SEATTLE, WA – Washington and California have joined a coalition of 15 states in a lawsuit filed against the federal government, challenging a presidential declaration of a “national energy emergency” issued on Inauguration Day. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, alleges that the emergency order unlawfully bypasses key environmental regulations.
The lawsuit targets President Donald Trump, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Plaintiffs argue that the directive unlawfully invokes emergency powers under the National Emergencies Act to fast-track energy infrastructure projects by circumventing reviews required by the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the National Historic Preservation Act.
According to the Washington Attorney General’s Office, these federal laws are critical in protecting environmental and public health, as well as culturally significant sites, including tribal lands. The lawsuit claims there is no legitimate basis for the emergency declaration, noting that U.S. energy production remains at record levels and that energy companies do not anticipate increasing output in response to the order.
“This won’t lower prices, increase our energy supply, or make our country safer,” said Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, calling the use of emergency powers in this context “illegal.”
Federal emergency procedures have historically been reserved for urgent events such as natural disasters or oil spills. The complaint alleges that the current use of emergency protocols under the president’s direction lacks precedent and misuses the intent of the law.
In addition to Washington and California, the lawsuit includes the attorneys general of Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
The coalition is asking the court to invalidate the president’s emergency declaration and to halt the issuance of permits based on it.
