Climate Working Group Violated Federal Law, Court Declares (1)

The Energy Department acted unlawfully when putting together the Climate Working Group as part of efforts to undo the landmark greenhouse gas endangerment finding, a federal judge ruled Friday.

The ruling was a win for advocates Environmental Defense Fund and Union of Concerned Scientists, who argued the group operated in secret in violation of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

“The Climate Working Group was not exempt from the requirements of FACA,” said Judge William G. Young of the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The working group “was a Federal Advisory Committee,” despite the Trump administration’s argument to ...