Court Battles

Since our founding in 1970, NRDC has been in court defending the environment and human health. Litigation is in our DNA.

Here, you can follow some of our landmark court battles as well as other legal advocacy, including administrative cases and amicus briefs. Whether up against a fossil fuel corporation or a government agency, NRDC will continue using facts, evidence, and the rule of law to enforce safeguards and hold polluters accountable.

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Center for Biological Diversity et al. v. Bureau of Land Management et al. (Willow Project)

November 13, 2023 Court CaseAlaskaActive

NRDC and partners are suing the agencies that have illegally approved the Willow oil development project—a ticking “carbon bomb”—in Alaska.

NRDC v. EPA (Tetrachlorvinphos)

January 25, 2023 Court CaseUnited StatesActive

NRDC is fighting to ban the use of a dangerous pesticide in household pet products.

Communities for a Better Environment v. Corteva Inc. et al.

February 15, 2022 Court CaseCaliforniaActive

NRDC is working with a top environmental justice watchdog to clean up a chemical plant in California.

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Fastlane Transportation, Inc. et al. v. City of Los Angeles and BNSF Railway Co.

September 21, 2021 Court CaseCalifornia, Los AngelesActive

When the city of Los Angeles approved the construction of a noisy, polluting rail yard in a low-income community of color, NRDC went to court on behalf of local groups.

NRDC et al. v. McCarthy et al.

April 8, 2021 Court CaseUtahClosed

When the BLM reopened the area around Utah’s Factory Butte to unrestricted off-road vehicle use, it put this fragile ecosystem at risk.

National Audubon Society et al. v. David Bernhardt et al.

February 17, 2021 Court CaseAlaska, ArcticActive

NRDC and allies are suing over the Trump administration’s decision to open the heart of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas leasing.

NRDC et al. v. EPA et al. (Exceptional Events)

September 25, 2018 Court CaseUnited StatesClosed

The EPA’s flawed definition of a “natural event” under the Clean Air Act could allow preventable pollution, like power plant emissions, to be excused. So we took them to court.

NRDC v. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

April 25, 2018 Court CaseUnited StatesClosed

Thanks to legal action taken by NRDC and our partners, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is taking the necessary steps to permanently ban five harmful phthalates from children’s products.

Court Battles