On April 17, 2025, Vanderbilt Law students in the Climate Law & Policy Lab, led by Professor Anne Davis, presented two Clean Water Act (CWA) cases they worked on during the spring semester. The event, held at Neal & Harwell’s offices, included environmental attorneys from Harpeth Conservancy, the Southern Environmental Law Center, Neal & Harwell, and Tennessee Riverkeeper.
Students opened the presentation by explaining how they chose the sites. They used the EPA’s Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) database and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) Data Viewer to identify facilities with records of Clean Water Act violations. They reviewed compliance history, violation severity, and legal viability, eventually selecting two sites in Hillsboro and Spring Hill.
The second part of the presentation focused on the work developed by the class, which was split into two teams, one for each site. Each team provided background on the facility, described the affected water bodies, analyzed discharge permits, and identified pollutants and their impacts on health and the environment. They reviewed applicable limits, outlined the facilities’ violation histories, and presented potential legal remedies under the Clean Water Act, including draft Notices of Intent to Sue.
This work combined legal research with field visits to collect water samples, supported by environmental scientist Barry Sulkin, who trained students in sampling and analysis.
Each case presentation concluded with a detailed discussion. Attorneys asked questions and provided feedback on the legal theories, factual records, and enforcement strategies the students developed.
The Climate Law & Policy Lab gave students practical experience identifying environmental violations, applying regulatory frameworks, analyzing environmental data, and developing enforceable legal strategies. Through this work, students strengthened their understanding of the Clean Water Act, citizen enforcement, and the role of legal advocacy in environmental protection.
