Environmental Claims

Marzulla Law has successfully represented clients in almost every type of environmental issue. Our attorneys are experienced environmental lawyers who represent individuals, small businesses, government, and corporate clients. We understand the complex and technical aspects of environmental regulatory issues, particularly in the context of inverse condemnation. We have handled cases involving every major federal environmental statute, including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Clean Water Act (including wetlands), and many others. We also defend and bring environmental claims under the APA. Here are a few of our case studies involving environmental claims:

• Exotic Wildlife Association v. United States: In 2011, the Exotic Wildlife Association (EWA) filed a complaint with the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas seeking for the Secretary of the Interior to act on a petition to remove three exotic antelope species from the endangered species list. The suit was filed on behalf of the EWA and its members, all of whom are Texas ranchers raising one or more the three antelope species. READ MORE »  
• San Diego Fairy Shrimp Case: In 2003, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated 143 acres of privately owned land in San Diego County, CA as “occupied” by the San Diego fairy shrimp, a crustacean listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. The property’s owners, Otay Mesa Property, LP, sued to challenge the designation of their property as a critical habitat. READ MORE »  
• Texas Comptroller v. United States: In 2010, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service proposed the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard for listing as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. This potential listing of the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard is critical to Texas’s economic interests because the lizard’s habitat lies in the middle of one of the nation’s most productive oil and gas formations. READ MORE »  
• Bassett New Mexico, LLC v. United States: Sometimes the evidence of a taking is so overwhelming that even the federal government has to concede liability. This is one such case. Marzulla Law successfully represented a New Mexico mining company in a claim against the United States for the taking of mineral property as a result of Superfund cleanup. READ MORE »  

For more information on environmental law, please Contact Us.