United States v. Ohio

United States v. Ohio is a concise example of the judiciary’s decisive role in ascertaining the intention of parties to an agreement. Relying primarily on the original documents memorializing a cost-sharing agreement to discern intent, the court invalidated two subsurface mining leases entered into between Ohio and Buckingham Coal Company for lack of prior federal approval. The court determined that requiring pre-approval for any lease involving Project lands was consistent with the foundational and foremost purpose of the Project to control flooding.