Publication
Legal Alert: U.S. Supreme Court Holds Clean Air Act Preempts Federal Common Law
On June 20, 2011, the United States Supreme Court decided American Electric Power Co., Inc. v. Connecticut, holding that the Clean Air Act (“CAA”) preempts the operation of federal common law. However, this case is more notable for the issues it did not decide: whether plaintiffs have Article III standing to sue air polluters to obtain emissions caps and whether adjudication of these claims is barred by the political question doctrine.
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Founded in 1938, Snell & Wilmer is a full-service business law firm with more than 500 attorneys practicing in 16 locations throughout the United States and in Mexico, including Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego, California; Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona; Denver, Colorado; Washington, D.C.; Boise, Idaho; Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Portland, Oregon; Dallas, Texas; Salt Lake City, Utah; Seattle, Washington; and Los Cabos, Mexico. The firm represents clients ranging from large, publicly traded corporations to small businesses, individuals and entrepreneurs. For more information, visit swlaw.com.
