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 important areas of environmental law. Faculty will also incorporate major regulatory and judicial updates to the laws.
Basics of the Clean Water Act
The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948 was the first major U.S. legislation targeting water pollution. It was significantly expanded through amendments in 1972 to become what is now commonly recognized as the Clean Water Act (CWA). Today, the CWA is the primary federal law governing pollution control and regulating quality of the waters of the United States. Though it has achieved vital successes, whether those successes can be sustained and how further progress can be made remain fundamental questions.
Faculty will explore the development and basic principles of the CWA as well as recent updates, including:
- the regulatory and permitting framework for limiting water pollution;
- the key distinction between point sources and nonpoint sources of pollution;
- Sackett v. EPA and the revised “waters of the United States” definition rule; and
- how climate change and environmental justice concerns impact water regulation.
Panelists:
- Dave Owen, Associate Dean for Research and Harry Sunderland '61 Professor of Law, The University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, Moderator
- Julia Anastasio, Executive Director and General Counsel, Association of Clean Water Administrators
- Carroll Courtenay, Staff Attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center
Materials:
Materials will be posted as they are received.
A recording of this session will be posted to this page, usually within three business days of the live event.
**Check out the entire Summer School 2024 schedule.**