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The Climate Litigation Database
Litigation

Responsible Offshore Development Alliance v. U.S. Department of the Interior

Date
2022
Geography
Massachusetts
Part of
Responsible Offshore Development Alliance v. U.S. Department of the Interior

About this case

Filing year
2022
Status
Defendants' and Vineyard Wind's motions for summary judgment granted and plaintiffs' motions for summary judgment denied.
Geography
Docket number
1:22-cv-11172
Court/admin entity
United States → Federal Courts → D. Mass.
Case category
Federal Statutory Claims → Clean Water ActFederal Statutory Claims → Endangered Species Act and Other Wildlife Protection StatutesFederal Statutory Claims → NEPAFederal Statutory Claims → Other Statutes and Regulations
Principal law
United States → Clean Water Act (CWA)United States → Endangered Species Act (ESA)United States → Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)United States → Merchant Marine Act of 1920/Jones ActUnited States → National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)United States → Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA)
At issue
Challenge to Bureau of Ocean Energy Management approvals for the Vineyard Wind offshore wind project off the coasts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Documents

Filing Date
Type
Action Taken
Document
Summary
10/12/2023
Decision
Defendants' and Vineyard Wind's motions for summary judgment granted and plaintiffs' motions for summary judgment denied.
View
The federal district court for the District of Massachusetts rejected challenges to federal agencies’ and officials’ actions in connection with the approval of a wind energy project off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, Massachusetts. With respect to the National Environmental Policy Act claims—including failure to consider climate change impacts—of an alliance representing commercial fishing interests, the court found that the alliance did not have statutory standing because it asserted only economic injuries.

Summary

Challenge to Bureau of Ocean Energy Management approvals for the Vineyard Wind offshore wind project off the coasts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.