Lawsuit Launched Over Army Corps Failure to Protect Endangered Wildlife From Nationwide Permit Program

Environmental organizations, including the Center for Biological Diversity and Waterkeeper Alliance, have notified the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of their intent to sue over the reissuance of Nationwide Permits. The groups argue that these permits streamline industrial projects—such as oil pipelines, coal mines, and aquaculture—without required environmental reviews or consultations under the Endangered Species Act, leading to the destruction of wetlands and threats to wildlife like Florida manatees and whooping cranes.

• Environmental groups allege that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reissued Nationwide Permits during the end of the Trump administration without ensuring they would not jeopardize endangered species or critical habitats.
• Nationwide Permits facilitate streamlined industrial development for oil pipelines, coal mines, and marine aquaculture, which the groups claim results in the loss of tens of thousands of acres of wetlands, rivers, and streams.
• The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service have identified that activities approved under these permits threaten species such as whooping cranes, Florida manatees, and various migratory birds.
• The Army Corps is accused of ignoring a previous federal court ruling that found it violated the Endangered Species Act by failing to consult with wildlife services regarding Nationwide Permit 12, which is used for oil and gas pipelines.
• Specific concerns are raised regarding Nationwide Permit 56, which allows industrial-scale finfish aquaculture in federal waters without limits on impacts to marine mammals, turtles, and endangered fish.

APA

Fox, A. (2021). Lawsuit Launched Over Army Corps Failure to Protect Endangered Wildlife From Nationwide Permit Program. Friends of the Earth. https://foe.org/news/lawsuit-usace-fail-protect-endangered/

Chicago

Fox, Audrey. Lawsuit Launched Over Army Corps Failure to Protect Endangered Wildlife From Nationwide Permit Program. Friends of the Earth, 2021. https://foe.org/news/lawsuit-usace-fail-protect-endangered/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Fox |first1=Audrey |title=Lawsuit Launched Over Army Corps Failure to Protect Endangered Wildlife From Nationwide Permit Program |publisher=Friends of the Earth |date=8 February 2021 |url=https://foe.org/news/lawsuit-usace-fail-protect-endangered/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{fox2021lawsuit, author = {Fox, Audrey}, title = {{Lawsuit Launched Over Army Corps Failure to Protect Endangered Wildlife From Nationwide Permit Program}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth}, year = {2021}, month = feb, url = {https://foe.org/news/lawsuit-usace-fail-protect-endangered/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }