US Can Intervene in Cruise Line Challenge to Hawaii ‘Green Fee’

The US can intervene in order to back a lawsuit challenging Hawaii’s environmental tax on cruise line ships, a federal district court held.

The federal government met Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 24(b)(2) because its motion was timely, it’s a federal governmental agency or officer, it administers a law at dispute in the case, and its intervention wouldn’t prejudice the parties, the US District Court for the District of Hawaii said Thursday.

The motion was filed before a decision on Hawaii’s motion to dismiss the case, and it’s still early in the proceedings, the court said..

Cruise line industry groups ...