United States Ninth Circuit

Unaltered groundwater produced in association with methane gas extraction, and discharged into a river, is a pollutant under the Clean Water Act (CWA), and states cannot create exemptions to the CWA regardless of whether the EPA has delegated permitting authority to the state.

Appellate Information

• Argued 03/04/2003
• Decided 04/10/2003
• Published 04/10/2003

Judges

• Before REINHARDT, W. FLETCHER, and GOULD, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Ninth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Jack R. Tuholske, Missoula, MT, for Appellant., John B. Arum and Steven H. Chestnut, Ziontz, Chestnut, Varnell, Berley & Slonim, Seattle, WA, for amicus curiae Northern Cheyenne Tribe., Elizabeth A. Brennan, Rossbach Brennan, Missoula, MT, for amicus curiae Tongue & Yellowstone Irrigation District., Brenda Lindlief Hall, Reynolds, Motl & Sherwood, for amicus curiae Tongue River Water Users' Association., Michael S. Kakuk and Palmer Hoovestal, Hoovestal, Kakuk & Fanning, Helena, MT, for amicus curiae Western Environmental Trade Association.


• For Appellees:
  
• Ronald Waterman and Jon Metropoulos, Gough, Shanahan, Johnson & Waterman, Helena, MT, for the appellee.