Environmental Protection Agency v. Mink
410 U.S. 73 · Decided January 22, 1973 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Environmental Protection Agency v. Mink was decided on January 22, 1973 by a vote of 5–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Byron R. White wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Freedom of Information Act and related laws” in the Privacy area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 410 U.S. 73 · 93 S. Ct. 827 · 35 L. Ed. 2d 119 · 1973 U.S. LEXIS 136
- Docket number
- 71-909
- Decided
- January 22, 1973
- Argued
- November 9, 1972
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–3
- Majority opinion
- Byron R. White
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Freedom of Information Act and related laws
- Issue area
- Privacy
- Legal provision
- Freedom of Information, Sunshine, or Privacy Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William O. Douglas | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority |
Did not participate: William H. Rehnquist.
Full case caption
Environmental Protection Agency et al. v. Mink et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1972-047, docket 1972-047-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Freedom of Information Act and related laws”
- Renegotiation Board v. Bannercraft Clothing Co., Inc.
- National Labor Relations Board v. Sears
- Renegotiation Board v. Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corp.
- Administrator v. Robertson
- Department of the Air Force v. Rose
- National Labor Relations Board v. Robbins Tire & Rubber Co.
Cases on the same legal provision: Freedom of Information, Sunshine, or Privacy Act
Same Term, same area (Privacy)
- Roe v. WadeLaw held unconstitutional
- Doe v. BoltonLaw held unconstitutional
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error