This course provides a comprehensive overview of U.S. Environmental Law, with emphasis on federal statutes, regulatory programs, and judicial interpretation. Students will explore the legal mechanisms used to address pollution control, natural resource protection, climate change, and environmental justice. The course centers around the major environmental statutes, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and Endangered Species Act (ESA), as well as relevant constitutional principles, administrative law doctrines, and enforcement mechanisms.
Students will examine the interplay between federal, state, and tribal governments, as well as the legal challenges involved in balancing economic development with environmental protection. Contemporary topics such as climate change litigation, environmental racism, biodiversity loss, and the role of market-based mechanisms in environmental regulation will also be addressed.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
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Understand and interpret the major federal environmental statutes and their implementing regulations.
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Analyze the role of administrative agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in environmental governance.
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Apply foundational constitutional principles such as standing, commerce clause authority, federalism, and due process to environmental contexts.
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Understand the enforcement tools and procedural mechanisms used in environmental litigation and agency action.
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Identify and critique the legal and policy strategies used to address complex environmental challenges, including climate change, water scarcity, and biodiversity loss.
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Evaluate evolving approaches to environmental governance, including cooperative federalism, environmental justice, and public participation.
