Basics of the Clean Water Act (ELI Summer School, 2021)

When
June 22, 2021 12:00 pm — 2:00 pm
Where
Webinar only

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; 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
, Director, Western Water Program, and Senior Attorney, Environmental Law Institute, Moderator
Kelly Moser
, Leader, Clean Water Defense Initiative, and Senior Attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center
Jon A. Mueller, Vice President, Litigation, Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Materials:
Kelly Moser presentation

Jon A. Mueller presentation
Recordings of Summer School sessions are usually posted w/in 48 hours.

**See the entire Summer School 2021 schedule HERE.**