Appealed From: U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit
Subject: Environmental Law

At Issue: Whether a provision in a 1986 law allows people to file suit against a facility for failing to report toxic chemical leaks within a specified deadline, even if the facility has fixed the violations before they file the suit.

Decision: The justices ruled that Citizens for a Better Environment lacked standing to bring this lawsuit and both the lower court and the U.S. Supreme Court did not have jurisdiction to hear it.

• Read the full text of the Steel Company v. Citizens for a Better Environment decision at the Findlaw Internet Legal Resources Web site.

• Read the lower court decision issued by the United States Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit Chicago-Kent College of Law Web site.

Sources: The Washington Post, Supreme Court, The United States Law Week (a Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. publication)