Environmental Law. 3 credits

Catalog description

This course is designed to provide a general introduction to the theory and practice of environmental law, with an emphasis on the major pollution control statutes. There is a complex set of laws and regulations, developed over the past five decades, manages various environmental risks, ranging from risks to water, air, and land, among others. Some of the recurring themes of the course will be the balance between federal and state authority, the economic justifications for environmental regulation, the distributional effects of environmental policy, the choice of regulatory instruments, and the role of agencies, legislatures, and courts. We will also discuss the political backdrop for the development of environmental policy, especially the role of interest groups and public perceptions.Offered by Law. May not be repeated for credit.