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Environmental, Energy and Climate Change Law & Regulation Reporter

April 2015

Volume 7, Number 11 April 2015

CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS

California Seeking to Transform Its Transportion System to Zero- and Near-Zero Emissions299

California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act Kicks in Prompting the Formation of Local Sustainability Agencies to Avoid Direct Sate Management300

SolarCity Files Complaint—Accuses Arizona Utility of Unfair Competi-

tion302

New Developments in California Solar303

CLIMATE CHANGE SCIENCE

Recent Scientific Studies on Climate Change305

EGULATORY DEVELOPMENTS

EPA Enters into Consent Decree with the Sierra Club Which Will Lead to the Approval or Disapproval of 24 State Clean Air Act Implementation

Plans308

California Air Resources Board Holds First Cap-and-Trade Auction of the Year309

PENALTIES AND SANCTIONS

Recent Investigations, Settlements, Penalties, and Sanctions311

JUDICIAL DEVELOPMENTS

Federal:

Ninth Circuit Finds Petitioner Was a Prevailing Party with Some Degree of Success in Suit Challenging a Coal Mining Permit to Justify Award of Its Attorney’s Fees314

Black Mesa Water Coalition v. Jewell, ___F.3d___ Case No. 12-16980 (9th Cir. 2015).

District Court Remands Searchlight Wind Energy Project to Federal Agencies for Further Administrative Record Development and Supplemental Environmental Analysis315

Bundorf v. Jewell, ___F.Supp.3d___, Case No. 2:13-CV-00616-MMD-PAL (D. Nev. Feb. 3, 2015).

District Court Refuses to Dismiss Endangered Species Act Claim Challenging Export-Import Bank’s Financing of Natural Gas Projects in Australia317

Center for Biological Diversity, et al. v. Export-Import Bank of the United States, ___F.Supp.3d___, Case No. C 12-6325 SBA (N.D. Cal. Feb. 20, 2015).

Pennsylvania Natural Gas Operator Prevails in Compressor Station Aggregation Suit318

Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future v. Ultra Res., Inc., ___F.Supp.3d___, Case No. 4:11-CV-1360 (M.D. Penn. Feb. 23, 2015).

District Court Holds the Clean Air Act Does Not Authorize a Collateral Attack on a Facially

Valid State Permit320

Nucor Steel-Arkansas, et al. v. Big River Steel, LLC, ___F.Supp.3d___, Case No. 3:14cv00193 JLH (E.D. Ark. Feb. 25, 2015).

State:

California Court of Appeal Rejects Challenges to State Air Resources Board’s Cap-and-Trade Regula-

tions322

Our Children’s Earth Foundation v. California Air Resources Board, ___Cal.App.4th___, Case No. A138830 (1st Dist. Feb. 23, 2015).