Basics of the Clean Air Act (ELI Summer School, 2018)

When
July 10, 2018 12:00 pm — 2:00 pm
Where
Washington, DC (and webcast)

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 brown-bag lunch seminars taught by experts in their fields, introducing the audience to the major environmental statutes (including NEPA, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, TSCA, RCRA, and CERCLA) and land use law. 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 Air Act

The Clean Air Act has a major impact on the environment,human health, and the economy. The Act and its implementing regulations are at the center of many of the most pressing controversies in environmental law.

As the Trump administration’s infrastructure plan has begun to take shape, a focus has been put on decreasing the time it takes to receive a permit. Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency has put forth plans to remove certain regulations that allow specific industrial polluters to turn off their pollution controls. A move like this would allow major plants to discharge more contaminants as a proposed cost-effective decision. Environmental groups have filed lawsuits on behalf of surrounding communities affected by this move. Additionally, the EPA has proposed a plan to abolish the Obama administration’s fuel efficiency standards. Yet despite this move, California, with the support of countless environmental groups, continues to fight back and retain the stricter fuel standards.

The Clean Air course provided real world examples of air quality planning to make this complex area accessible. Our expert panelists delved into:

  • permitting programs,
  • standards for mobile sources, and
  • special programs developed to improve air quality such as the acid rain program.

Faculty:
Phil Assmus, Senior Staff Associate, National Association of Clean Air Agencies
Janet McCabe, Senior Law Fellow, Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC); Professor of Practice, Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, and Assistant Director for Policy and Implementation, Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute. Formerly Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation, U.S. EPA.
Peter Whitfield, Counsel, Sidley Austin LLP

Materials:
Phil Assmus presentation
Peter Whitfield/Janet McCabe combined presentation

**See the entire Summer School 2018 schedule HERE.**