United States Ninth Circuit

A permit authorizing mining company to discharge process wastewater containing tailings from its gold mine into a lake that is a navigable water of the U.S. violates the Clean Water Act, and a district court decision finding that the issuance of the permit was proper is vacated and remanded.

Appellate Information

• Argued 12/04/2006
• Decided 05/22/2007
• Published 05/22/2007

Judges

• HUG, Circuit Judge., Before PROCTER HUG, JR., A. WALLACE TASHIMA, and SUSAN P. GRABER, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Ninth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Thomas S. Waldo and Demian A. Schane, Earthjustice, Juneau, AK, for plaintiffs-appellants., Melissa Powers and Allison LaPlante, Pacific Environmental Advocacy Center, Portland, OR;  Joseph M. Lovett, Appalachian Center for the Economy & the Environment, Lewisburg, WV;  and Peter Van Tuyn, Bessenyey & Van Tuyn, Anchorage, AK, for amici curiae in support of plaintiffs-appellants.


• For Appellees:
  
• John T. Stahr and Mark A. Nitczynski, U.S. Department of Justice, Environment & Natural Resources Division, Washington, D.C., for defendants-appellees., David J. Burman and Robert A. Maynard, Perkins Coie LLP, Boise, Idaho;  John C. Berghoff, Jr., and Michael P. Rissman, Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw LLP, Chicago, IL;  Cameron M. Leonard, State of Alaska, Department of Law, Fairbanks, AK;  and David C. Crosby, David C. Crosby PC, Juneau, AK, for defendants-intervenors-appellees., John W. Hartle, City and Borough of Juneau, Juneau, AK;  Amy Gurton Mead, Robertson, Monagle & Eastaugh, Juneau, Alaska;  Steven J. Lechner, Mountain States Legal Foundation, Lakewood, CO;  Michael R. Shebelskie, Hunton & Williams LLP, Richmond, Virginia;  Harold P. Quinn, Jr., National Mining Association, Washington, D.C.;   and Stephen F. Sorensen, Simpson, Tillinghast & Sorensen PC, Juneau, AK, for amici curiae in support of defendants-appellees.