Case: Sierra Club v. Environmental Protection Agency

1:25-cv-01112 | U.S. District Court for the District of District of Columbia

Filed Date: April 14, 2025

Case Ongoing

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Case Summary

(This summary is temporary, while we research the case.) On April 14, 2025, Sierra Club, Union of Concerned Scientists, Environmental Integrity Project, and California Communities Against Toxics filed this lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. They named the Environmental Protection Agency, the Council on Environmental Quality, the Department of Energy, the Department of Transportation, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. They challenged the second Trump administration’s takedown of federal websites without notice, thereby impeding Plaintiffs’ ability to understand, explain, or seek to remedy the injustices faced by communities disproportionately affected by climate change, pollution, and other environmental harms. They alleged that Defendants’ actions violated the Administrative Procedure Act.

Summary Authors

Meredith Ulle (4/16/2025)

People

For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69888679/parties/sierra-club-v-environmental-protection-agency/

Judge(s)

Contreras, Rudolph (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Shelley, Zachary R. (District of Columbia)

Judge(s)

Contreras, Rudolph (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Shelley, Zachary R. (District of Columbia)

Attorney Contact Information via CourtListener

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

	Document
1 1:25-cv-01112	Complaint	April 14, 2025	April 14, 2025 Complaint

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Resources

Title	Description		External URL Date / External URL
EPA Memorandum – Implementing National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives Consistently with Executive Orders and Agency Priorities U.S. Environmental Protection Agency	In part, declaring that “environmental justice considerations shall no longer inform EPA’s enforcement and compliance assurance work” and that “EJScreen… has been disabled and may not be used for any…	March 12, 2025	March 12, 2025 https://www.epa.gov/...
CEQ Memorandum – Implementation of National Environmental Policy Act U.S. Council on Environmental Quality	In part, declaring that agencies should not include “an environmental justice analysis” when undertaking environmental impact reviews.	Feb. 19, 2025	Feb. 19, 2025 https://ceq.doe.gov/...
Department of Energy Memorandum – Executive Order on Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEO Programs and Preferencing, and Agency-Wide Policy to Promote Equal Opportunity U.S. Department of Energy	In part, “directing a suspension of… diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, procedures, programs, activities, and reviews involving or relating to DEI objectives and principles requiring, u…	Jan. 23, 2025	Jan. 23, 2025 https://www.energy.gov/...

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Docket

See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69888679/sierra-club-v-environmental-protection-agency/

Last updated April 21, 2025, 2:22 p.m.

ECF Number	Description	Date	Link Date / Link
1	COMPLAINT against COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY ( Filing fee $ 405 receipt number ADCDC-11613176) filed by ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY PROJECT, UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS, CALIFORNIA COMMUNITIES AGAINST TOXICS, SIERRA CLUB. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit, # 2 Civil Cover Sheet, # 3 Summons, # 4 Summons, # 5 Summons, # 6 Summons, # 7 Summons)(Shelley, Zachary) (Attachment 2 replaced on 4/15/2025) (znmw). (Entered: 04/14/2025) 1 Exhibit View on PACER 2 Civil Cover Sheet View on PACER 3 Summons View on PACER 4 Summons View on PACER 5 Summons View on PACER 6 Summons View on PACER 7 Summons View on PACER	April 14, 2025	April 14, 2025 Clearinghouse
2	LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by SIERRA CLUB (Shelley, Zachary) (Entered: 04/14/2025)	April 14, 2025	April 14, 2025 PACER
3	LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS (Shelley, Zachary) (Entered: 04/14/2025)	April 14, 2025	April 14, 2025 PACER
4	LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY PROJECT (Shelley, Zachary) (Entered: 04/14/2025)	April 14, 2025	April 14, 2025 PACER
5	LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by CALIFORNIA COMMUNITIES AGAINST TOXICS (Shelley, Zachary) (Entered: 04/14/2025)	April 14, 2025	April 14, 2025 PACER
	Case Assigned/Reassigned	April 15, 2025	April 15, 2025 PACER
	Case Assigned to Judge Rudolph Contreras. (znmw)	April 15, 2025	April 15, 2025 PACER
	Notice of Error- New Case	April 15, 2025	April 15, 2025 PACER
6	SUMMONS (5) Issued Electronically as to All Defendants. (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent)(znmw) (Entered: 04/15/2025)	April 15, 2025	April 15, 2025 PACER
	NOTICE OF NEW CASE ERROR regarding 1 Complaint,,. The following error(s) need correction: Missing summonses- U.S. government. When naming a U.S. government agent or agency as a defendant, you must supply a summons for each defendant & two additional summonses for the U.S. Attorney & U.S. Attorney General. Please submit using the event Request for Summons to Issue. (znmw)	April 15, 2025	April 15, 2025 PACER
7	Notice (Other) 1 Summons View on PACER 2 Summons View on PACER	April 15, 2025	April 15, 2025 RECAP
8	Summons Issued Electronically as to AUSA	April 16, 2025	April 16, 2025 PACER

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Case Details

State / Territory: District of Columbia

Case Type(s):

Environmental Justice

Special Collection(s):

Trump Administration 2.0: Challenges to the Government

Trump Administration 2.0: Challenges to the Government (Data Access and/or Takedowns)

Trump Administration 2.0: Challenges to the Government (Environmental Protections)

Key Dates

Filing Date: April 14, 2025

Case Ongoing: Yes

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

Four environmental and scientific nonprofit organizations - Sierra Club, Union of Concerned Scientists, Environmental Integrity Project, and California Communities Against Toxics

Public Interest Lawyer: Yes

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: No

Class Action Outcome: Not sought

Defendants

Environmental Protection Agency (- United States (national) -), Federal

U.S. Department of Energy (- United States (national) -), Federal

Council on Environmental Quality (- United States (national) -), Federal

U.S. Department of Transportation (- United States (national) -), Federal

Federal Emergency Management Agency (- United States (national) -), Federal

Defendant Type(s):

Jurisdiction-wide