Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation v. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, in his official capacity, Jennifer Quan, Regional Administrator NOAA Fisheries West Region, in her official capacity, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Secretary of the Interior Douglas Burgum, in his official capacity

Summary

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington denied as moot the Confederated Tribes' motion for a preliminary injunction concerning grant funding administered under the Inflation Reduction Act. The court also denied reconsideration of its prior denial of temporary restraining orders and denied a related motion to expedite, finding no clear error and emphasizing the narrow scope of judicial review of agency decision-making.

Holdings

1. The motion for a preliminary injunction was moot because the requested relief was no longer available after the grant-award letters had been sent.
2. Reconsideration was unwarranted because Plaintiffs did not establish newly discovered evidence, clear error, or an intervening change in controlling law.
3. The court found no clear evidence that Defendants acted beyond the discretion afforded to them in establishing grant-funding eligibility standards and determining that Plaintiffs were ineligible.

Questions Presented

1. Whether the motion for a preliminary injunction was moot because the requested injunctive relief was no longer available after grant-award letters had been sent.
2. Whether the court should reconsider or strike its prior order denying Plaintiffs' motions for temporary restraining orders.
3. Whether the record showed clear error or agency action beyond the discretion afforded to Defendants.

Disposition

other