Environmental and Occupational Law   ENVS 203-xxx       
Instructor:
Text: Environmental Law (Fourth or Fifth Edition).....by
Nancy K. Kubasek and Gary S. Silverman
Office Hrs: T/Th 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Tel.

Course Outline

WEEK #  TOPICS   CHAPTER
1-2

The Sources of Environmental Law and the Policy-Making Process.
Classifications of law and the Constitutional Principles underlying the. American legal system

  
3

The Litigation Process and Alternative Methods for
          Resolving Environmental Disputes. (selected sections from chapter)

  
4

Administrative Law and Its Impact on the Environment
Case Study / Quiz 1

  
5

A Closer Look Into Environmental Law and Policy:         National Environmental Policy Act, Pollution Prevention Act
Test 1

  
6

Air Quality Control - The Major Air Pollutants; Airborne Toxins; Some Significant Air Quality Control Problems; The Initial Approach to Air Quality Control; The Current Approach to Air Quality Control; The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments; Solutions Beyond the Clean Air Act.

  
7

Water Quality Control - The Major Water Pollutants; Some Significant Water Quality Problems; Protecting Water through Government Actions.

  
8

Case Study/Quiz 2
Test-II

 
9

Controlling Toxic Substances, OSHA Requirements -Identification of Potentially Toxic Substances; Federal Regulation of Toxic Substances; Toxic Torts.

  
10

Waste Management and Hazardous Releases; More On OSHA -Waste Control Techniques; The Problem with Waste;  Requirements for Managing Waste; CERCLA: An Overview;  Emergency Response to Plans and Right to Know; Federal   Response to Contaminated Sites; Underground Storage Tank Program.

  
11

Energy and Natural Resources -Energy Policy: A Historical Overview; Energy Consumption; Coal: The Oldest Energy Source; Petroleum and Natural Gas Nuclear Energy; Renewable Fuels; Protecting Public Lands; Wetlands, Estuaries, and Coastal Areas; Endangered Species.

  
12 Case Study
Test-III    		 
13

International Law - The Need for International Environmental Law; The Nature of International Law; Sources of International Environmental Law; Institutions That Effectuate and Influence International Environmental Law; Addressing Specific International Environmental Problems; The Future of International Environmental Law.
Final Examination

 

*Cases for Case Study


  • Tanner v. Aramco Steel Corp.
  • Oregon Waste Systems, Inc. v. Dept. Of Environmental
  • Quality of the State of Oregon.
  • Sierra Club v. Morton
  • Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v. Volpe
  • Village of Wilsonville v. S.C.A. Services, Inc.
  • National Environmental Policy Act
  • National Resources Defense Council v. Morton
  • American Paper Institute v. EPA
  • Union Electric Co. V. EPA
  • Environmental Defense Fund and National Audubon Society v. EPA

ARTICLES ON ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM

1 - Environmental Racism Fact or Fiction? Everyone’s Backyard; Edward Rush, Summer, 1997

2 - The United States General Accounting Office (GAO) study of several Southern States, 1983

3 - Minorities Fight Smokestacks in Their Back Yard; Christian Science Monitor, May 8, 1997

4 - A Black and Green Issue Moves People; U.S. News and World Report, April 21, 1997

5 - Commission on Racial Justice report, 1987

Recommended Readings

Hawkings, S. 1989. A Brief History of Time. London: Bantam Press

Rolston, H. III 1988. Environmental Ethics. Philadelphia: Temple  University Press

Carson, R. 1962. Silent Spring. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company

Gore, A. 1992. Earth in the Balance. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company

Additional Materials

  • Material Safety Data Sheets
  • New York State Right-to-Know Law
  • OSHA Regulations

Grading Policy:

There will be three (3) in-class examinations each with a worth of 15 points

There will be a final examination with a worth of 25 points

There will be a final five (5) page paper and presentation with a worth of 25 points

There will be 5 points given for class participation