In Western Organization of Resource Councils et al v. U.S. Bureau of Land Management et al, several environmental organizations challenged a federal agency’s approval of revised Resource Management Plans (“RMPs”) for coal development in two areas covering millions of acres of public lands and federal mineral estates within the Powder River Basin.
Montana Environmental Information Center v. U.S. Office of Surface Mining, Civ. No. 15-106-M-DWM (D. Mont. 2017)
August 14, 2017
Alberta Wilderness Ass’n v. Cardinal River Coals Ltd. [1999] 3 FC 425
April 8, 1999
A coalition of conservation organizations challenged a ministry decision allowing a coal mine to be constructed just outside the boundary of a national park. One of the questions the court considered was whether the environmental assessment prepared prior to the decision adequately considered the potential environmental impacts of the mine -- including cumulative impacts.
European Commission v. Kingdom of Spain, ECJ C-404/09 (2011) (European Court of Justice)
November 24, 2011
A mining company (Mina Invierno) proposed a project to incorporate blasting methods at an existing permitted open pit coal mine in southern Chile. Citizens and civil society organizations properly presented petitions for the provision of citizen participation procedures during the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process required for this proposed complementary project, but those petitions were denied. The denial of those petitions was unsuccessfully appealed at the administrative level and the proposed project to incorporate blasting was approved, so a constitutional lawsuit (re
Persons who claimed to have contracted pneumoconiosis due to having worked in dusty coal mines in the Chikuho region or their successors brought this case to seek damages from the government under Article 1, para.
REsp 647.493/SC [MPF v. Brazil and mining companies] (22 May 2007):
Bulga Milbrodale Progress Association Inc v Minister for Planning and Infrastructure and Warkworth Mining Limited [2013] NSWLEC 48:
Ironstone Community Action Group Inc v. NSW Minister for Planning and Duralie Coal Pty Ltd (2011) NSWLEC 195 (10 November 2011)
This was an appeal brought by a third party objector (ICAG) against the Minister of Planning’s decision to approve the extension of an existing coal mine. The objections raised in this appeal focused on the impacts of the coal mine extension on biodiversity (especially the threatened Giant Barred Frog), water quality impacts, health impacts from particulate matter, noise pollution, and dust emissions.
Environmental groups challenged an amendment to the provisions of a local planning scheme that was necessary for the expansion of the Hazelwood coal mine in southeastern Australia. The petitioners claimed that the environment effects statement (EES) should have included analysis of the impacts of carbon emissions when the coal is later burned.
