Articles

Our fight with EPA : Andy Johnson’s story in his own words

October 09, 2019 | By JONATHAN WOOD

Today, the president is signing an executive order designed to bring more accountability to federal agencies. This executive order comes partly as a result of PLF research and cases battling bureaucratic overreach. PLF client Andy Johnson will be at the signing ceremony. Below is an article from 2016 that Andy wrote describing, in his own … ...

Articles

Weekly litigation update — October 27, 2018

October 27, 2018 | By JAMES BURLING

This road to the Supreme Court takes PLF through the U-P This week Pacific Legal Foundation filed its latest Petition for Writ of Certiorari at the Supreme Court of the United States challenging federal agency overreach in Marquette County Road Commission v. EPA. We’re taking on the EPA’s 2012 decision to veto a road project … ...

Articles

The EPA should get on with Clean Water Act reform

August 16, 2018 | By TONY FRANCOIS

For many years, PLF has served as advocate for ordinary Americans facing byzantine regulation of their land by the EPA’s water bureaucrats. In 2006 our client John Rapanos won his case at the Supreme Court, establishing that EPA’s regulations defining “navigable waters” were illegal. But rather than follow Justice Scalia ...

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WOTUS rule withdrawal only a good start

June 27, 2017 | By JAMES BURLING

Pacific Legal Foundation applauds the Trump administration’s announcement of its withdrawal of the infamous WOTUS rule. But it’s only a start. More must be done. The WOTUS rule called for a dramatic, unprecedented and unconstitutional expansion of the federal government’s authority to regulate all manner of land use, no matter how ...

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Weekly litigation report — March 4, 2017

March 04, 2017 | By JAMES BURLING

POTUS on WOTUS: “It’s a horrible, horrible rule. Has sort of a nice name, but everything else is bad.” Victory in California Supreme Court on Coho Salmon delisting petition Petition for rehearing filed in tax foreclosure scheme Supreme Court denies forced-unionization case Administration action on bathroom rule may affect judicial ...

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Not everything should be a crime

October 27, 2016 | By JONATHAN WOOD

Over at The Daily Caller, I have an editorial discussing how the federal government’s hypocritical decision against prosecuting the EPA officials responsible for the Animas River spill highlights the urgent need to address overcriminalization. The decision, made by prosecutors who wouldn’t hesitate to throw the book at ordinary people, ...

Articles

The best way to protect the environment isn't always obvious

October 06, 2016 | By JONATHAN WOOD

Our friend Brian Seasholes of the Reason Foundation has an article on DailyCaller.com on one of the oft overlooked environmental benefits of fracking: preserving open space as habitat for wildlife. He ends the article with a point that applies far beyond fracking and highlights one of the most important shortcomings in most environmental law. Life ...

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Should unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats have free rein to regulate whatever they please?

September 26, 2016 | By JONATHAN WOOD

PLF argues “no,” in an amicus brief supporting four states, industry groups, and an Indian tribe in their challenge to the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) unlawful fracking regulation. It purports to regulate all fracking on federal lands based on the potential impacts of fracking to underground drinking water sources, despite t ...

Articles

Weekly litigation report — August 27, 2016

August 27, 2016 | By JAMES BURLING

Victory over the Coastal Commission Unreasonable EPA denial of road permit Property Rights in Washington State Brief filed in Alaskan wetlands case Court asks government to respond in frog case California Supreme Court says no to miners Victory over the Coastal Commission We had this nice Statement of Decision from a California trial court in R ...