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February 7, 2007 On November 29, 2006, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in its first case directly related to global warming, Massachusetts v. EPA. Massachusetts and other petitioners, including Rhode Island, asked the court to set aside an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decision not to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. Section 202(a)(1) of the Clean Air Act requires the administrator of the EPA to set emission standards for "any air pollutant" from motor vehicles or motor vehicle engines "which in his judgment cause[s], or contribute[s] to, air pollution which may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare." Please join a panel of experts to review and analyze cases (state and federal) related to statutory provisions like this one, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and projections from the bench. Speakers will include Jim Milkey, of the Massachusetts attorney general’s office, who argued Massachusetts v. EPA; Tricia Jedele, special assistant attorney general, R.I. Office of the Attorney General; Andrew Hodgkin, executive counsel to Governor Donald L. Carcieri; and Janet Freedman, R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council coastal geologist. For more information, please contact Megan Higgins, Marine Affairs Institute at mhiggins@rwu.edu, by telephone at 401-254-5734 or visit http://law.rwu.edu/sites/marineaffairs/events/. Return to News |