United States Fifth Circuit
Envtl. Conservation Org. v. City of Dallas, 07-10583
In a suit brought under the Clean Water Act (CWA), summary judgment for the city is vacated and remanded for dismissal on mootness grounds where: 1) an EPA negotiated consent decree on a prior filed CWA citizen suit does not give rise to an immediate res judicata dismissal; 2) developments subsequent to the filing of a citizen suit may moot the citizen's case, requiring a jurisdictional mootness inquiry; 3) the court adopts the "realistic prospect" test for mootness; and 4) plaintiff failed to show a realistic prospect that any of the violations alleged in its suit will continue notwithstanding the consent decree.
Appellate Information
- Decided 05/27/2008
- Published 05/27/2008
Judges
- SOUTHWICK, Circuit Judge:, Before DAVIS and SOUTHWICK, Circuit Judges, and DRELL, District Judge.
Court
- United States Fifth Circuit
Counsel
- For Appellant:
- Frederick W. Addison, III (argued), Nolan Cornelius Knight, Munsch, Hardt, Kopf & Harr, Dallas, TX, for Plaintiff-Appellant., R. Justin Smith (argued), U.S. Dept. of Justice, Environment & Natural Resources Div., Washington, DC, for Amicus Curiae, U.S.
- For Appellees:
- Barbara Elaine Rosenberg (argued), James Bickford Pinson, Asst. City Atty., David E. Howe, City Atty's Office, Jean M. Flores, James D. Payne, Michael R. Goldman, Guida, Slavich & Flores, Dallas, TX, for Defendant-Appellee.