May 11, 2020
A federal judge today largely upheld an April 15 ruling vacating Nationwide Permit 12, a key water crossing permit used by TC Energy’s Keystone XL tar sands pipeline and many other pipelines nationwide.
Environmental Law Program
Environmental Law Program
The Environmental Law Program uses strategic legal campaigns to fight climate change, to protect clean air, water and wilderness, and to promote justice for communities threatened by pollution.
In the past year alone, we launched more than 200 legal actions to challenge the fossil fuel industry's destructive effects on our air, water, and climate.
About Our Program
Our team of top-notch attorneys and legal staff leverages all of the Club's tools of democracy, integrating legal advocacy with grassroots organizing, sophisticated communications, a state-of-the-art digital strategies team, and administrative lobbying.
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We pair litigation with effective community organizing and strong local communications to build genuine, informed support from community members and government officials.
Sierra Club ELP in Lake Tahoe
Our Staff
We are a team of professional attorneys and staff who combine sophisticated legal tactics with a commitment to social and environmental justice at the grassroots level. We pair litigation with effective community organizing and strong local communications to build genuine, informed support from community members and government officials, making courtroom victories sustainable over the long term.
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Press Releases
April 30, 2020
Austin, TX -- The Sierra Club filed a lawsuit today against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for permitting the ongoing construction of the 428-mile Permian Highway fracked gas pipeline, despite a federal court order vacating the nationwide permit…
April 27, 2020
AUSTIN, TX - Today, the Sierra Club filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for failing to require Texas to crack down on excessive and unsafe air pollution in the communities around the coal-burning Martin Lake power…
April 23, 2020
SAINT LOUIS, MO -- The Sierra Club announced a new national “polluter watchdog” program yesterday by issuing Freedom of Information ACT (FOIA) and state-based open records requests to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Missouri…
April 22, 2020
TEXAS -- Today, the Sierra Club announced the Texas rollout of a new “polluter watchdog” program, by issuing Freedom of Information ACT (FOIA) and Texas Public Information Act requests to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Texas…
10M+
acres of wilderness protected
200+
lawsuits filed to resist Trump
1K+
miles of dirty fuel pipelines blocked
382
coal plants retired