Library   Directories   Contact Us Search: 
Suffolk University | LAW SCHOOL
About Suffolk Academics Admissions Faculty Offices and Services
(object placeholder)

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW RESEARCH GUIDE

 

Introduction Finding Resources
   
Secondary Sources

Primary Sources



Introduction

Environmental law includes many specialized areas including agriculture, air quality, water pollution, solid & hazardous wastes, toxic substances, noise, fish & wildlife, land use, energy production & mineral extraction, and international aspects of environmental protection.

Environmental law is heavily regulated and most environmental litigation involves disputes with government agencies instead of between private parties. Therefore, in order to do legal research on environmental law, it's important to understand administrative law and determine what specific state and federal agencies are involved. For your convenience, the Moakley Law Library has guides on Federal & Massachusetts administrative law.

Finding Resources

Moakley Law Library Catalog
The best search to run in the law library catalog is a keyword search.

Research Databases
The library has many databases available to current law students, alums, faculty, administrators and staff.

The following two research databases may be particularly useful for environmental law research: The Environment Reporter - Current Reports & The Environmental Law Reporter. For Massachusetts environmental law research, The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection decisions and regulations can be accessed via the Social Law Library Database.

Secondary Sources of Law

General Treatises

Environmental law : examples & explanations / Steven Ferrey
New York : Aspen Publishers, 2010 (Law Reserve, KF 3775. Z9 F45 2010)

Beyond environmental law : policy proposals for a better environmental future / edited by Alyson C. Flournoy, David M. Driesen, Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010 (LAW TREATISES (FL 5), KF3775 .B435 2010)

Environmental law in a nutshell /Roger W. Findley, Daniel A. Farber
St. Paul, MN : Thomson/West, 2010 (Law Reserve, KF 3775 .Z9 F56)

Environmental litigation: law and strategy / Cary R. Perlman, editor
Chicago: American Bar Association, Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources, 2009 (LAW TREATISES (FL 5), KF8925.E5 E583 2009)

Understanding environmental law / Philip Weinberg, Kevin A. Reilly
Newark NJ : LexisNexis Matthew Bender, 2008 (Law Reserve, KF 3775 W45 2008)

Current critical issues in environmental law: green buildings and sustainable development / by Mark J. Bennett, J. Cullen Howe, James L. Newman
Newark, NJ : LexisNexis Matthew Bender, 2008 (LAW TREATISES (FL 5), K 3585. B 46 2008)

Environmental law, policy, and economics: reclaiming the environmental agenda [electronic resource] / Nicholas A. Ashford, Charles C. Caldart
Cambridge, Mass. : MIT Press, 2008 [Access via elibrary site]

Energy management /Commerce Clearing House, Other Title(s) Federal energy Guidelines, Chicago [1973-] (LAW TREATISES (FL 5), KF 2120. A6 C64)

Environment reporter /Bureau of National Affairs, Washington, DC, 1970
(LAW TREATISES (FL 5), KF 3775.A6 E57)

 

Massachusetts Treatises

Massachusetts environmental law / editor, Gregor I. McGregor ; authors, R. Lisle Baker ... [et al.] Boston, MA : Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, c2006-
(Law Reserve KFM2754 .M374 2006; updated with supplements) [Also available online via LoisLaw, Westlaw & Lexis]

Remaking Boston : An environmental history of the city and its surroundings / edited by Anthony N. Penna and Conrad Edick Wright, Pittsburgh, Pa. : University of Pittsburgh Press, 2009 (Sawyer Library GE155.M4 R46 2009)

Massachusetts Web Pages

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
http://www.mass.gov/dep/

Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs
http://www.mass.gov/eea/

Environment Massachusetts
Environment Massachusetts is a statewide, citizen-based environmental advocacy organization. Their professional staff combines independent research, practical ideas and tough-minded advocacy to overcome the opposition of powerful special interests and win real results for Massachusetts' environment.
http://www.environmentmassachusetts.org/

Environmental League of Massachusetts
The Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM) is a nonprofit educational and advocacy organization, supported by a combination of individual and foundation philanthropy, dues from citizens and organization members, and proceeds from special events. They are dedicated to protecting the health of the environment and citizenry by safeguarding the land, water and air of the Commonwealth.
http://www.environmentalleague.org/

International Law

The global environment: institutions, law, and policy / edited by Regina S. Axelrod, Stacy D. VanDeveer, David Leonard Downie, Washington, DC : CQ Press, 2011

The art and craft of international environmental law / Daniel Bodansky Cambridge, Mass. : Harvard University Press, 2010, (LAW TREATISES (FL 5) K3585 .B63 2010)

International environmental law and policy / by David Hunter, et. al.,
New York, NY: Foundation Press, 2007 (LAW RESERVE, K3585 .H861 2007)

The Oxford handbook of international environmental law / ed. by Jutta Brunnée, et.al., Other Title(s) Handbook of international environmental law Oxford, [England]: Oxford Univ. Press, 2007, (LAW TREATISES (FL 5), K3585 .O94 2007)

International environmental law in a nutshell / by Lakshman D. Guruswamy, et. al.,
St. Paul, MN : Thomson/West, 2007 ( LAW RESERVE, K3585 .G87 2007)

 

Federal Web Pages

For a complete list of all the executive departments and the independent agencies and establishments, go here.

