A. Identify and compare/contrast (1) the history, (2) statutory triggers (and exemptions), (3) basic definitions of key terms, (4) major requirements/prohibitions/liabilities of these federal and state statutes: the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the Comprehensive Environmental Resource, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, the Freedom of Information Act, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), and other federal statutes as time allows as well as select articles of Chapter 5 Water Resources of the Georgia Code and the Georgia Open Records Act and local watershed protection ordinances.

B. Identify and assess the strategies used by the regulated community, governmental agencies, non-governmental environmental advocates, and other key actors, including consumers and the public, to influence environmental regulation, and apply these to emerging environmental challenges;
C. Understand the application of cooperative federalism and administrative law in the context of the federal environmental laws listed above;
D. Identify emerging environmental challenges and potential regulatory or other responses;
E. Identify, assess, and apply strategies local government use to address the issue of environmental protection;

F. Understand and apply the constitutional underpinnings and limitations on environmental regulation;

G. Understand the concept of environmental justice and strategies for addressing it;

H. Identify, evaluate, and apply accurate and compelling sources of information in assessing an environmental issue, law, and/or case.

Introduction to course learning objectives and requirements
Students take pre-test

Introduction to Environmental Values and Policies
A Structural Overview of Environmental Law: Sources
*Common Law

*Regulatory Legislation (statutory
historical perspective, impact on
common law)

*Continuation of Regulatory Legislation
(standing to sue, environmental federalism, constitutional authority,)

Approaches to Regulation and The Regulatory Process
Researching environmental issues


Complete environmental federalism, constitutional authority, approaches to regulation and the regulatory process
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

Freedom of Information Act and the Georgia Open Records Act
Clean Water Act
*Statutory Authorities
*Effluent Limitations on Point Source Discharges

Water Quality-Based Controls and TMDLs


*Wetlands Protection and Section 404 and future directions of the CWA
Local Land Use Protection of Water Resources
Regulatory Takings


Clean Air Act

Global Climate Change Considerations
Citizen Suit Provisions/Enforcement
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)/Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA)

Overview of the Endangered Species Act from A Regulator’s Perspective

ESA: Regional Habitat Conservation Plans
Environmental Racism and Environmental
Justice
Presentations on paper topics
Students take Post-Test (take home)

A. Identify and compare/contrast (1) the history, (2) statutory triggers (and exemptions), (3) basic definitions of key terms, (4) major requirements/prohibitions/liabilities of these federal and state statutes: the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the Comprehensive Environmental Resource, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, the Freedom of Information Act, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), and other federal statutes as time allows as well as select articles of Chapter 5 Water Resources of the Georgia Code and the Georgia Open Records Act and local watershed protection ordinances.    

B.  Identify and assess the strategies used by the regulated community, governmental agencies, non-governmental environmental advocates, and other key actors, including consumers and the public, to influence environmental regulation, and apply these to emerging environmental challenges;
C. Understand the application of cooperative federalism and administrative law in the context of the federal environmental laws listed above;
D. Identify emerging environmental challenges and potential regulatory or other responses; 
E. Identify, assess, and apply strategies local government use to address the issue of environmental protection;

F. Understand and apply the constitutional underpinnings and limitations on environmental regulation; 

G. Understand the concept of environmental justice and strategies for addressing it;

H. Identify, evaluate, and apply accurate and compelling sources of information in assessing an environmental issue, law, and/or case.

Introduction to course learning objectives and requirements 
Students take pre-test

Introduction to Environmental Values and Policies
A Structural Overview of Environmental Law: Sources 
 *Common Law

 *Regulatory Legislation (statutory 
  historical perspective, impact on    
  common law)

*Continuation of Regulatory Legislation 
(standing to sue, environmental federalism, constitutional authority,)

Approaches to Regulation and The Regulatory Process
Researching environmental issues


Complete environmental federalism, constitutional authority, approaches to regulation and the regulatory process
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

Freedom of Information Act and the Georgia Open Records Act
Clean Water Act
*Statutory Authorities 
*Effluent Limitations on Point Source Discharges

Water Quality-Based Controls and TMDLs


*Wetlands Protection and Section 404 and future directions of the CWA
Local Land Use Protection of Water Resources
Regulatory Takings


Clean Air Act

Global Climate Change Considerations
Citizen Suit Provisions/Enforcement
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)/Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA)

Overview of the Endangered Species Act from A Regulator’s Perspective

ESA: Regional Habitat Conservation Plans
Environmental Racism and Environmental 
Justice 
Presentations on paper topics 
Students take Post-Test (take home)

UGA Student Honor Code: "I will be academically honest in all of my academic work and will not tolerate academic dishonesty of others." A Culture of Honesty, the University's policy and procedures for handling cases of suspected dishonesty, can be found at www.uga.edu/ovpi.