ENVA 363 - Environmental Law

Unit(s): 4

Environmental Law examines the basic legal setting for the protection and management of the environment. It discusses how environmental law is created and applied. This course reviews how the common law traditionally addressed environmental issues before entering the new era of federal environmental regulation. Major statutes covered include the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Superfund (CERCLA), and the Endangered Species Act. During the course we will discuss how many of the areas studied may play a role in the current efforts to address climate change. We will finally address formal legal efforts to address climate change on the international level as well as local California initiatives. The course also includes material on economic analysis, scientific and legal causation, and expert testimony.

College of Arts and Sciences