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My law firm colleague, Allan Gates, drafted an October 24th post in the American College of Environmental Lawyers (“ACOEL”) blog titled:

Will EPA Ignore a Flagrant Violation of the Clean Water Act?

Allan is a Past President of ACOEL.

The post addresses activities that occurred at the end of the Southeast Conference football game in which the University of Tennessee defeated the University of Alabama.

This post initially notes:

On October 15th a large mob engaged in a public and ritualistic violation of the Clean Water Act in Knoxville, Tennessee. The mob had originally assembled at a location on the University of Tennessee campus to observe a demolition project being conducted by UT staff and students. Upon completion of the demolition project, the mob seized debris torn down at the project site, transported the debris to the banks of the Tennessee River, and unceremoniously dumped the debris into the river. Although it has not been confirmed, there are rumors that individual members of the mob may have discharged additional pollutants into the river as well.

The post notes the clear applicability of the Clean Water Act to these activities and assesses the possibility and viability of an enforcement action by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and/or a citizen suit.

A link to Allan’s post can be found here.