On October 29, 2024 in Dawson v. Murphy, et al., the New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division affirmed the trial court’s order denying Plaintiffs leave to amend their complaint to assert a claim that New Jersey’s investment of state pension funds into oil and gas companies which allegedly harm the environment constitutes a violation of plaintiffs’ rights under the New Jersey Civil Rights Act (“NJCRA”).  No. A-3083-22, 2024 WL 4601708 (N.J. Super. App. Div. Oct. 29, 2024).  In an unpublished opinion, the Court held that that the New Jersey Constitution does not guarantee a right to a stable environment and therefore the state’s investments did not violate Plaintiffs’ constitutional rights.  Read More »

Share | Email| Comments|  Topics: Citizen Suit, Climate Change, Environmental Justice, Greenhouse Gas, New Jersey, New Jersey Civil Rights Act, Oil and Gas, Public Trust Doctrine

The United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Lake Charles Division, on August 22, 2024 issued an injunction barring the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) from enforcing regulations based on Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. 200d, et seq., in the State of Louisiana (the “State”). The ruling in State of Louisiana v. US Environmental Protection Agency, et al., No. 2:23-CV-00692, 2024 WL 3904868, at *1 (W.D. La. Aug. 22, 2024), effectively prohibits these federal agencies from implementing regulations that implicate Title VI’s disparate impact prohibition.   Read More »

Share | Email| Comments|  Topics: Air, Clean Air Act, Disparate Impact, Environmental Justice, Injunction, Louisiana, Permits, Rulemaking, Title VI