April 16, 2014
An en banc Ninth Circuit panel overturned the appeals court's earlier decision supporting dozens of 25- and 40-year water supply contracts in California, ruling Wednesday that federal officials, in violation of the Endangered Species Act, ignored potential harm to fish populations when they renewed the agreements.
September 19, 2013
A coalition of environmental groups urged an en banc panel of the Ninth Circuit on Thursday to revive its allegations that the federal government violated the Endangered Species Act when it negotiated dozens of long-term water supply contracts in California that allegedly harm delta smelt.