Environmental Law Seminar Papers
Selecting a topic
 
There is a good article on the Internet that discusses a strategy for choosing a topic and writing a good student article in law school.  For more information, read it at http://www.law.ucla.edu/faculty/volokh/writing.htm  There is also a text on reserve in the library, entitled Scholarly Writing for Law Students, that is helpful in this regard.
 
Writing Competitions
 
There are several national environmental law writing competitions held each year.  There is a list of writing competitions for law students available on the Web at  http://www.people.memphis.edu/~law/contests.html  You may choose a paper topic that fits the requirements of one of those compeitions, if you wish.

Paper topic possibilities
 
The following are some possible ideas for paper topics.  You are, by no means, required to write on any of these topics!  They are merely suggestions, in case you do not have any other ideas for a paper topic.
  1. Multi-media permitting - The state experience (Analysis of state programs re: multimedia permitting - how do they work; statutory authority; enforccement authority; etc.)
  2. Unified environmental law - Pros, cons
  3. Environmental and equity impacts of FERC deregulation - e.g. will it encourage increased power production at dirty plants? What other impacts?
  4. Should national parks be economically self-sufficient? (Current economic structure, impacts of requiring parks to be self-sufficient, pros/cons of shift).
  5. Privatization of public lands - Should federal lands be privatized, or transferred to State governments for management?
  6. Recycling in Macon - The Macon City Council recently cut funding for the recycling program on the grounds that the program was too expensive. A student might examine the true economic costs or benefits of a recycling program in Macon, and explore other solid waste disposal options, such as Pay-as-you Throw programs.
  7. Proposed tax on outdoor equipment to fund conservation initiatives.
  8. Grazing policy - the problems and the reforms.
  9. EPA's watershed effluent trading policy.
  10. Habitat Conservation Plans under the Endangered Species Act
  11. Mobile sources of air pollution - LEVs, CAFE standards, etc. (recent developments)
  12. EPA's Common Sense Initiative - What it is and why it's not working.
  13. Environmental implications of ISTEA reauthorization.
  14. Expansion of the TRI to include chemical use information - pros/cons
  15. EPA's Superfund relocation policy - equity issues - (Mt. Dioxin in Florida)
  16. Carbon taxes / environmental taxes (survey of existing uses, pros/cons, future uses).
  17. Wetlands mitigation and mitigation banking
  18. Federal land swaps to protect environmentally sensitive areas (recent examples - authority, pros/cons)
  19. Negotiated rulemaking (survey of uses, successes / failures)
  20. TMDLs - the problem and the solution
  21. Nonpoint source pollution - market-based approaches to limit it?
  22. Multi-media permitting, inspections or enforcement - examples, successes
  23. Title VI and environmental permits - case law, EPA's policy, etc.
  24. E.j. study correlating emissions from facilities in particular geographic areas with the demographic make-up of the area.
  25. Steel Co. S.Ct. decision - impact on availability of citizen suits
  26. Pollution prevention - future plans, legislative or administrative changes necessary?
  27. Product bans or toxic substance bans - successes? impediments; legality under TSCA, other laws?
  28. Mandatory pollution prevention planning in the States
  29. Fall-Line Freeway - economic benefits of the freeway? envtl impacts? planning process? e.j. issues? public participation issues?