Not content to work only through legislative proposals and regulatory changes, the Bush administration has also quietly made use of the federal courts in its campaign to overturn or weaken environmental safeguards. A clear pattern has developed: industry groups challenge a law in court and then reap the rewards when the administration either fails to mount a strong defense of the law or simply settles on terms favorable to the plaintiffs. NRDC and other environmental groups have often been forced to intervene to prevent these sweetheart deals.

The good news is that NRDC has successfully defended environmental laws from such attacks on numerous occasions. In a major setback for the White House and timber interests, for instance, a federal appeals court in California recently ordered the government to reinstate a Clinton administration rule that will protect more than 58 million acres of pristine areas in national forests from logging and road construction. NRDC has also proved right on the law in blocking oil and gas development in southern Utah, defending tough new clean air standards, banning the use of harmful pesticides, and forcing public disclosure of the administration's back-room policymaking with energy lobbyists.

The courts are proving to be the last bastion against many of the administration's efforts to relax or scuttle environmental protections, and so it's no wonder the administration is seeking to appoint anti-environmental judges to the federal bench. In the meantime, NRDC will continue to defend the environment in court from all variety of attacks. Below we list some recent victories:

11/17/05	--	Public Health Groups Reach Agreement with EPA to Issue New Drinking Water Rules
8/24/05	--	Court Rules that Depleted Fish Must Be Restored as Quickly as Possible
8/12/05	--	Federal Judge Blocks Oil and Gas Lease Extensions off California Coast
8/8/05	--	Court Finds EPA Rules Fail to Protect Children from Rat Poisons
8/5/05	--	Federal Court Tosses Controversial Logging Plan
7/29/05	--	Court Rules Water Contracts Violate Endangered Species Act
6/24/05	--	Court Strikes Down Bush Rollbacks of Clean Air Act, Upholds Others
8/27/04	--	NRDC Coalition Wins Ruling to Restore San Joaquin River
7/9/04	--	Environmentalists, Nevada Prevail on Key Issue of Yucca Court Case
7/9/04	--	Court Buries Corps' Illegal Permit for Stream Destruction by Mining Companies
6/28/04	--	NRDC Reveals More Energy Task Force Records
5/21/04	--	Court Protects Utah's Fragile Nine Mile Canyon from Harmful Energy Development
4/1/04	--	Federal Court Orders Release of Cheney Energy Task Force Records
1/13/04	--	Administration Rollback of Energy Standards Illegal: Air Conditioners Must Comply with 2001 Regulations
12/24/03	--	Federal Court Blocks Bush Administration Plan to Cripple Key Clean Air Act Provision
7/3/03	--	Court Rules Energy Department Reclassification of Nuclear Waste Illegal
6/20/03	--	Court Upholds Federal Arsenic-in-Tap-Water Rule Against State and Industry Lawsuit
2/14/03	--	Court Upholds Pathbreaking Plan to Reduce Water Pollution
1/15/03	--	Court Upholds Rules Requiring Small Cities and Developers To Clean Up Runoff Pollution
12/23/02	--	Court Ruling Blocks Oil Exploration Near Arches National Park
12/12/02	--	U.S. Appeals Court Upholds Roadless Area Conservation Rule
12/2/02	--	Bush Administration Loses Appeal in California Offshore Drilling Case
11/13/02	--	Public Health, Environmental Groups Resolve Smog Lawsuit with EPA
10/31/02	--	Federal Court Blocks Full Deployment of Navy Low Frequency Active Sonar System
10/30/02	--	Appeals Court Stops China Shipping Terminal Construction
10/30/02	--	Court Blocks Oil Exploration Near Arches National Park
10/1/02	--	Federal District Court Rules that Energy Department Reviews of Fusion Laser Project Violated Open-Government Law
8/12/02	--	Judge Allows Suit to Proceed Against Energy Department over Nuclear Waste
5/21/02	--	Energy Department Documents Verify Industry Influence over Bush Policies
5/21/02	--	Data Shows Industry had Extensive Access to Cheney's Energy Task Force
4/26/02	--	Energy Department Releases Index of Missing Cheney Energy Task Force Documents
4/16/02	--	Environmentalists Win Suit to Protect Pacific Groundfish
3/27/02	--	Heavily Censored Energy Department Papers Show Industry is the Real Author of Administration's Energy Task Force Report
3/18/02	--	Environmental Groups Settle Missile Defense Lawsuit Against Defense Department
2/27/02	--	NRDC To Obtain Cheney Energy Task Force Records
2/25/02	--	Department Of Interior Appeals Board Stays Oil Exploration At Utah's Dome Plateau
2/13/02	--	NRDC Court Victory Invalidates EPA Permits Allowing Timber Companies to Dump Logs in Alaska Waters
12/04/01	--	Victory for the Hudson River Cleanup
9/27/01	--	Court Approves NRDC-Led Coalition's Settlement with EPA; Agency Must Meet Legal Obligation to Regulate Pesticides
8/22/01	--	Environmentalists Win Suit to Protect Pacific Rockfish
5/15/01	--	Court Decision Upholding EPA Regulation Will Clean Up Air in Northeast, says NRDC
5/9/01	--	Federal Judge Denies Injunction; Environmentalists Hope That Decision Is Final Blow For Homestead Airport
3/28/01	--	Public Interest Groups Convince U.S. Court to Halt Biased Reviews of National Ignition Facility Project
2/16/01	--	NRDC and Farmers Reach Agreement on Valley Water Contracts
1/19/01	--	NRDC-Led Coalition Reaches Settlement with EPA To Meet Agency's Legal Obligation to Regulate Pesticides