Energy & Environment

The Litigation Center supports businesses and market-based innovation as integral to confronting today’s environmental challenges. The Litigation Center represents the Chamber as party or amicus in a wide range of cases raising energy, environmental, and natural-resources issues. In both federal and state courts, the Litigation Center participates in cases where regulators, advocacy groups, municipalities, and plaintiffs’ lawyers seek to advance improper interpretations of statutes and regulations, and of common-law theories and doctrines that jeopardize the operations of responsible businesses and unreasonably impair beneficial economic activity. In recent years, we have been especially active in public nuisance and climate tort cases.

Recent Activity

Results are sorted by the date of most recent activity.

Dudley v. API Industries, Inc.

September 21, 2022

U.S. Chamber files coalition amicus brief urging New York Appellate Division to reinforce traditional limits on negligence and private nuisance law, as well as class certification, in case...

In re 3M Company

September 9, 2022

Sixth Circuit agrees to review certification of Rule 23(b)(2) injunctive class seeking an investigative study of health effects of PFAS chemicals and subsequent medical monitoring for nearly...

Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe v. Enbridge Energy Co., Inc.

September 7, 2022

District court denies request for injunction of petroleum pipeline operations, finding that an immediate shutdown would have significant public and foreign policy implications. The U.S. Chamber...

Enbridge Energy Ltd. v. Whitmer

August 18, 2022

District court finds important federal interests warrant keeping litigation over interstate, cross-border pipeline in federal court. The U.S. Chamber filed a coalition amicus brief supporting...

Louisiana v. Biden

August 17, 2022

Fifth Circuit vacates injunction of oil and gas leasing pause, holding that the district court failed to define the conduct restrained. The U.S. Chamber filed an amicus brief opposing this...

FERC v. Vitol, Inc.

August 5, 2022

U.S. Chamber files amicus brief urging Ninth Circuit to hold the five-year statute of limitations provided by 28 U.S.C. § 2462 does not give the agency (1) five years to issue an initial...

California State Water Resources Control Board v. FERC

August 4, 2022

Ninth Circuit vacates Federal Energy Regulatory Commission orders concluding that California agency had waived its authority under section 401 of the Clean Water Act to grant or deny water quality...

Friends of the Earth v. Haaland

June 13, 2022

U.S. Chamber files amicus brief urging D.C. Circuit to reverse vacatur of offshore oil lease and emphasizing the disruptive consequences of vacatur to the Nation’s economy and energy security.

State of Rhode Island v. Shell Oil Products Co., LLC

May 23, 2022

First Circuit affirms remand of climate nuisance action to state court, holding that none of the grounds for removal gives rise to federal removal jurisdiction. The U.S. Chamber filed an amicus...

Center for Biological Diversity v. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

May 12, 2022

Ninth Circuit affirms district court’s ruling that the U.S. Forest Service’s approval of the Rosemont Mine’s plan of operations did not comply with the law. The U.S. Chamber filed amicus brief...