Environmental Law Commons^™

Fear And Loathing In The Siting Of Hazardous And Radioactive Waste Facilities: A Comprehensive Approach To A Misperceived Crisis, Michael B. Gerrard

Faculty Scholarship

Few laws have failed so completely as the federal and state statutes designed to create new facilities for the disposal of hazardous and radioactive waste. Despite scores of siting attempts and the expenditure of several billion dollars since the mid-1970s, only one radioactive waste disposal facility, only one hazardous waste landfill (in the aptly named Last Chance, Colorado), and merely a handful of hazardous waste treatment and incineration units are operating on new sites in the United States today.

In 1981, a leading member of Congress, relying on data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), predicted that by 1985 …

Self-Publication: Defamation Within The Employment Context., Howard J. Siegel

St. Mary's Law Journal

This Article reviews the rules and reasoning various jurisdictions have maintained in defamation actions supported by self-publication. This type of defamation action is commonly known as self-defamation. Before the law will hold the originator of a defamatory statement liable for defamation, publication of the defamatory comments must occur. Generally, defamatory communications are those communications which tend to injure one’s reputation. Publication normally occurs when one communicates the defamatory matter to “one other than the person defamed.” Originally, courts considered defamation actions valid only when the defamed person alleged that the originator directly published the statement to a third person. Under …

Time Limitations For Objecting To Claims: The Interplay Between Sections 502(D) And 546(A) Of The Bankruptcy Code., Gregory G. Hesse

St. Mary's Law Journal

It is common lore among bankruptcy trustees and lawyers that a bankruptcy trustee has an unlimited time period under the Bankruptcy Code (the Code) to file objections to claims. Neither Section 502(a) of the Code nor Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 3007 contains time limitations within which an objection to a claim must be filed. Yet, creative creditor attorneys have fashioned arguments that the two-year limitations period placed on avoidance actions by Section 546(a) of the Code applies to claim objection proceedings brought under Section 502(d). Because courts have held the limitations period of Section 546(a) applies to claim objection …

U.S. Taxation Of U.S. Persons Doing Business Or Investing In Mexico: An Overview., William H. Hornberger

St. Mary's Law Journal

U.S. persons who plan to do business in Mexico or invest in new or existing Mexican business ventures are faced with a myriad of U.S. federal income tax issues. U.S. counsel advising U.S. persons regarding the ownership structure for a contemplated business or investment in Mexico should have a basic understanding of the U.S. system of international taxation. While a working knowledge of Mexico’s tax system is also helpful, Mexican counsel can provide information regarding the Mexican tax implications of doing business or investing in Mexico. A review of the U.S. system of international taxation should begin with a consideration …

Banning Motherhood: An Rx To Combat Child Abuse., Toni Driver Saunders

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

Enhanced Punishment Under The Texas Hate Crimes Act: Politics, Panacea, Or Pathway To Hell., David Todd Smith

St. Mary's Law Journal

Nearly without exception, modern legislatures have responded to the reprehensible nature and detrimental social effects of hate crime by enacting laws specifically designed to punish the offender’s discriminatory animus. The term “hate crime” describes criminal conduct which is motivated by the offender’s bias or prejudice against another cognizable group. Although the reprehensible nature of a hate crime is often apparent from the facts of any given case, the repercussions of these offenses exceed the ignoble character of any one specific act. Texas has now joined the ranks of these jurisdictions by adopting legal provisions which authorize heightened penalties upon a …

Organizing From The Ground Up: Watershed Initiatives: The Recent Truckee River Experience, Robert S. Pelcyger

Water Organizations in a Changing West (Summer Conference, June 14-16)

15 pages.

New Legislative Approaches, Laird Noh

Water Organizations in a Changing West (Summer Conference, June 14-16)

7 pages.

Fort Collins And The Cache La Poudre River: An Integrated Greenway Vision, Kari V. Henderson

Water Organizations in a Changing West (Summer Conference, June 14-16)

16 pages.

Contains references.

Water Quality Impacts Of The Point Of Diversion, Robert C. Helwick

Water Organizations in a Changing West (Summer Conference, June 14-16)

14 pages.

Contains references.

Providing For Fisheries, Recreation, And Other Instream Benefits, Ron Bishop

Water Organizations in a Changing West (Summer Conference, June 14-16)

10 pages.

From Conflict To Cooperative Water Resource Management: The Chelan Agreement And Water Resources Forum [Outline], Bill Frank, Jr.

Water Organizations in a Changing West (Summer Conference, June 14-16)

8 pages.

Supplying Southern California With Dependable Supplies Of Water, Duane L. Georgeson

Water Organizations in a Changing West (Summer Conference, June 14-16)

20 pages (includes 1 map).

Contains references.

