The director of the state Department of Conservation has standing to sue a local agency over mining and reclamation plans approved by the local agency, the state Supreme Court has ruled unanimously. The ruling was a clear victory for state enforcement of the Surface Mining and Re

A ruling in an endangered species case from Arizona demonstrates how sharply divided federal judges are regarding the legal protections afforded to rare animals and plants. In an extremely short opinion, a Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled 2-1 that the Army Corps of

A limit on the amount of trash that can be discharged into the Los Angeles River has been upheld by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The court rejected a challenge filed by 22 cities in Los Angeles County to a limit established by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Co

An appellate court has thrown out a mitigated negative declaration that the City of Los Angeles approved for a 21-lot subdivision in the Sunland area. The court ruled that project opponents had made a fair argument that the project may have a significant impact on wildlife and tr

Although it was overshadowed by higher-profile cases, a California water controversy decided in late June by the U.S. Supreme Court might have been the most closely watched case by California farmers, water districts and environmentalists.

Not often does a case already decided by the state Court of Appeal return to the same court for an interpretation of who won. However, the Fifth District Court of Appeal has issued a second ruling on a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) case from Merced County, making it

A referendum of a $200 million agreement between the City of Rohnert Park and an Indian tribe planning to build a large casino has been blocked from the ballot. The First District Court of Appeal upheld a lower court ruling that the Rohnert Park City Council's approval of the agr

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has voted 3-2 to appeal a Superior Court judge's decision upholding stormwater regulations adopted by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board.

An appellate court has ruled against a former San Diego Unified Port District commissioner who sued the district's former attorney over faulty legal advice.

The state Supreme Court has accepted for review a California Environmental Quality Act case involving the water supply for a huge project in Sacramento County.

The City of Los Angeles was correct to revoke a building permit even though the permit holder had spent more than $200,000 on real estate and construction as a result of the city's advice and permit, the Second District Court of Appeal has ruled.

The saga of public access to a beach adjacent to entertainment mogul David Geffen's house in Malibu has apparently concluded, with public access secure.