric Co. v. State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission Pacific Gas & Electric Co. v. State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission In Pacific Gas & Elec. Co. v. State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Comm'n, 461 U.S. 190 , the United States Supreme Court held that a state statute regulating economic aspects of nuclear generating plants was not preempted by the federal Atomic Energy Act of 1954...	General environment: disposal of radioactive waste from nuclear reactors	Supreme Court of the United States	1983
Peevyhouse v. Garland Coal & Mining Co. Peevyhouse v. Garland Coal & Mining Co. Peevyhouse v. Garland Coal & Mining Co., 382 P.2d 109 , is a US contract law case decided by the Supreme Court of Oklahoma. It concerns the question of when specific performance of a contractual obligation will be granted and the measure of expectation damages.-Facts:Willie and Lucille Peevyhouse...	Land: restoration after coal mining	Supreme Court of Oklahoma	1962
Pennsylvania Coal Co. v. Mahon Pennsylvania Coal Co. v. Mahon Pennsylvania Coal Co. v. Mahon, 260 U.S. 393 , was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that whether a regulatory act constitutes a taking requiring compensation depends on the extent of diminution in the value of the property....	Land: coal mining under a habitation	Supreme Court of the United States	1922
R. v. Marshall R. v. Marshall R. v. Marshall [1999] 3 S.C.R. 456 and R. v. Marshall [1999] 3 S.C.R. 533 are two decisions given by the Supreme Court of Canada on a single case regarding a treaty right to fish.-Decisions:...	Fisheries: right of Aboriginals to catch and sell eels	Supreme Court of Canada	1999
Rindge Co. v. County of Los Angeles Rindge Co. v. County of Los Angeles Rindge Co. v. County of Los Angeles, 262 U.S. 700 , was a case in which the United States Supreme Court held that a county government could use its power of eminent domain to take land from a private landowner to build a scenic highway....	Land: expropriation for highway	Supreme Court of the United States	1923
Transco plc v Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council	Land: water pipe leaking and washing away land		2003
United States v. Causby United States v. Causby United States v. Causby was an important United States Supreme Court that held that the ancient common law doctrine of ad coelum had no legal effect "in the modern world." In the case, Causby sued the United States for trespassing on his land, complaining specifically about how "low-flying...	Biophony and scotobiology: aircraft flying low	Supreme Court of the United States	1946
United States v. Louisiana (1965) United States v. Louisiana (1965) United States v. Louisiana, , was a case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States regarding the state of Louisiana's entitlement to the lands, minerals and other natural resources underlying the Gulf of Mexico....	Natural resources: entitlement to Gulf of Mexico seabed	Supreme Court of the United States	1965
United States v. Shoshone Tribe of Indians United States v. Shoshone Tribe of Indians The United States v. Shoshone Tribe of Indians, 304 U.S. 111 , was a United States Supreme Court case which held that mineral rights on a reservation belonged to the tribe, not the federal government.-Background:...	Land: mineral and timber rights	Supreme Court of the United States	1938
United States v. The Progressive United States v. The Progressive United States of America v. Progressive, Inc., Erwin Knoll, Samuel Day, Jr., and Howard Morland is the name of a lawsuit against the magazine The Progressive by the U.S. government in 1979...	General environment: publishing the "secret" of the hydrogen bomb		1979
Vaughan v Menlove	General environment: spontaneous ignition of hay, causing fire to spread to adjacent land		1837
Wik Peoples v Queensland Wik Peoples v Queensland Wik Peoples v The State of Queensland is a decision of the High Court of Australia delivered on 23 December 1996 on whether statutory leases extinguish native title rights. The court found that the statutory pastoral leases under consideration by the court did not bestow rights of exclusive...	Land: removal of land from Aboriginal reserve for bauxite mining	High Court of Australia	1996
Willson v. Black-Bird Creek Marsh Co. Willson v. Black-Bird Creek Marsh Co. Willson v. Black-Bird Creek Marsh Co., 27 U.S. 245 , was a significant United States Supreme Court case regarding the definition of the Commerce Clause in Article 1 sec. 8, cl. 3 of the U.S. Constitution...	Water: sailboat breaking through a dam	Supreme Court of the United States	1829
Wiwa family lawsuits against Royal Dutch Shell Wiwa family lawsuits against Royal Dutch Shell The Wiwa family lawsuits against Royal Dutch Shell are three separate lawsuits brought by the family of Ken Saro-Wiwa against Royal Dutch Shell, its subsidiary Shell Nigeria and the subsidiary's CEO Brian Anderson, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York under the...	Oil fields: human rights abuses	United States District Court for the Southern District of New York	2009
Yarmirr v Northern Territory Yarmirr v Northern Territory Yarmirr v Northern Territory, [2001] HCA 56, was an application for the determination of native title to seas, sea-bed and sub-soil, appealed to the High Court of Australia.-Application:...	Water: native title to seas, sea-bed and sub-soil	Federal Court of Australia	2001

Environment courts

Environment Court of New Zealand
Environment Court of New Zealand
The Environment Court of New Zealand is a specialist court for planning permits and environmental issues...
Kunming#Environmental court (in People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

)
Land and Environment Court of New South Wales
Land and Environment Court of New South Wales
The Land and Environment Court of New South Wales is a Court established by legislation giving it exclusive jurisdiction to determine environmental, development, building and planning disputes...
Livability Court
Livability Court
A Livability Court is a municipal court focused on cases involving non-compliance with codes and standards about housing, waste, the environment, noise, animal control, zoning, traffic, and tourism....

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Environmental lawsuits

Lawsuits with environmental relevance

Environment courts

Other related topics

External links