Case: Environmental Defense Fund v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

1:25-cv-00617 | U.S. District Court for the District of District of Columbia

Filed Date: March 3, 2025

Case Ongoing

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Case Summary

On March 3, 2025, the Environmental Defense Fund filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In Executive Order 14154 titled "Unleashing American Energy" (January 20, 2025), President Donald Trump directed the EPA to reevaluate the 2009 "Endangerment Finding"--EPA's determination that greenhouse gases in the atmosphere threatened the health and welfare of current and future generations, and that emissions from motor vehicles contribute to greenhouse gas pollution. The Plaintiff submitted a FOIA request on January 29, 2025, seeking all correspondence and records of all members of the EPA transition team and political appointees relating to the Endangerment Finding. The EPA informed the Plaintiff that document production would not be forthcoming until well after the statutory deadline under FOIA; this lawsuit was EDF's response.

The Plaintiff was represented by in-house counsel and Kaplan Kirsch LLP. The case sought declaratory and injunctive relief, as well as attorney fees, and was assigned to District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich. On April 3, the government filed its answer to the complaint. As of August 1, status reports to the court regarding the state of the plaintiffs' FOIA requests are ongoing.

The case is ongoing.

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Summary Authors

Alaa Mustafa (3/17/2025)

Jeremiah Price (8/1/2025)

People

For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69698894/parties/environmental-defense-fund-v-united-states-environmental-protection-agency/

Judge(s)

Friedrich, Dabney Langhorne (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Caravello, Samantha R. (District of Columbia)

Hunt, Nathaniel Hemmerick (District of Columbia)

Murphy, Erin Caitlin (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Defendant

Bartholomew, Tabitha (District of Columbia)

Judge(s)

Friedrich, Dabney Langhorne (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Caravello, Samantha R. (District of Columbia)

Hunt, Nathaniel Hemmerick (District of Columbia)

Murphy, Erin Caitlin (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Defendant

Bartholomew, Tabitha (District of Columbia)

Attorney Contact Information via CourtListener

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

	Document
1 1:25-cv-00617	Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief	March 3, 2025	March 3, 2025 Complaint

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Resources

Title	Description		External URL Date / External URL
Black Farmers FAQ: The history of discrimination against Black farmers and policy initiatives to remedy these inequities. Legal Defense Fund	Black farmers have long faced systemic discrimination by public and private institutions and barriers to economic mobility. Inequities in the administration of government farm programs and discrimina…		https://www.naacpldf.org/...

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Docket

See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69698894/environmental-defense-fund-v-united-states-environmental-protection-agency/

Last updated Aug. 22, 2025, 12:25 a.m.

ECF Number	Description	Date	Link Date / Link
1	COMPLAINT against UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY ( Filing fee $ 405 receipt number ADCDC-11515574) filed by ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A, # 2 Exhibit B, # 3 Exhibit C, # 4 Exhibit D, # 5 Exhibit E, # 6 Civil Cover Sheet, # 7 Summons U.S. Attorney for D.C., # 8 Summons U.S. Attorney General, # 9 Summons U.S. EPA)(Caravello, Samantha) (Entered: 03/03/2025) 1 Exhibit A View on RECAP 2 Exhibit B View on RECAP 3 Exhibit C View on RECAP 4 Exhibit D View on RECAP 5 Exhibit E View on RECAP 6 Civil Cover Sheet View on RECAP 7 Summons U.S. Attorney for D.C. View on RECAP 8 Summons U.S. Attorney General View on RECAP 9 Summons U.S. EPA View on RECAP	March 3, 2025	March 3, 2025 Clearinghouse
2	LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND (Caravello, Samantha) (Entered: 03/03/2025)	March 3, 2025	March 3, 2025 PACER
3	SUMMONS (3) Issued Electronically as to UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent)(zmtm) (Entered: 03/03/2025) 1 Notice and Consent View on RECAP	March 3, 2025	March 3, 2025 RECAP
	Case Assigned/Reassigned	March 3, 2025	March 3, 2025 PACER
	Case Assigned to Judge Dabney L. Friedrich. (zmtm)	March 3, 2025	March 3, 2025 PACER
4	STANDARD ORDER in Civil Cases. See text for details. Signed by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on March 4, 2025 (lcdlf3) (Entered: 03/04/2025)	March 4, 2025	March 4, 2025 PACER
5	NOTICE of Appearance by Erin Caitlin Murphy on behalf of ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND (Murphy, Erin) (Entered: 03/04/2025)	March 4, 2025	March 4, 2025 PACER
6	NOTICE of Appearance by Nathaniel Hemmerick Hunt, I on behalf of ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND (Hunt, Nathaniel) (Entered: 03/04/2025)	March 4, 2025	March 4, 2025 PACER
7	RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 3/4/2025. Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 4/3/2025. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit 1, # 2 Exhibit 2)(Caravello, Samantha) (Entered: 03/19/2025)	March 19, 2025	March 19, 2025 PACER
8	NOTICE of Appearance by Tabitha Bartholomew on behalf of UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (Bartholomew, Tabitha) (Entered: 03/27/2025)	March 27, 2025	March 27, 2025 PACER
10	RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY served on 3/10/2025 (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit 1)(Caravello, Samantha) (Entered: 04/02/2025)	April 2, 2025	April 2, 2025 PACER
9	RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 3/12/25. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit 1)(Caravello, Samantha) (Entered: 04/02/2025)	April 2, 2025	April 2, 2025 PACER
11	ANSWER to Complaint by UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY.(Bartholomew, Tabitha) (Entered: 04/03/2025)	April 3, 2025	April 3, 2025 PACER
	Status Report Order	April 3, 2025	April 3, 2025 PACER
	MINUTE ORDER requiring the parties to MEET AND CONFER and file a joint status report proposing a schedule for further proceedings. The status report should address the status of the plaintiff's FOIA request, including the anticipated number of documents responsive to the request and the anticipated date(s) for release of the requested documents. The parties shall file the joint status report on or before April 24, 2025. So Ordered by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on April 3, 2025. (lcdlf3)	April 3, 2025	April 3, 2025 PACER
12	Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. (Bartholomew, Tabitha) (Entered: 04/24/2025)	April 24, 2025	April 24, 2025 PACER
	Status Report Order	April 25, 2025	April 25, 2025 PACER
	MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties 12 Joint Status Report, the parties shall file another status report on or before May 27, 2025. So ordered by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on April 25, 2025 (lcdlf3)	April 25, 2025	April 25, 2025 PACER
13	Status Report	May 27, 2025	May 27, 2025 PACER
	Status Report Order	May 28, 2025	May 28, 2025 PACER
14	Status Report	June 26, 2025	June 26, 2025 PACER
	Status Report Order	June 26, 2025	June 26, 2025 PACER
15	Notice of Appearance	July 17, 2025	July 17, 2025 PACER
16	Status Report	July 30, 2025	July 30, 2025 PACER
	.Order AND ~Util - Set/Reset Deadlines	July 31, 2025	July 31, 2025 PACER