Hickel v. Oil Shale Corp.
400 U.S. 48 · Decided December 8, 1970 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Hickel v. Oil Shale Corp. was decided on December 8, 1970 by a vote of 4–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice William O. Douglas wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Natural resources and environmental protection” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 400 U.S. 48 · 91 S. Ct. 196 · 27 L. Ed. 2d 193 · 1970 U.S. LEXIS 88
- Docket number
- 25
- Decided
- December 8, 1970
- Argued
- October 22, 1970
- 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
- 4–2
- Majority opinion
- William O. Douglas
- Opinion assigned by
- Hugo L. Black
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Natural resources and environmental protection
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- 30 U.S.C. § 22
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Majority | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Dissent | Co-authored an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Dissent | Co-authored an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority |
Did not participate: John M. Harlan II, Byron R. White, Thurgood Marshall.
Full case caption
Hickel, Secretary of the Interior v. Oil Shale Corp. et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1970-010, docket 1970-010-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Natural resources and environmental protection”
- Citizens to Preserve Overton Park, Inc. v. Volpe
- Ohio v. Wyandotte Chemicals Corp.
- United States v. District Court in and for the County of Eagle
- United States v. District Court in and for Water Division No. 5
- Sierra Club v. Morton
- Illinois v. City of MilwaukeeAltered precedent
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Lines v. Frederick
- Atlantic City Electric Co. v. United States
- U.S. Bulk Carriers, Inc. v. Arguelles
- Usner v. Luckenbach Overseas Corp.
- Zenith Radio Corp. v. Hazeltine Research, Inc.
- Citizens to Preserve Overton Park, Inc. v. Volpe
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