MAF 520 - Environmental Law, Prof. Daniel Suman

Goals:

Course Description - This course will expose you to some interesting and controversial issues in environmental law and give you a feeling for how the legal system in the United States operates. Another key concern will be how administrative agencies translate environmental statutes into regulations and actual policies. After this training, you will hopefully be more effective environmental professionals. During the later half of the course we will focus on environmental themes that are of particular importance to marine professionals, such as marine mammal protection, marine protected areas, and coastal wetland regulation.

Syllabus:

Aug. 23 (W) - COURSE INTRODUCTION

Aug. 28 (M) - Kubasek [K], Chapt. 1, The American Legal System, pp. 3-35.

Aug. 30 (W) - Kubasek [K], Chapt. 2, The Litigation Process and Other Tools for Resolving Environmental Disputes, pp. 36-64.

Sept. 6 (W) - Boomer v. Atlantic Cement, GJ 37-47.

Sept. 11 (M) - K, Chapt. 3, Administrative Law and its Impact on the Environment, pp. 65-91.

Sept. 13 (W) - Just, GJ 19-35.

Sept. 18 (M) - Tanner v. Armco Steel, GJ 49-59

Sept. 20 (W) - Sierra Club v. Lyng, GJ 61-71

Sept. 25 (M) - K, Chapt. 4, An Introduction to Environmental Law and Policy, pp. 95-120.

Sept. 27 (W) - Ethyl Corp. v. USEPA, GJ 73-92 K, Chapt. 5, Air Quality Control, pp. 121-147

Oct. 2 (M) & 4 (W) - Environmental Law in Latin America, Dr. Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Peruvian Society of Environmental Law

Exercise #1 distributed (Oct. 4)

Oct. 9 (M) - Palila v. Hawaii, GJ 93-103
TVA v. Hill

Exercise #1 returned

Oct. 11(W) - du Pont v. Train, GJ 109-118
K, Chapt. 6, Water Quality Control, pp. 148-168. Oct. 16 (M) - Guo Chun Di v. Carroll, GJ 119-131
Dow Chemical v. Alfaro, GJ 133-141

Oct. 18 (W) - , GJ 143-152
, GJ 189-201

Oct. 23 (M) - Mono Lake case, GJ 169-187

Oct. 25 (W) - Intermountain Forest Industry Assn., GJ 203-219

Oct. 27 (F) & 30 (M) - MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTION ACT

Marine Mammal Protection Act, 16 U.S.C. sec. 1361 et seq.
Katelnikoff v. US Department of the Interior, 657 F.Supp. 659 (1986)
Didrickson v. US Department of the Interior, 796 F.Supp. 1281 (1991)
Earth Island Institute v. Mosbacher, 929 F.2d 1449 (1991)

Nov. 1 (W) - Exercise #2 distributed

Nov. 6 (M), 8 (W) & 13 (M) - DEFINITION OF WETLANDS & THE CLEAN WATER ACT

Clean Water Act, sec. 404
Avoyelles Sportsmen's League v. Marsh, 715 F. 2d 897 (1983)
Deltona Corp. v. United States, 657 F.2d 1184 (1981)
Florida Rock Industry v. United States, 21 Cl. Ct. 161, 20 ELR 21201 (1990)

MANGROVE MANAGEMENT IN THE TROPICAL AMERICAS

Suman, A Comparative Analysis of Mangrove Management in Central America and Florida, Wetlands Ecology and Management

Exercise #2 returned

Nov. 15 (W) & 20 (M) - ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

El Pueblo para el Aire y Agua Limpio v. County of Kings, (no. 366045, Superior Court, Sacramento County, CA) (1991)
East Bigg Twiggs, GJ 157-168
Bean v. Southwestern Waste Management Corp., 482 F. Supp. 673 (1986)

Nov. 22 (W), 27 (M) & 29 (W) - MARINE PROTECTED AREAS

PWIA v. Department of Commerce, 48 F.3d 540 (1995)
Conservation Law Foundation v. Secretary of the Interior, 864 F.2d 954 (1989)

FINAL EXERCISE: Final take-home exercise to be distributed on Nov. 29(W) and returned on Dec. 4 (M) by 5 p.m., GJ 133-141

Assignments:

Two short take-home exercises, Final Exam.

Grades:

Three take-home exercies - 90%, class participation - 10%.

Textbook:

1. Green Justice: The Environment and the Courts (Hoban & Brooks) (2nd Edition) [GJ]
   
2. Course Reader