To combine environmental quality with business and political 
objectives to enable students to see the tradeoffs.  The 
substantive information will allow students to discuss 
conflicts and compromises, and to enunciate ways that 
businesses and environmentalists might work together to achieve 
common objectives for a healthy society.

To introduce students to the basics of environmental law to 
learn how laws and regulations affect their lives, jobs, and 
businesses.

To discuss eliminating prejudices through legislation. 

To become aware of the requirements to start a lawsuit and 
appear in a court.

To discern how to meet the standards of care required to avoid 
a lawsuit in negligence.

To evaluate alternative property assessment options for 
qualifying agricultural and conservation use property.

To analyze damages accompanying tort litigation, conflicting 
interests of compensating victims, and prejudices incorporated 
in recovery statutes.

To learn how statutory provisions change common law and affect 
business activities. 

To discern how legislatures may react to individual needs and 
special interest requests to change the law.

To evaluate annoyances under nuisance law and how property 
owners, businesses, and people can respond to competing 
interests and conflicting land uses.

To learn the basics of zoning, the resolution of conflicting 
interests, provision of public services, and providing for the 
community good. 

To analyze the options of responding to conflicts involving 
wastes and the proper disposal of wastes.

To learn how agencies operate and presumptions concerning their 
activities.

To learn about administrative requirements for adopting new 
regulations and prosecuting violations.

To analyze the permitting requirements of the Clean Water Act 
and how they are implemented. 

To identify and discuss choices in energy policy and societal 
goals.

To analyze requirements of the Clean Air Act and opposing 
health and business objectives.

To identify the basics of real property law and the defense of 
property. 

To enunciate governmental responsibilities in large projects 
affecting the quality of the environment.

To discuss our country’s response to international obligations.

Special Honors Assignment:  Every student will be a member of a 
debate team and prepare a topic for an oral debate.  Prior to 
the debate, each team will write a legal brief supporting their 
position.  The teams will then debate each other in class.

-Introduction and Nuisance Law:  Anti-nuisance legislation, 
capital investments, coming-to-the nuisance, injunctive relief
-Real Property:  Contracts, deeds, defense of property, co-
ownership, transfers, liens, leases, easements, covenants 
-Environmental Tort Liability:  amount of care, comparative 
negligence, assumption of risk, citizen suits
-Environmental Tort Liability:  collateral sources, damages 
limitations, business organizations, agency, ADR
-Hazardous Wastes and Wastes:  potential parties, joint and 
several liability, releases, insurance, preferences, audits
-Preemption: municipal and state rights
-Water Pollution: Clean Water Act, discharges, permitting 
system, enforcement
-Land Use and Zoning: Petitions for rezoning, variances, 
special permits, spot zoning
-Taxation and Assessment, Takings:  assessed value, eminent 
domain, inverse condemnation 
-Becoming Green and Sustainability
-Debates
-Energy Policy, Treaties and International Environmental Law