- Congress included citizen suit provisions in environmental laws like the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Safe Drinking Water Act to allow citizens to enforce them when the government does not act.
- Since the 1970s, citizen suits have been used in over 2,000 lawsuits, shaping modern environmental law by halting dams, stopping groundwater pollution, and securing millions in penalties.
- The Trump administration, in a legal filing related to the NAACP v. xAI case, argued that citizens should not be allowed to enforce environmental laws, claiming it usurps executive branch authority.
- The NAACP sued xAI under the Clean Air Act for operating natural gas turbines without permits, alleging harmful emissions linked to health issues.