Environmental Law Case Briefs
Environmental law addresses the regulation of human activities that affect the natural environment. The course covers federal statutes like the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, NEPA, CERCLA, and the Endangered Species Act, along with common-law nuisance and the evolving role of agencies like the EPA.
The cases below include landmark decisions like Massachusetts v. EPA (EPA authority over greenhouse gases), Rapanos v. United States (Clean Water Act jurisdiction), and Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal Council (regulatory takings). You will also find cases on standing in environmental litigation, cost-benefit analysis, and citizen suit provisions.
Each brief is formatted for law-school study to help you prepare for class, build outlines, or review before exams.
Alaska v. U.S. Department of Transportation
American Bar Association v. Federal Trade Commission
American Farmland Trust v. Glickman
American Rivers v. FERC
American Rivers v. United States Army Corps of Engineers
Appalachian Voices v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Barsotti v. Barsotti
Black Warrior Riverkeeper, Inc. v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Blue Legs v. United States
Blue Mountain Biodiversity Project v. Blackwood
Buffalo River Taskforce v. United States Army Corps of Engineers
California v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Californians for Renewable Energy v. U.S. Bureau of Land Management
Center for Biological Diversity v. Kempthorne
Center for Environmental Law v. U.S. EPA
Circle No. 7 v. EPA
Citizens for a Better Environment v. Gorsuch
City of New York v. State of New York
Clarification needed: "Ink v. City of Canton"
Cleveland v. City of Akron
Coalition for Buzzards Bay v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Coalition of Concerned Citizens v. U.S. EPA
Coastal Conservation League v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Columbia Basin Land Protection Association v. Schreiber
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Communities for a Better Environment v. State of California
Connecticut v. American Electric Power Co.
D.C. Federation of Civic Associations v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Davis v. Department of Navy
Dawn v. United States Army Corps of Engineers
Defenders of Wildlife v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Department of Social Services v. B.B.
Department of Transportation v. Ass
Derrickson v. State of Nebraska
Eagle Point v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Earth Island Institute v. Carlton
Environmental Defense Fund v. Costle
Environmental Defense Fund v. U.S. EPA
Environmental Defense Fund, Inc. v. Tennessee Valley Authority
Environmental Research Center v. United States
EPA v. E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co.
Farmers Union Central Exchange, Inc. v. FERC
Florida Power & Light Co. v. EPA
Forest Conservation Council v. Rosboro Lumber Co.
Friends of the Colorado River v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Friends of the Earth, Inc. v. Laidlaw Environmental Services (TOC), Inc.
Friends of the Everglades v. South Florida Water Management District
Global Tel*Link Corp. v. U.S. Department of Justice
Great Basin Mine Watch v. Hankins
Greenpeace v. National Marine Fisheries Service
Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Holliday v. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Hollis v. State of California
Howard v. City of Salem
In re A.M.
In re the Marriage of Wilson
In re: Atlantic States Legal Foundation
In re: Blue Water Network
In re: City of Chicago
In re: Schumann
Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. v. United States
Karp v. Department of Environmental Protection
Kelley v. United States
Kern County Land Company v. City of Bakersfield
Klamath Water Users Association v. Patterson
Kleppe v. New Mexico
League of Women Voters of Florida v. Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Little River Band of Ottawa Indians v. National Park Service
Los Angeles v. Lyons
Louisiana v. Baird
Mack v. Johnson
Maine v. McGahn
Maine v. Secretary of the Army
Meghrig v. KFC Western, Inc.
Metcalf v. State of Alaska
Michigan Department of Health v. Lewis
Nantahala Power and Light Co. v. Thornburg
National Audubon Society v. Department of Water and Power of the City of Los Angeles
National Park Service v. Massachusetts
National Wildlife Federation v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
National Wildlife Federation v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
National Wildlife Federation v. U.S. Forest Service
Natural Resources Defense Council v. Costle
Natural Resources Defense Council v. U.S. EPA
Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. v. EPA (the Benzene NESHAP case)
Navajo Nation v. United States Forest Service
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation v. U.S. EPA
New York State v. EPA
Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority v. Maryland Environment Service
Northwest Environmental Defense Center v. Brown
Northwest Environmental Defense Center v. Gordon
Nottoway v. Commonwealth
NRDC v. U.S. EPA
Ohio v. United States
Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Oregon Natural Desert Association v. U.S. Bureau of Land Management
Oregon Natural Desert Association v. U.S. Forest Service
Palm Beach County v. U.S. Department of Environmental Protection
Park v. Forest Service
Perry v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Port of Seattle v. Washington State Department of Ecology
Preamble v. EPA
Pronsolino v. Nastri
Protecting the Environment v. City of New York
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Reserve Mining Co. v. EPA
Riggins v. McCarthy
Robertson v. Methow Valley Citizens Council
Rocky Mountain Farmers Union v. Goldstene
Salazar v. Bulley
Santos v. H & R Block, Inc.
Scott v. City of New York
Sierra Club v. Cargill, Inc.
Sierra Club v. City of New York
Sierra Club v. City of San Antonio
Sierra Club v. State of Wyoming
Sierra Club v. United States Army Corps of Engineers
Simmons v. State
State of California v. General Motors Corp.
State of California v. United States
State of Maryland v. EPA
State of New York v. EPA
State of Washington v. EPA
State v. Appellate Division
State v. Tillamook County
Texas v. EPA
Tiffany v. N.Y. State Department of Environmental Conservation
Towns v. Michigan Department of Education
Tulare Lake Basin Water Storage District v. United States
United States v. Anderson
United States v. Mangus
United States v. N. F. D. D.
United States v. Reynolds
United States v. Tanimura and Antle, Inc.
United States v. V & S Environmental Services, Inc.
W.S. Kirkpatrick & Co. v. Environmental Tectonics Corp., Int
Waterkeeper Alliance v. EPA
West Coast Seafood Processors Association v. National Marine Fisheries Service
Wild Fish Conservancy v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Wilderness Society v. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Wildlife Conservation Society v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Wildlife Federation v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Williams v. City of New York
Wisconsin v. Illinois