BIG victory for the critically endangered Vaquita: Our repeated legal wins in the U.S. Court of International Trade and the Federal Court of Appeals pressured the Trump administration to place an embargo on Mexican seafood caught with gillnets that kill vaquita, the world's smallest porpoise. With only 10 vaquitas remaining today, banning imports of seafood from Mexico is essential to its survival and recovery. [Read More]

Another defeat for the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline: This dangerous, climate-busting pipeline would carry up to 830,000 barrels per day of some of the dirtiest crude oil on the planet across the heartland of America. The Army Corps of Engineers tried to fast-track approvals for pipelines like Keystone XL without adequately analyzing these projects' impacts on local waterways, lands and wildlife, and communities. Not only did the court side with us — finding the Corps' actions unlawful — but it also prohibited the Trump administration from using this fast-tracked approval process for Keystone XL! [Read More]

Trump's EPA loses & science wins: Last month, the EPA suffered a major defeat in its war on science when a federal court ruled that the agency must stop barring independent scientists from serving on its advisory committees. The EPA acted arbitrarily, the court said, in issuing a directive that disqualified scientists who receive research grants from the EPA — mainly scientists from universities and other not-for-profit institutions — on the pretext of potential bias. But EPA's policy allowed scientists, consultants and others who receive funding from the chemical and fossil fuel industries to serve on these advisory boards. The court invalidated this policy aimed at weakening the role of science in protecting the public from harmful chemicals and pollution. With an ongoing pandemic and two back-to-back defeats, we're pressuring the EPA to put science back in charge of protecting public health. [Read More]

Putting limits back on climate-busting HFCs: In another legal victory against the Trump administration's efforts to undermine environmental safeguards, the U.S. Court of Appeals restored limits on super climate-busting hydrofluorocarbons (HFC). For years, companies switched from ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) to super-potent, heat-trapping HFCs. As we move more aggressively to confront the climate crisis, the EPA must now do its job and ensure that companies transition away from ozone-depleting substances to alternatives that are safer for our climate. [Read More]

Banning toxic pesticides that harm pets and kids: For over a decade, NRDC has been fighting in court to ban the use of the toxic pesticide TCVP in pet collars. In recent years, the EPA finally acknowledged TCVP's health dangers as this toxic chemical can harm children's brains and nervous systems. But the agency failed to remove this dangerous pet product from the market. Thankfully, the U.S. Court of Appeals found that the EPA's years-long delay on this critical health threat "has been nothing short of egregious", marking an important victory for children's health across the country, 10 years in the making. [Read More]