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Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Holds that Cultural Uses May Be Considered in Natural Resource Damage Assessments
September 24, 2025
Natalia P. Teekah, Esq.
MGKF Litigation Blog
This month, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held in Confederated Tribes of the Colville Rsrv. v. Teck Cominco Metals Ltd, No. 24-5565, 2025 WL 2525853 (9th Cir. Sept. 3, 2025) that CERCLA permits recovery of natural resource damages with a cultural use component, effectively reversing the district court’s holding that cultural resource damages are not authorized under CERCLA.
