Environmentalists Relieved as Critics Slam ‘Muddled’ SCOTUS Term

Bloomberg Law (by Ellen M. Gilmer)
June 22, 2021

The U.S. Supreme Court’s latest term, wrapping up this month, went surprisingly well for environmental lawyers who feared cases on the docket could prove disastrous to their cause. Many advocates prepared for a barrage of bad news from the conservative-leaning bench as the court weighed major Clean Water Act, Superfund, and pipeline questions, plus non-environment cases that could cause collateral damage. Instead, they got a slate of decisions they could live with—even some worth celebrating. “We got six votes,” Earthjustice lawyer David Henkin said of the 6-3 ruling in the water case, County of Maui v. Hawai’i Wildlife Fund. “It really blew my mind.” . . .