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Full-Text Articles in Law
Our Town: Local Governments Play Larger Role In Environmental Policy, John R. Nolon
Our Town: Local Governments Play Larger Role In Environmental Policy, John R. Nolon
Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications
People normally perceive environmental law to be a piecemeal of federal laws mostly concerned with terminating pollution from point sources, such as smoke stacks or water pipes. Land use law on the other hand, is normally a local undertaking, often ignoring national or even regional issues. Today’s new breed of environmental problems, such as sprawl, require that different levels of government work together to create a comprehensively planned land use strategy in order to mitigate long-term environmental degradation. Through the use of financial incentives and other tools, larger bodies of government help encourage local governments to take the necessary steps …
Local Protection: Raising A Matter Of 'Sovereign Concern', John R. Nolon
Local Protection: Raising A Matter Of 'Sovereign Concern', John R. Nolon
Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications
Challenges to the expansion of local initiatives aimed at local environmental protection question the powers delegated to municipal governments from the state. New York case precedent suggests that express and implied police power authority conferred from the state to municipalities is a broad concept and includes the power to protect natural resources, scenic views, and other environmental concerns. Through the use of this power, localities are better able to meet the environmental challenges they are faced with by using innovative grass-roots initiatives
Battle For The Ages: Defining Federal Power To Affect Local Land Use, John R. Nolon
Battle For The Ages: Defining Federal Power To Affect Local Land Use, John R. Nolon
Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications
Under the 10th Amendment, the United States Constitution allows states to control land use within their jurisdiction. The federal government therefore, in its efforts to mitigate environmental damages caused by sprawl and over development, is limited to federal statutes carried about by federal agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency managed Clean Water Act. Although these federal programs are helpful at reducing pollution from point sources, they are precluded from regulating non-point sources, such as the increased storm water run-off caused by expanding development. Through federally backed programs, states could support regional land use planning that would encourage stronger environmental …
In Our Backyards: Analyzing Local Authority To Adopt Environmental Laws, John R. Nolon
In Our Backyards: Analyzing Local Authority To Adopt Environmental Laws, John R. Nolon
Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications
While the authority of municipalities to partake in land use decisions is a well-established concept, a question often arises concerning local legislative authority to adopt environmental laws. This article discusses some of the arguments advocating local environmental authority by highlighting the correlation between land use law and environmental law. Also discussed in this article, is the authority granted to local governments by the state legislature and court decisions to mitigate adverse environmental impacts.
Our Town: What Is The Role Of Local Government In Environmental Law?, John R. Nolon
Our Town: What Is The Role Of Local Government In Environmental Law?, John R. Nolon
Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications
The scope of environmental law extends beyond the federal statutes most people associate with protecting the natural world. At both the state and local level, governments have broad authority to protect the environmental integrity within their jurisdiction. State legislation such as New York’s State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) affect all government actions that may have a negative environmental impact. Furthermore, local governments, using tools originally created to enhance the value and safety of property are now using this authority, and other more novel methods, to mitigate negative environmental impacts. This article gives a brief synopsis on the background of …