Victories

2007 - NRDC vs. U.S. Navy: In early January 2007, after hearing from tens of thousands of NRDC activists, the California Coastal Commission agreed to enact lifesaving precautions to protect whales from ear-splitting sonar during Navy training exercises in California waters.

2007 - NRDC vs. Toyota: More than 100,000 NRDC activists urged Toyota to drop its opposition to fuel efficiency legislation that would increase fleet-wide averages to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. In early December 2007 Toyota finally saw the writing on the wall and, along with other automakers, declared that the higher standards would be “good for both customers and energy security”

2007 - NRDC vs. Congress: NRDC activists spent a full year urging Congress to raise standard gas mileage in order to reduce global warming pollution. Thanks to their efforts, on December 18th, 2007, Congress finally passed an energy bill that raises fuel mileage standards—to 35 miles per gallon by 2020—for the first time in more than 30 years. The bill also sets new lighting and building efficiency standards, and ensures essential environmental protections for biofuels development.

2006 - NRDC* v. EPA: Filed a lawsuit, as part of a coalition of doctors, farmworkers, and health and environmental advocates, to prevent unethical pesticide experiments on human subjects.

2006 - NRDC v. Pentagon, EPA and OMB: Judge orders Bush Administration to release information that would show several agencies conspired with defense contractors to avoid cleaning up percholate.

2006 - NRDC v. Bush Administration: A NRDC-led coalition of 30 states, cities, and environmental groups filed a lawsuit challenging the Administration's refusal to confront global warming.

2006 - NRDC* v. USFWS: Fish and Wildlife pressured to consider adding the polar bear to the Endangered Species List.

2006 - NRDC v. EPA: Court rules that EPA need to control stormwater pollution from suburban stripmalls, subdivisions, and other developments.

2005 - NRDC* v. DOE: Lawsuit pressures Department of Energy to establish new stricter energy efficiency standards for household and commercial appliances.

2005 - NRDC v. MMS: Judge bars the government from extending 37 undeveloped oil and gas leases off the California coast, because they didn't weigh the risks to the ocean and marine life.

2005 - NRDC & West Harlem Environmental Action v. EPA: Judge ruled that the EPA failed to protect children in West Harlem from exposure to rat poison, because they rescinded safety measures to prevent accidental poisonings.

2005 - NRDC v. Corps: Court rules that dredging in dioxin-laced superfund site under the NJ/NY Port Authority is a National Environmental Policy Act violation.

2005 - NRDC v. Dupont: Court orders company to conduct a mercury remediation study of the Shenendoah River.

2005 - Thwarted (again!) the Administration's plan to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

2003 - NRDC v. U.S. Navy: Court orders Navy to stop blasting marine mammals with deadly hi-frequency sonar.

2001 - NRDC* v. Loggers: Prevented logging in millions of acres of the Great Bear Rainforest -- home of the rare white Spirit Bear.

2000 - NRDC v. Mitsubishi: Stopped company's plans to build on the last unspoiled breeding grounds of the gray whale.

1999 - Talked over 200 companies into taking old-growth wood products off their shelves.

1993 - NRDC v. Big Oil: Texaco and ARCO forced to stop water pollution (and pay BIG for past spills).

1987 - NRDC v. Bethlehem Steel: Company forced to pay $1.5 million in penalties for water pollution.

1985 - Enacted new efficiency standards for consumer appliances: - billions saved in electric bills.

1984 - NRDC v. DOE: Department of Energy forced to clean up nuclear weapons facilities.

1978 - NRDC wins fight to remove ozone-depleting CFCs from aerosol cans

1973 - NRDC* v. Big Oil: Court orders oil industry to get the lead out of U.S. gasoline.

1971 - NRDC* v. EPA: Clean Water Act passed; citizens able to hold polluters accountable.

* - As part of a coalition