The Protection Of Wildlife Under Washington's Growth Management Act, Alan D. Copsey

Seattle University Law Review

Will critical areas and resource lands, as implemented under the GMA, effectively contribute to the conservation of wildlife and wildlife habitat in Washington? The remainder of this Article will address that question. First, this Article briefly describes some aspects of biological diversity that must be understood before proceeding further. Second, it sets forth several central principles from modern conservation biology that are essential for maintaining habitat integrity and species viability and considers their applicability to critical areas and resource lands, as defined by the GMA. Third, it explains how these principles could be used to identify and protect habitat remnants …

Environmental Rule Making In Illinois, 27 J. Marshall L. Rev. 121 (1993), Bill Forcade

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Erosion Of Home Rule Through The Emergence Of State-Interests In Land Use Control, John R. Nolon

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

The conventional wisdom is that New York's failure to adopt a comprehensive state-wide land use system is due to reluctance of the state legislature to diminish local control of land use. The purpose of this article is to explore that assumption as part of a larger examination of the proper course of land law reform in New York. The case and statutory law that have developed since the experiences of the early 1970s indicate that local “home rule” authority is neither a legal nor a political barrier to effective land use legislation in the broader state interest. Part II briefly …

Guidance For Growth: A Symposium On Washington State's Growth Management Act, Kimberly L. Deasy, Brian L. Holtzclaw

Seattle University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Economic Development And Public Transit: Making The Most Of The Washington Growth Management Act, Robert H. Freilich, Elizabeth A. Garvin, S. Mark White

Seattle University Law Review

Rapid and unplanned urban growth in the urbanizing and rural fringe areas of the United States has led to numerous problems for state, local, and regional governments. In particular, six crises are readily identifiable, each of which threatens to undermine quality of life and local competitive economic advantage. These crises include the following: (1) deterioration of central cities, first-ring suburbs, and closer-in neighborhoods, resulting in depopulation and abandonment of housing and the employment base; (2) spiraling suburban sprawl, creating massive infrastructure as well as energy costs; (3) loss of prime agricultural lands; (4) environmental crises and threats to open space, …

The Growth Management Revolution In Washington: Past, Present, And Future, Richard L. Settle, Charles G. Gavigan

Seattle University Law Review

Since near misses nearly twenty years ago, comprehensive reform of Washington land use regulatory legislation has been simmering on the back burner. In 1989, the pot began to boil. Central Puget Sound area motorists fumed in "gridlock" traffic. They denounced dense, downtown development, fretted over soaring housing prices, and lamented the loss of forests, farms, and salmon-spawning streams. Thus, the growth management revolution was fomented not by the poor and downtrodden, nor by academic theorists, but by the middle-class suburban masses who sensed escalating degradation of community, environment, and quality of life. They demanded change. The revolutionary battles were fought …

Regulation Of Wetlands In Western Washington Under The Growth Management Act, Alison Moss, Beverlee E. Silva

Seattle University Law Review

Wetlands protection has long been an important issue in the central Puget Sound. With the passage of the Growth Management Act (GMA), all counties and cities within the state are now required to adopt regulations "protecting" critical areas, including wetlands. This requirement furthers the GMA's environmental goal to "[p]rotect the environment and enhance the state's high quality of life, including air and water quality, and the availability of water." This Article will explore these and related issues arising under the wetlands regulatory scheme in Washington following the adoption of the GMA. It will show how this complex, multi-layered regulation scheme …

Takings Law, Lucas, And The Growth Management Act, John M. Groen, Richard M. Stephens

Seattle University Law Review

In light of Lucas and the recent constitutionally questionable Washington decisions, government entities charged with implementing the GMA may have a more difficult time avoiding takings liability than previously thought. Accordingly, this Article first seeks to clarify the modern takings analysis as refined by Lucas. Second, Washington takings precedent is contrasted with the federal approach and several key changes are suggested to make state law consistent with controlling federal precedent. Third, key aspects of the GMA are identified that can be expected to raise takings implications. By identifying potential trouble spots in the GMA now, hopefully some takings will …

Is The Growth Management Act Working? A Survey Of Resource Lands And Critical Areas Development Regulations, Gary Pivo

Seattle University Law Review

Section II of this Article begins with a summary of Washington's statutory requirements for both local resource land and critical area development regulations. Section II then reviews the circumstances under which those regulations have been adopted. Section III describes the methods used by the research team to collect and evaluate those regulations. Section IV examines whether Washington counties and cities have met their adoption deadlines. Section V describes the general approaches being taken for meeting those requirements. Section VI compares the regulations to one another in order to judge their consistency and relative restrictiveness throughout Washington. Section VII looks at …

As Natural Landscaping Takes Root We Must Weed Out The Bad Laws - How Natural Landscaping And Leopold's Land Ethic Collide With Unenlightned Weed Laws And What Must Be Done About It, 26 J. Marshall L. Rev. 865 (1993), Bret Rappaport

