Law Commons^™

The Frictions Of Federalism: The Rise And Fall Of The Federal Common Law Of Interstate Nuisance, Robert V. Percival

Faculty Scholarship

Prior to the erection in the 1970s of a comprehensive federal regulatory infrastructure to protect the environment, transboundary pollution disputes frequently were adjudicated by the U.S. Supreme Court, exercising its original jurisdiction over disputes between states. In a series of cases commencing at the dawn of the Twentieth Century, the Court served as a national arbiter of interstate pollution disputes. This paper reviews the history of the Supreme Court's use of these cases to develop a federal common law of interstate nuisance.

The paper argues that while federal common law initially performed a zoning function by encouraging polluters to relocate …

Gulf River Estuary Natural Resources Inventory, Chantal Lefebvre, Dan Hellin, Chris Crawford

Urban Harbors Institute Publications

The purpose of this analysis is to inventory the present assemblage of natural resources in the vicinity of the Gulf River estuary as well as to provide information on land use, recreational use, and pollution threats and concerns. The inventory summarizes existing research and the knowledge and experience of local experts and residents who are most familiar with the Gulf River’s natural environment. It could be used as the first step toward producing a resource management plan for the Gulf River estuary.

The analysis was initiated and funded by the Gulf River Association and prepared to serve as a reference …

Standing To Sue In Citizen Suits Against Air And Water Polluters Under Friends Of The Earth, Inc. V. Laidlaw Environmental Services (Toc), Inc., Steven A.G. Davison

All Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Restitution In Public Concern Cases, Candace Kovacic-Fleischer

Articles in Law Reviews & Other Academic Journals

Enron Corporation. Arthur Andersen. Guns. Tobacco. Lead. Asbestos. Water Pollution. All are in the news as allegedly having caused injury. All involve restitution. Plaintiffs are bringing suits claiming that not only have they been injured, but also that the companies involved have been unjustly enriched at the plaintiffs' expense. The plaintiffs use, either explicitly or implicitly, the broad concept of restitution found in section one of the Restatement of the Law of Restitution. That section, entitled "Unjust Enrichment," says "[a] person who has been unjustly enriched at the expense of another is required to make restitution to the other."' In …

What's Property Got To Do With It?, David M. Driesen

College of Law - Faculty Scholarship

This essay reviews Daniel Cole's "Pollution & Property," a recent book on property rights regimes for pollution control. It questions the utility of property rights typologies as a means of understanding pollution control regimes. The review provides a detailed analysis of the shift of rights that occurs in going from a traditional regulatory program to an emissions trading program. It finds that the shift does not create a fundamentally different property regime and explains precisely what changes. This analysis also explains the meaning of calls to perfect property rights in this context. The review concludes that Professor Cole's book does …

The Current Controversy Regarding Tmdls: Contemporary Perspectives "Tmdls And Pollutant Trading", Ann Powers

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

The article first summarizes CWA requirements relevant to TMDLs and outlines elements of an effective trading program. It then examines the program recently established by the State of Connecticut to allow trading of nitrogen credits among sewage treatment plants on Long Island Sound to achieve an established TMDL, and the CWA issues presented. Finally, it gives a brief comparison to the program being designed for the Chesapeake Bay, for which no TMDL has been established. Current brief descriptive summaries of several often cited programs are appended.

Is The Endangered Species Act Ecopragmatic?, J.B. Ruhl

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

The Article evaluates the Endangered Species Act using Dan Farber's theory of eco-pragmatism. Eco-pragmatism employs environmental baselines, a moderated precautionary principle, and adaptive management to mediate environmental policy issues. I conclude that the ESA reflects some of these attributes, but does not coherently assemble a truly eco-pragmatic framework.