Legal: What’s Next?

Complaint against the Navy amended to include Endangered Species claims related to the marbled murrelet.
COER and the Washington Attorney General sent the Navy required 60 day demand letters under the federal Endangered Species Act (“ESA”) in preparation for amending their respective NEPA suits to include claims under the ESA.
COER also filed suit against the Navy under the Freedom Of Information Act (“FOIA”).
COER’s attorneys are preparing discovery and a motion to seek a preliminary injunction in federal court to stop the Navy from exceeding 6,120 annual operations at the Coupeville OLF (the number of operations the Navy established in its 2005 EA).
July 2019: COER and the Washington State AG filed NEPA lawsuits against the U.S. Navy.
October 2019: Both COER and Washington State cases consolidated by mutual agreement.
February 2020: COER filed a motion for a preliminary injunction in federal court to stop the Navy from exceeding 6,120 annual operations at the Coupeville OLF (the number of operations the Navy established in its 2005 EA)—until the court reaches a decision on the merits in the pending federal lawsuit.
COER’s attorneys are examining any and all other lawsuits that can be brought against the Navy.