Comment: North Carolina v. Tennessee Valley Authority

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By Nigel Barella

In North Carolina v. Tennessee Valley Authority, 615 F.3d 291 (4th Cir. 2010), the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit held that the federal Clean Air Act preempted certain, if not all, applications of state nuisance law.  The court also ruled on the meaning of state nuisance laws and the scope of North Carolina’s air quality laws.  This Comment analyzes the court’s ruling, with particular attention to the aspects of the ruling that are likely to prove controversial.

Cite as: Nigel Barella, Comment, North Carolina v. Tennessee Valley Authority, 35 Harv. Envtl. L. Rev. 247 (2011).

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