Filed Date: March 24, 2025
Case Ongoing
Clearinghouse coding complete
This lawsuit, filed on March 24, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, challenged the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for violating the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The case stemmed from the Trump administration’s efforts to reconsider the EPA’s 2009 Endangerment Finding, which had determined that certain greenhouse gases (GHGs) posed a threat to public health. The reconsideration of the finding threatened to destabilize ongoing federal programs aimed at reducing climate pollution. The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the plaintiff represented by private counsel, had submitted FOIA requests to these agencies to obtain records related to the Endangerment Finding’s assessment and any associated recommendations. However, the agencies failed to respond within the statutory deadlines or provide the requested records. This case was assigned to Judge Dabney L. Friedrich.
EDF alleged that these failures violated FOIA, which mandated that agencies respond to such requests in a timely manner. EDF sought declaratory and injunctive relief to compel the agencies to provide the requested documents and ensure that future responses complied with FOIA deadlines. The lawsuit also asked the court to waive fees associated with the FOIA requests, given the public interest in the transparency of the agencies' actions concerning climate change.
On June 13, 2025, defendants filed a stipulation of partial dismissal as to the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and Count Two of the complaint insofar as it pertained to CEQ. Plaintiff consented to the dismissal upon CEQ's issuance of a final determination as required under FOIA. Two days later, the court entered an order dismissing plaintiff's claim against CEQ.
The case is ongoing.
Summary Authors
Juliet Alpert (4/1/2025)
Emma Vayda (6/17/2025)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69781182/parties/environmental-defense-fund-v-united-states-department-of-the-interior/
Friedrich, Dabney Langhorne (District of Columbia)
Caravello, Samantha R. (District of Columbia)
Hunt, Nathaniel Hemmerick (District of Columbia)
Murphy, Erin Caitlin (District of Columbia)
Curteman, Dedra Seibel (District of Columbia)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69781182/environmental-defense-fund-v-united-states-department-of-the-interior/
Last updated Aug. 21, 2025, 10:27 p.m.
State / Territory: District of Columbia
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Trump Administration 2.0: Challenges to the Government
Trump Administration 2.0: Challenges to the Government (Environmental Protections)
Key Dates
Filing Date: March 24, 2025
Case Ongoing: Yes
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
The Environmental Defense Fund
Plaintiff Type(s):
Non-profit NON-religious organization
Public Interest Lawyer: No
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
U.S. Department of the Interior (Washington, D.C., District of Columbia), Federal
Council on Environmental Quality (Washington, D.C., District of Columbia), Federal
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (District of Columbia), Federal
Defendant Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
FOIA (Freedom of Information Act), 5 U.S.C. § 552
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: None Yet / None
Nature of Relief:
Source of Relief:
Issues
Environmental Justice and Resources: