Description: Action by oil company seeking declaration that government agencies properly issued it an “incidental harassment authorization” to drill in the Arctic.
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Shell Gulf of Mexico Inc. v. Center for Biological Diversity, Inc.
Case Documents:
Filing Date Type File Action Taken Summary 11/12/2014 Memorandum Download Memorandum issued dismissing appeal of denial of motion to dismiss. The Ninth Circuit dismissed an appeal of the denial of defendants’ motion to dismiss. The court said the appeal was moot because the action had been voluntarily dismissed and because the legal issues had been addressed in a related matter, Shell Gulf of Mexico Inc. v. Center for Biological Diversity, Inc., No. 13-35835 (9th Cir. Nov. 12, 2014). -
Shell Gulf of Mexico, Inc. v. Center for Biological Diversity
Case Documents:
Filing Date Type File Action Taken Summary 01/04/2013 Judgment Download Judgment issued dismissing action without prejudice. 11/14/2012 Order Download Order issued granting motion to voluntarily dismiss. In November 2012, the action was dismissed without prejudice.
07/30/2012 Order Download Order issued denying motion to dismiss. The district court denied a motion to dismiss in July 2012. 05/24/2012 Complaint Download Amended complaint filed. Shell Oil filed a lawsuit in Alaska federal court seeking a declaration that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) properly issued it an “incidental harassment authorization” in connection with its oil exploration activities in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. The complaint alleged that the Center for Biological Diversity and seven other environmental organization had sought to prevent the company from drilling on the Alaska Outer Continental Shelf “by any means necessary” and that it was a “virtual certainty” that these groups would litigate the approvals of this authorization. Later in 2012, the court denied defendants’ motion to dismiss and then granted plaintiffs’ motion to voluntarily dismiss.