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Planner's Panacea Or Pandora's Box: A Realistic Assessment Of The Role Of Urban Growth Areas In Achieving Growth Management Goals, Keith W. Dearborn, Ann M. Gygi

Seattle University Law Review

Over the past twenty years, Urban Growth Areas (UGAs) have become a tool of choice to manage growth. Numerous states and local jurisdictions have mandated UGAs in hope of confining urbanization, reducing sprawl, protecting open space and resource lands, and minimizing infrastructure investment. Washington State joined the trend in 1990 when it adopted the Growth Management Act (GMA), which requires certain counties to establish UGAs as a central component of its "bottom up" growth management strategy. Nonetheless, thoughtful criticisms have been offered regarding the utility of UGAs to accomplish intended growth management goals, and concerns have emerged regarding unintended consequences …

Between Scylla And Charybdis: Growth Management Act Implementation That Avoids Takings And Substantive Due Process Limitations, Jeffrey M. Eustis

Seattle University Law Review

This Article begins with an overview of the GMA. It then proceeds with a summary of recent case law under the Takings Clause and substantive due process doctrine. After laying this groundwork, this Article focuses on four particular areas of growth management control and explores how local legislation implementing these areas of control would be analyzed under the Takings Clause and substantive due process. These four areas of land use regulation include: critical area protections, resource land designations, development phasing requirements for concurrency and urban growth areas, and impact fees for public facilities and services. This Article then concludes with …

Proof Of Attorney's Fees In Texas., Scott A. Brister

St. Mary's Law Journal

In Texas, the complex and confusing rules defining proof of attorney’s fees require simplification. Texas, like many other states, follows the American Rule, meaning the plaintiff and defendant each pay their own attorney’s fees. The United States is the only common-law jurisdiction and virtually the only industrialized democracy following the American Rule. Two primary justifications support following the American Rule. First, the American Rule supports individuals seeking a judicial remedy by removing the obstacle of paying an opponent’s legal fees. Second, it reduces potential litigation, attendant time and expense that would be necessary to dispute legal fees if they were …

Use Of Excessive Physical Force Against An Inmate May Constitute Cruel And Unusual Punishment Even Though The Prisoner Does Not Suffer Significant Injury., Anthony A. Avey

St. Mary's Law Journal

In Hudson v. McMillian, the Supreme Court held that use of excessive physical force against an inmate may constitute cruel and unusual punishment even though the prisoner does not suffer any significant injury. The Eighth Amendment has evolved significantly since its adoption in 1791, becoming a complex line of authority which over time expanded the rights of criminals and convicts. Recent cases have attempted to mold the varying Eight Amendment standards into a more cohesive legal doctrine. These efforts were meant to clarify the doctrine of cruel and unusual punishments; however, the divergent interpretations of these decisions rendered Eighth Amendment …

Summary Of The Convention Between The Government Of The United States Of America And The Government Of The United Mexican States For The Avoidance Of Double Taxation And The Prevention Of Fiscal Evasion With Respect To Taxes On Income., Raul S. Moreyra

St. Mary's Law Journal

To prevent double taxation and income tax evasion, the Mexico and United States governments signed a convention in September 1992. The convention establishes when businesses may be subject to either United States or Mexico tax liabilities. Key to the application of the convention is the concept of permanent establishment. Permanent establishment is the designation given to a business situated in Mexico that transacts operations for a United States enterprise. This designation determines which nation, the United States or Mexico, will collect taxes from the business. If the business is a permanent establishment, the Mexican government will collect taxes. The types …

Tending The Bar In Texas: Alcoholism As A Mitigating Factor In Attorney Discipline., Patricia Sue Heil

St. Mary's Law Journal

This Comment describes the nature and scope of alcoholism and chemical dependency in the legal profession. It reviews the current state of the law regarding alcoholism as a mitigating factor in attorney discipline. Addictive illnesses manifest themselves in ways which leave afflicted attorneys unable to practice law in accordance with professional rules of conduct. The majority of attorney-discipline cases involve alcoholism or chemical dependency. An attorney whose illness remains untreated will likely become the subject of grievance-committee investigations. For disciplinary cases involving alcoholism, a suggested analysis includes establishing a nexus between illness and misconduct. Additionally, it includes a causal connection …

Lawmaker As Lawbreaker: Enforcement Actions Against Municipalities For Failing To Comply With The Clean Water Act, G. Nelson Smith Iii

Cleveland State Law Review

The Clean Water Act makes it unlawful for anyone, including municipalities, to discharge a pollutant into navigable waters except as authorized by specific sections of the Act. To implement this prohibition, as well as the exceptions, the Act established a complex system regulating all discharges into the navigable waters of the United States. Under the Act, the discharge of pollutants without a permit or in violation of a permit condition may result in civil penalties and/or a criminal penalty per day per violation. While these penalties could be extremely costly for municipalities, the problem becomes even more severe because many …