[JURIST] Leading Tuesday's environmental law news, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit [official website] has ruled [PDF opinion text] to reinstate six joined cases against DuPont [corporate website] for hiding evidence about Benlate [extoxnet profile], a fungicide sold by the company, so that it could more easily settle crop loss cases in violation of the federal RICO statute [text] and state law. In its remand, the appellate court also took the step of reassigning the case to a new judge due to a number of "unusual factors that indicate to us that a reassignment is advisable to preserve the appearance of justice." The Los Angeles Times has more.

In other environmental law news...

• The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection [official website] has settled cases with Chevron [corporate website] and ConocoPhillips [corporate website] for environmental damage caused primarily by leaking tanks at gas stations. According to an announcement [press release] made Monday, the companies will purchase and give to the state 449 acres of land, including the restoration of 11 acres of wetlands, in compensation for pollution that has occurred on 355 acres of land in the state. AP has more.