Council on Environmental Quality
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/

U.S. Department of Agriculture
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome

U.S. Department of Energy
http://www.energy.gov/

U.S. Department of the Interior - Bureau of Land Management
http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en.html

U.S. Department of the Interior - Fish & Wildlife Service
http://www.fws.gov/

U.S. Department of Justice - Environment & Natural Resources Division
http://www.justice.gov/enrd/index.html

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov/

National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
http://www.noaa.gov/

U.S. Senate: Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry
http://ag.senate.gov/site/

U.S. Senate: Energy & Natural Resources Committee
http://energy.senate.gov/public/

U.S. Senate: Committee on Environment & Public Works
http://epw.senate.gov/public/?CFID=9652566&CFTOKEN=57865523

 

Additional Research Guides

Vermont Law School, Environmental Law Resources, http://forms.vermontlaw.edu/library/resource-directory/

Lewis & Clark Law School, Environmental & Natural Resources Law
http://lawlib.lclark.edu/research/envlaw.php

Georgetown Law Library, Resources Related to Environmental Law
http://www.ll.georgetown.edu/research/browse_topic.cfm?70

 

Primary Sources of Law

Links to Massachusetts and Federal statutes and regulations are to free sources of law. These sources may not be updated frequently and are unannotated.

Massachusetts Cases

To find Massachusetts cases that deal with environmental law, search Massachusetts cases on Westlaw or Lexis, or you can also access them via the Social Law Library Database

Massachusetts Statutes & Regulations

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP) has created a table of primary state statutes and regulations that are implemented by the agencies that make up the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs. The table includes direct links to free full-text versions of regulations and statutes when available. MDEP Matrix of Environmental Laws & Regulations.

You can also access Massachusetts Statutes & Regulations via Westlaw, Lexis, or the Social Law Library Database. Massachusetts statutes are available for free via The Massachusetts General Court -- which is the official Massachusetts legislative site.

Massachusetts Administrative Decisions

MDEP Appeals Decisions (2004 - current)

MDEP Enforcement Actions & Settlements (2004 - current)

You will also find decisions of the MDEP dating back to 1984 - current via the Social Law Library Database

You can also access MDEP decisions via Westlaw & Lexis. For more details on how to search on Westlaw & Lexis, see a Reference Librarian.

 

Federal Cases

While environmental law litigation often involves administrative law and agency decisions, there is an enormous amount of federal caselaw that addresses environmental law issues. A good way to find cases on your specific topic is to do a terms and connectors search on Westlaw or Lexis.

If you find one or two cases on point be sure to Keycite or Shepardize them to find additional cases and secondary materials that are on point.

BNA's Environment Reporter Online database is also a great way to find recent cases that tackle environmental law issues. This database allows you to find cases based on topic (i.e., Superfund, energy, climate change, etc.). You can also do a keyword search, browse the index, browse cases alphabetically by name, or browse recent state & federal cases.

The Environmental Law Reporter is another great online database for searching cases, daily federal administrative developments, as well as state and international developments. You can also search for recent state and federal cases.

The Environmental Forum recently published a list of some of the most influential cases in environmental jurisprudence. See Volume 26, Number 6, November/December 2009, James Salzman & J.B. Ruhl, Who's Number One? Here are some of the landmark cases listed in the article:

Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, 467 US 837 (1984)
Tennessee Valley Authority v. Hill, 437 US 153 (1978)
Massachusetts v. EPA, 549 US 497 (2007)
Sierra Club v. Morton, 405 US 727 (1972)
Ethyl Corp. v. EPA, 306 F.3d 1144 (2002)
Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v. Volpe, 401 U.S. 402 (1971)
Rapanos v. United States, 547 U.S. 715 (2006)
Calvert Cliffs v. U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, 449 F.2d 1109 (1971)
National Audubon Society v. Department of Water, 858 F.2d 1409 (1988)

Federal Statutes

United States Code

Title 7, Agriculture

Title 16, Conservation

Title 21, Food & Drugs

Title 30, Mineral Lands & Mining

Title 33, Navigation & Navigable Waters

Title 42, The Public Health & Welfare

Title 43, Public Lands

The United States Code (USC) is available via Westlaw & Lexis and for free via FDsys.

 

Federal Regulations

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)

Title 7, Agriculture

Title 9, Animals & Animal Products

Title 10, Energy

Title 18, Conservation of Power and Water Resources

Title 21, Food & Drugs

Title 30, Mineral Resources

Title 33, Navigation & Navigable Waters

Title 36, Parks, Forests & Public Property

Title 40, Protection of the Environment

Title 43, Public Lands: Interior

Title 50, Wildlife & Fisheries

The CFR is available via Westlaw & Lexis and for free via FDsys.

Federal Administrative Decisions

EPA, Office of Administrative Law Judges
This site includes Decisions and orders originating from the EPA's Office of Administrative Law Judges. Currently the information on this website includes decisions and orders dating back to 1989, Decisions and Orders dating back to 1997 in the Alphabetical list, and a few Decisions and Orders dating back to 1974.

EPA, Environmental Appeals Board Decisions
Includes published decisions, unpublished final orders and other decisions.

You can also access EPA administrative decisions via Westlaw & Lexis. For more details on how to search on Westlaw & Lexis, see a Reference Librarian.

 

*Note: Westlaw and Lexis are subscription databases with limited availability. Other databases or resources may only be available to members of the Suffolk community or from computers at the Law Library.

 

If you have questions or comments, please email: Diane D'Angelo, Reference Librarian.

Created: August 30, 2010



HOME | ABOUT SUFFOLK | ACADEMIC PROGRAMS | ADMISSIONS | FACULTY | OFFICES & SERVICES
Suffolk University | Campus Calendar | Campus Cruiser Portal | Law Library | Directories | Site Map |
Login | Email | Mission Statement | Contact Us


Copyright © Suffolk University Law School, 2003-2013. Disclaimer |120 Tremont Street | Boston | MA | 02108-4977