Endangered

Alabama Community and Church Groups File Lawsuit to Protect Endangered Snails Against Quarry Development

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BELLE MINA, Ala. — A local congregation and environmentalists have launched a legal battle seeking to block a limestone quarry project in Limestone County, fearing it could spell disaster for endangered wildlife and disrupt the community. Filed in Limestone County Circuit Court late Monday, the lawsuit aims to protect three endangered snail species that it argues would be jeopardized by the quarry operations. The legal filing lists both Stoned LLC and Grayson Carter & Son, Inc. as defendants. This action follows a warning issued by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), which had previously granted … Read more

Environmentalists Sue Over Federal Pesticide Decision, Claiming Endangered Species at Risk

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San Francisco, California — A contentious legal fight has erupted over the federal government’s restrictions on malathion, a widely used pesticide linked to the endangerment of wildlife species. This week, a coalition of environmental organizations led by the Center for Biological Diversity challenged the recent governmental approval of the pesticide, alleging it did not sufficiently protect various endangered species. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Northern California, centers on a final biological opinion issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in February 2022. This opinion, which followed … Read more

Conservationists and Native Tribe Sue to Stop Nevada Lithium Mine, Citing Threats to Endangered Wildflower and Cultural Sites

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RENO, Nev. — Conservationists and the Western Shoshone tribe are actively opposing the federal government’s authorization of a lithium mine in Nevada, fearing it will eradicate an endangered plant species, disrupt sacred native sites, and alter natural groundwater flows. This litigation underscores the tensions between ecological preservation and the pursuit of renewable energy resources. The Center for Biological Diversity, alongside the Western Shoshone Defense Project, initiated legal action following the U.S. Interior Department’s approval of Ioneer Ltd.’s Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron mining project. This site, located near the California border and equidistant from Reno and Las … Read more

Federal Judge Halts Oil Lease in Alaska to Protect Endangered Beluga Whales

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Anchorage, Alaska — A significant legal decision on Tuesday saw a federal judge nullify a 2021 oil and gas lease sale in Cook Inlet, spotlighting the environmental concerns surrounding Alaska’s endangered beluga whales. The federal waters southwest of Anchorage, which were initially opened for exploration, will now see a halt in activities following the ruling that condemned the environmental assessments as insufficient. U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason agreed with environmental advocates that the government’s environmental review failed to adequately consider impacts on the local beluga whale population and other ecological effects. The sole lease … Read more