Overview of Sackett v. EPA

Join the Environmental Law Society, Federalist Society, and American Constitution Society at Maurer School of Law for an overview of the significance of Sackett v. EPA.
In 2004, Chantell and Mike Sackett bought property near Idaho’s Priest Lake to build a home. In 2007, they received a compliance order from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to stop construction due to the presence of what EPA determined are jurisdictional wetlands on their property, which are regulated under the Clean Water Act. The Sacketts disagree with EPA’s determination and argue that it is based on a flawed interpretation of what constitutes regulated “waters of the United States” (WOTUS). This hearing will be the second time the EPA and the Sacketts have gone before the U.S. Supreme Court and the outcome could limit EPA’s and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ ability to protect wetlands.

Robert Fischman, Kim Ferraro, and William Weeks will convene a panel discussion on the case. Robert Fischman is a professor at Indiana University Maurer School of Law and his articles have won recognition as among the most influential in environmental law. William Weeks is a professor emeritus at Indiana University Maurer School of Law. He founded the Conservation Law Center in 2005 and was Director until 2019. Kim Ferraro recently joined the Conservation Law Center as their Senior Staff Attorney and was previously at the Hoosier Environmental Council where she litigated numerous environmental cases on behalf of the public interest.