Each summer, ELI convenes a complimentary seminar series that offers an introduction to the legal and policy foundations of environmental protection in the United States.
ELI's Summer School is a series of seminars taught by experts in their fields, introducing the audience to the major environmental statutes, including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Clean Air Act (CAA), Clean Water Act (CWA), Endangered Species Act (ESA), Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA); land use law; energy law; and environmental justice. Faculty will also incorporate major regulatory and judicial updates to the laws.
Who will benefit: All are welcome. Students and emerging professionals will have unique opportunities to learn, hear updates, ask questions, and network. The series is intended for:
- undergraduates,
- law students and graduate students, and
- working professionals new to or looking for a refresher course in environmental law (such as interns, summer clerks, and associates, or second-career professionals).
Basics of the Clean Water Act
Amended in 1972, the Clean Water Act (CWA) calls for ending the discharge of pollutants into the waters of the United States. Decades since the passage of the CWA, fundamental questions regarding the jurisdictional range remain contested. This session explores the progress made to date, and the possible CWA priorities under the Biden Administration, including potential reversals of the Navigable Waters Protection Rule and revision of the definition of the “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) under the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.
Faculty will explore one of the nation’s most significant and pivotal environmental laws and its development, including:
- the regulatory and permitting framework for limiting water pollution
- the key distinction between point sources and nonpoint sources of pollution
- the current legal context of the Navigable Waters Protection Rule
- the considerations policymakers face in light of growing demands for water usage with growing energy needs, extreme weather, and climate change
Panelists:
Adam Schempp, Senior Attorney and Director, Western Water Program, Environmental Law Institute, Moderator
Jonathon Gendzier, Staff Attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center
Erin Grisby, Associate, Hunton Andrews Kurth
Robin M. Rotman, Assistant Professor, University of Missouri
Materials:
A recording of this session will be posted to this page, usually within three business days of the live event.
**See the entire Summer School 2022 schedule HERE.**