Quiet Communities, Inc. et al. v. United States Environmental Protection Agency et al., Case No. 23-cv-1649 (JMC) — Memorandum opinion and order

A federal court ruled in 2023 that the EPA had unreasonably delayed for over 40 years in carrying out its legal duties under the Noise Control Act of 1972, which requires the agency to regulate environmental noise, publish noise-related reports, and help state and local governments develop noise control programs. Although President Reagan defunded the EPA's noise office in 1982, Congress never actually repealed the Noise Control Act, meaning the EPA's obligations under the law remained in force. The court granted partial summary judgment in favor of the plaintiffs, finding the EPA's inaction on four key counts unlawful.

Notes

A U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia memorandum opinion and order in a case brought by Quiet Communities, Inc. and Jeanne Kempthorne against the EPA for failing to implement the Noise Control Act of 1972 and the Quiet Communities Act of 1978. The court found it lacked jurisdiction over several claims and that one failed on the merits, but granted summary judgment for plaintiffs on four counts finding the EPA’s decades-long delay in carrying out its statutory duties unreasonable. The opinion details how the EPA effectively ceased noise control activities after Congress approved President Reagan’s 1981 budget cuts, despite never repealing the underlying statutes.

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