Introduction to Environmental Law

As with most areas of environmental law, the study of water pollution control is the study of an interlocking web of statutes and their administration. The federal statute chiefly designed to control water pollution is the Clean Water Act, but many other federal statutes regulate water pollution, be it directly as with the Safe Drinking Water Act, or incidentally as with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. And before any of those laws were even enacted, the common law was the primary vehicle used to address water pollution. Even today, tort law plays a role in adjudicating water pollution disputes between parties for damages.

This Second Edition of Introduction to Environmental Law: Cases and Materials on Water Pollution Control provides students with an understanding of what constitutes water pollution, where it originates, and how it can be controlled. It offers an in-depth exploration of how water pollution is addressed under common law and statute. Originally designed for students new to environmental law, the book is perfect for introductory or advanced courses on water pollution control in the United States.