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Case TitleWILDEARTH GUARDIANS v. OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT et al
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2019cv00865
Date Filed2019-03-26
Date Closed2019-11-20
JudgeJudge Amy Berman Jackson
PlaintiffWILDEARTH GUARDIANS
Case DescriptionWildEarth Guardians submitted a FOIA request to the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement for records concerning WildEarth Guardians' citizens complaint regarding violations of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act's contemporaneous reclamation requirements at coal mines in the Powder River Basin of Montana and Wyoming. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request. After WildEarth Guardians' made several attempts to inquire about the status of its request, the agency told WildEarth Guardians that it was still working on determining the status of the organization's FOIA requests. After hearing nothing further from the agency, WildEarth Guardians filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Adequacy - Search, Litigation - Vaughn index, Litigation - Attorney's fees

DefendantOFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Interior
DefendantU.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR a federal agency
Documents
Docket
Complaint
Complaint attachment 1
Complaint attachment 2
Complaint attachment 3
Complaint attachment 4
Complaint attachment 5
User-contributed Documents
 
Docket Events (Hide)
Date FiledDoc #Docket Text

2019-03-261COMPLAINT against All Defendants ( Filing fee $ 400 receipt number 0090-6023471) filed by WILDEARTH GUARDIANS. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Summons Civil Process Clerk, # 3 Summons DOI, # 4 Summons OSMRE, # 5 Summons U.S. AG)(McKay, Jeremy) (Entered: 03/26/2019)
2019-03-262LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by WILDEARTH GUARDIANS (McKay, Jeremy) (Entered: 03/26/2019)
2019-03-27Case Assigned to Judge Amy Berman Jackson. (zef, ) (Entered: 03/27/2019)
2019-03-273SUMMONS (4) Issued Electronically as to OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General. (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent)(zef, ) (Entered: 03/27/2019)
2019-04-084RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 4/2/2019. Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 5/2/2019. (McKay, Jeremy) (Entered: 04/08/2019)
2019-04-085RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 04/03/2019. (McKay, Jeremy) (Entered: 04/08/2019)
2019-04-086RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR served on 4/1/2019 (McKay, Jeremy) (Entered: 04/08/2019)
2019-04-087RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT served on 4/1/2019 (McKay, Jeremy) (Entered: 04/08/2019)
2019-04-098NOTICE of Appearance by Alexa Marie Carreno on behalf of WILDEARTH GUARDIANS (Carreno, Alexa) (Entered: 04/09/2019)
2019-05-019MOTION for Extension of Time to File Answer by OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (Clark, Denise) (Entered: 05/01/2019)
2019-05-01MINUTE ORDER granting 9 Motion for Extension of Time to Answer. Defendants must answer or otherwise respond to plaintiff's complaint by June 3, 2019. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 5/1/2019. (lcabj2) (Entered: 05/01/2019)
2019-06-0310Unopposed MOTION for Extension of Time to REspond to Complaint by OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (Clark, Denise) (Entered: 06/03/2019)
2019-06-04MINUTE ORDER granting 10 Motion for Extension of Time. Defendants must file an answer to the complaint or otherwise respond by July 2, 2019. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 6/4/2019. (lcabj2) (Entered: 06/04/2019)
2019-06-04Set/Reset Deadlines: Answer to the Complaint due by 7/2/2019. (tg) (Entered: 06/04/2019)
2019-06-2611Unopposed MOTION for Extension of Time to Respond to Complaint by OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (Clark, Denise) (Entered: 06/26/2019)
2019-06-28MINUTE ORDER granting 11 Motion for Extension of Time. Defendants must file an answer to the complaint or otherwise respond by August 5, 2019. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 6/28/2019. (lcabj2) (Entered: 06/28/2019)
2019-08-0212Unopposed MOTION for Extension of Time to Respond to Complaint by OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (Clark, Denise) (Entered: 08/02/2019)
2019-08-08MINUTE ORDER granting 12 Motion for Extension of Time. Defendants must file an answer to the complaint or otherwise respond by September 19, 2019. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 8/8/2019. (lcabj2) (Entered: 08/08/2019)
2019-09-1713Unopposed MOTION for Extension of Time to Answer Complaint , Unopposed MOTION for Extension of Time to File Answer by OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (Clark, Denise) (Entered: 09/17/2019)
2019-09-18MINUTE ORDER granting 13 Motion for Extension of Time. Defendants must file an answer to the complaint or otherwise respond by October 18, 2019. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 9/18/2019. (lcabj2) (Entered: 09/18/2019)
2019-10-1614Joint STATUS REPORT by OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR. (Clark, Denise) (Entered: 10/16/2019)
2019-10-17MINUTE ORDER. The deadline to answer or otherwise respond to the complaint set forth in the Court's minute order of September 18, 2019 is hereby VACATED. The parties must submit a joint status report by October 30, 2019, if the case has not been dismissed by then. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 10/17/2019. (lcabj2) (Entered: 10/17/2019)
2019-10-3015STIPULATION OF SETTLEMENT, JOINT by WILDEARTH GUARDIANS. (Carreno, Alexa) (Entered: 10/30/2019)
2019-11-0616STIPULATION AND ORDER. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 11/6/19. (DMK) (Entered: 11/06/2019)
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