On Monday, January 24, 2022, the Supreme Court granted review of Sackett v. EPA to determine the definition of a “water of the United States,” or WOTUS, under the Clean Water Act (CWA). The outcome of the case could potentially reshape the reach of…
The Biden EPA recently released a comprehensive plan for tackling PFAS, a class of toxic forever chemicals. It’s a step forward, but is it enough to get this national problem under control?
The effects of climate change will make swaths of the planet uninhabitable, displacing millions of people. How can the United States’ legal system facilitate an equitable, humanitarian response to those seeking safe resettlement within its borders?
Residents of Flint, Michigan will likely receive some compensation soon for the poisoning of their drinking water. In August, the state of Michigan settled claims against it and Michigan officials, including former Governor Rick Snyder, for $600 million. What are the implications of the Michigan Supreme Court decision that opened the way for this settlement? And how much money are individual residents likely to see?
Should the EPA regulate fracking more heavily? Currently, states that benefit financially from fracking regulate the industry.
Pork is a big part of the American diet, but pig farming has serious environmental and human health consequences. North Carolina is one of the biggest pork producers in the country, but its state legislature, like many other states, is putting pork profits over sufficient protections.
Whereas the Refugee Convention does not provide relief for climate change refugees like Teitiota, the Alien Tort Statute (ATS) might.
As rising sea levels threaten California’s coast, the state’s characteristic beaches have become a battleground for homeowners, cities, and state regulatory agencies. Because coastal adaptation policies often pit preservation of public beaches against private property rights, recent litigation over the issue has posed a difficult question for courts: Who should (literally) give ground?
The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 protected horses and burros in the American West. Now the population has recovered (and then some). How do federal agencies approach increasingly conflicting mandates for public land management?
Florida’s Gulf Coast is known for its white beaches, lush plant and aquatic life, and unique wildlife. But this verdant paradise is threatened by the rise of red tides: harmful algae blooms that harm Florida’s economy, the health of coastal residents, and a very fragile ecosystem. What can the legal system do to protect Florida’s coast?
