EVRN 275   Nature, Law, and Environmental Protection* (3 Hours)

Prerequisites : EVRN 130.

This is a course in environmental regulation which examines the basic structure of the legal system and examines the role of law in protecting natural resources and the environment. Students will explore historical perspectives about natural resources and environmental protection, examine the sources and limitations of legal authority, distinguish procedural and substantive legal requirements, and learn how these and additional legal mechanisms operate under common law, constitutional, statutory, and regulatory frameworks. Students will learn how to conduct legal research, analyze and write case briefs, and use legal analysis and research tools to draft a legal research paper. Key provisions of the major federal environmental laws will be examined including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); the Clean Water Act (CWA); The Clean Air Act (CAA); the Resource, Conservation, and Recovery Act (RCRA); the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA); the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA); the Comprehensive Liability and Control Act (CERCLA); the Endangered Species Act (ESA); and emerging climate change regulatory actions and initiatives pursuant to existing federal laws.