Christopher Schuler, christopher.schuler@sierraclub.org
Oakland, CA – The Sierra Club filed another lawsuit against the Trump Administration, this time seeking to hold the Department of the Interior accountable for its failure to respond to basic Freedom of Information Act requests within the timeline required by law, or even to provide estimates of when such requests may be fulfilled. As concerns mount over the department elevating private interests over the agency’s responsibility to protect public lands, the Sierra Club filed FOIA requests seeking external communications of key Interior staff—including Secretary Doug Burgum, acting assistant secretaries, and designated DOGE staff—to better understand who might be influencing actions the department is taking and hold officials accountable. However, to date, Interior has refused to provide information compliant with these requests, leaving the Sierra Club no choice but to file a complaint demanding access to the lawfully requested records.
In just the first few months of this Administration, Secretary Burgum and his staff have, among other things, opened vulnerable coastlines to offshore drilling; fast-tracked the approval of uranium mining in Utah without analyzing the impact it will have on people or the environment; approved the expansion of a Montana coal mine embroiled in allegations of bribery, drug trafficking, and other criminality; and refused to provide details about its plans to shrink at least six national monuments. Additionally, DOI has reduced timeframes for some environmental reviews to dangerously short periods—sometimes even just a matter of days—all but ensuring incomplete and unsafe work on extractive projects. The public has a right to know who is influencing these decisions and which organizations have the ear of Secretary Burgum.
“As head of the department tasked with stewardship of America’s public lands, it is deeply troubling that Secretary Burgum is ignoring his duty to protect these national treasures and instead has chosen to treat our parks, monuments, and wild places as a playground for the country’s biggest polluters,” said Athan Manuel, director of Sierra Club’s Lands Protection Program. “The American people have a right to know exactly how decisions are being made and which companies and individuals are attempting to control or influence what happens to and on our public lands. Donald Trump and Doug Burgum owe the American people an explanation, and they can start by responding to our lawful and legitimate public records requests.”
Conrad | Metlitzky | Kane LLP and Sierra Club’s Environmental Law Program are representing Sierra Club in the lawsuit.
In addition to this complaint, the Sierra Club recently filed another lawsuit against the Trump Administration’s Department of Energy for also unlawfully failing to respond to the organization’s FOIA requests. In March, Sierra Club requested calendars and correspondence from 30 new political appointees, including Secretary Chris Wright and embedded DOGE staffers, among others. The Department of Energy has also not provided a single document in response to these requests and has not even committed to a timeframe for responding.
“If the Department of Interior refuses to share its communications with the fossil fuel industry and other interests seeking to profit from our public lands, that should deeply concern every American,” said Elena Saxonhouse, Sierra Club Managing Attorney and FOIA Lead. “Interior manages more than 70 percent of America's federally-owned public lands, from parks and historic places to wildlife refuges and recreation areas. As we continue to see mass firings cripple our federal workforce and the ongoing push to privatize and develop our shared spaces to benefit corporate polluters and billionaires, we need government transparency now more than ever.”
The Sierra Club and dozens of other organizations, news outlets, and individuals have also filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests seeking information regarding the Trump Administration’s use of presidential exemptions that will allow polluting facilities avoid air pollution regulations, like Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), for up to several years. The Trump Administration’s EPA has not released all the requested information for the 47 FOIA requests.
Sierra Club’s Environmental Law Program (ELP) ramped up its Freedom of Information Act work this year in response to actions taken by the second Trump Administration. During Trump’s first Administration, Sierra Club’s ELP FOIA work was crucial in exposing numerous scandals. Most notably, the Sierra Club’s efforts helped lead to the resignation of Trump’s first EPA Administrator, Scott Pruitt.
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.