Dear Friend,

Behind every one of our victories is a story.

Each quarter, we are excited to show you some of the results of our legal advocacy and grassroots partnerships across the country. Thank you for making all of this possible!

Government Cancels Illegal Artic Oil Leases
The Biden administration has canceled oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge that had been auctioned off illegally during Trump’s final days in office. Fossil fuel development in this irreplaceable ecosystem erodes habitat, risks oil spills, and locks in yet more climate-warming emissions. For decades, we’ve been fighting to secure protection for this land. The fight continues, but this win could lead to greater protection for the refuge.

Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Are Safe from Mining
Earthjustice secured a resounding victory when a federal court dismissed an industry lawsuit challenging the Biden administration’s 20-year mining ban in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. In the lawsuit, Earthjustice represented conservation groups defending the Boundary Waters against mining company Twin Metals, which planned to build a toxic copper mine there. The court rejected the company’s lawsuit, siding with Earthjustice and the government. Now the country’s most visited wilderness is free from the shadow of this toxic mine.

The Great Sierras Battle
Decades ago, Earthjustice lawyers saw how four small species could protect over 11 million acres of threatened Sierra Nevada landscape. This year, that strategy reaches its conclusion. Read the article: [link removed]

Victory At Last for Blackfeet Nation in Montana
After 40 years, Montana’s Badger-Two Medicine area is safe from oil and gas drilling after a settlement retired the region’s last federal lease. The agreement that Earthjustice negotiated is a win for Tribal leaders and conservationists who came together to save the area from fossil fuel development. The area is sacred to the Blackfeet Nation and an important habitat for wildlife. This agreement retires the last of 47 leases that were issued under the Reagan Administration. Now, Badger-Two Medicine has permanent protection.


No More Burning Carcinogenic “Forever Chemicals”
There are no safe levels for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), toxic “forever chemicals” linked to cancer. PFAS have already contaminated the air or drinking water of approximately 200 million Americans. In 2020, we sued the Department of Defense over contracts to burn millions of gallons of unused firefighting foam containing PFAS. Now the department has agreed to void those contracts, protecting the communities that surround hazardous waste incinerators, and publish future plans to incinerate materials with PFAS so communities can track and block harmful efforts.


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