Grand Canyon Trust v. Williams

Full Case Name
GRAND CANYON TRUST, et al., Plaintiffs, v. Michael WILLIAMS, et al., Defendants
Description

The Court found that plaintiffs failed to establish a violation under the National Environmental Policy Act by the United States Forest Service for re-opening the "Canyon mine, and that the plaintiffs lacked standing to assert that the "valid existing rights determination" by the Forest Service failed to consider all relevant cost factors. The Court dismissed the case.

Date
04-07-2015
Court
United States District Court for the District of Arizona
Jurisdiction
United States
Incident Location
Coconino County, AZ
Disputed Act

Plaintiffs sought declaratory and injunctive relief to stop the United States Forest Service from re-opening the "Canyon Mine" in Northern Arizona, alleging that the Forest Service violated the National Environmental Policy Act and that the "valid existing rights determination" by the Forest Service failed to consider all relevant cost factors. Plaintiff's concerns about the re-opening of the mine involve environmental and historical impacts of the mine on Indigenous land surrounding the mine, as well as dust, truck traffic, light pollution and noise.

Holding
The Court found that plaintiffs failed to establish a violation under the National Environmental Policy Act by the United States Forest Service for re-opening the "Canyon mine, and that the plaintiffs lacked standing to assert that the "valid existing rights determination" by the Forest Service failed to consider all relevant cost factors. The Court dismissed the case.
Disposition