Noah M. Sachs
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Profile
Professor Noah Sachs teaches and writes in the areas of environmental law, torts, and administrative law. Professor Sachs is widely sought after for his expertise in climate change and regulatory policy. He has testified before the House of Representatives and has consulted with the U.N. Environment Program, the U.S. EPA, and NGOs. His academic work has been covered in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Guardian, NPR, and other media outlets. He is the author of two leading environmental law textbooks, and his articles have been published in UCLA Law Review, Vanderbilt Law Review, and Georgetown Environmental Law Review. Professor Sachs is the recipient of the University of Richmond's Distinguished Educator award, the highest recognition for teaching and scholarship on the faculty. He was also awarded a Fulbright grant to conduct research in Bangalore, India, where he focused on the challenges of implementing market-oriented environmental reforms in developing countries. Professor Sachs is a Member Scholar with the Center for Progressive Reform in Washington, D.C.Expand All
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Presentations
"Rights and Wrongs in the Rights of Nature Movement," University of Houston Law School symposium, University of Houston Law School (April 2025)
"Extended Producer Responsibility in the EU and the United States," Extended Producer Responsibility and the Circular Economy, William & Mary Law Review (March 2025)
"Loper Bright: What's Next?," Developments in Administrative Law, Virginia State Bar (September 2024)
"Why Rights of Nature Won't Save the Planet," Earth Law: Emerging Ecocentric Law, Earth Law Center (June 2024)
"Rights of Nature and Democratic Decline," Environmental Law Colloqium, U of Colorado School of Law (February 2024)
"Anti-Democratic Rights of Nature," Environmental Law Works in Progress Conference, Vermont Law School (September 2023)
"Wrong Turn with the Rights of Nature," Earth Law Symposium, George Washington University Law School (September 2023)
"Climate Change Action Before 2030: The Need for Speed," Climate Conclave, Center for Sustainable Development (June 2023)
Panelist, "Transboundary Environmental Harms," International Environmentalism, William and Mary Environmental Law & Policy Review (February 2023)
"West Virginia v. EPA: A Debrief," Richmond Law, RELS & NLG at Richmond Law (July 2022)
Moderator, "Climate Change and Climate Justice," PILR Annual Symposium, University of Richmond (April 2022)
Speaker, "Chemical Storage in Virginia," VA State Water Commission, General Assembly (December 2021)
Discussant, "Discussant -- faculty workshop on plastic regulation," UR Faculty Colloquy, UR (January 2021)
Presenter, "Toxic Floodwaters: Strengthening the Chemical Safety Regime in the Climate Change Era," Water Law Works in Progress Workshop, University of Utah (December 2020)
Presenter, "Toxic Floodwaters: Strengthening the Chemical Safety Regime in the Climate Change Era," Innovative Strategies to Prevent Climate-Driven Pollution, Center for Progressive Reform (November 2020)
Presenter, "Cowpasture River Preservation Assn v. Forest Service," ABA Annual Webinar: Environmental Law at the Supreme Court, American Bar Association (September 2020)
Presenter, "Climate-Induced Flooding and Toxic Floodwaters," Hearing of the State Water Control Board, Commonwealth of Virginia (December 2019)
Presenter, "Climate-Induced Flooding and Legislative Remedies," Hearing of the Joint Subcommittee on Coastal Flooding, Virginia General Assembly (August 2019)
Presenter, "The Pipeline Meets the Appalachian Trail," Environmental Writers Conference, Middlebury College (June 2019)
Presenter, "Toxic Floodwaters in Virginia," Richmond Local Emergency Planning Committee, City of Richmond (June 2019)
Presenter, "Toxic Floodwaters," ClimenkoFest workshop, Harvard Law School (April 2019)
Presenter, "Navigating The Academic Job Market," ClimenkoFest workshop, Harvard Law School (March 2019)
Presenter, "The Paris Agreement in the 2020s: Breakdown or Breakup," UR Faculty Writing Workshop, UR Law (March 2019)
Presenter, "Environmental Law after the 2018 Mid-Term Elections," Scholars Workshop, Center for Progressive Reform (January 2019)
Commentator, "Incorporating Lawyering Skills in Doctrinal Courses," AALS Annual Meeting, AALS (January 2019)
Presentations Prior to 2019
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Bar Admissions
Massachusetts
New York
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Professional Experience
Professor and Faculty Director, Robert R. Merhige, Jr. Center for Environmental Studies (2012 - present)
University of Richmond School of Law, Richmond, VAAssociate Professor and Faculty Director, Robert R. Merhige, Jr. Center for Environmental Studies (2009 - 2012)
University of Richmond School of Law, Richmond, VAAssistant Professor of Law (2006 - 2009)
University of Richmond School of Law, Richmond, VALecturer (2004 - 2006)
Harvard Law School, Cambridge, MAAdjunct Professor (2005 - 2005)
Vermont Law School, South Royalton, VTGuest Lecturer (2003 - 2004)
Tufts University, Boston, MAAssociate, Environmental Practice (2002 - 2004)
Foley Hoag LLP, Boston, MAAssociate, Environmental Practice (1999 - 2002)
Carter, Ledyard & Milburn, New York, NY
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Presentations
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Publications
Books
Environmental Law Practice: Problems and Exercises for Skills Development (Carolina Academic Press 5th) (with Jerry Anderson et al.) (March 2025).
Regulation of Toxic Substances and Hazardous Waste (Foundation Press 3d Ed.) (with John Applegate et al.) (2018).
The Regulation of Toxic Substances and Hazardous Wastes: Cases and Materials (with John Applegate et al.) (2011).
Journal ArticlesAnti-Democratic Rights of Nature, 37 Georgetown Environmental Law Review 95 (2025).
A Wrong Turn with the Rights of Nature Movement, 36 Georgetown Environmental Law Review 39 (2023).
Toxic Floodwaters: Strengthening the Chemical Safety Regime for the Climate Change Era, 46 Columbia Journal of Environmental Law 73 (2020).
The Paris Agreement in the 2020s: Breakdown or Breakup, 49 Ecology Law Quarterly 865 (2019).
Should the United States Create Trading Markets for Energy Efficiency?, 46 Environmental Law Reporter 10466 (2016).
The Limits of Energy Efficiency Markets in Climate-Change Law, 2016 University of Illinois Law Review 2237 (2016).
Climate Change Triage, 44 Environmental Law 993 (2014).
Can We Regulate Our Way to Energy Efficiency: Product Standards as Climate Policy, 65 Vanderbilt Law Review 1631 (2012).
Rescuing the Strong Precautionary Principle from Its Critics, 2011 University of Illinois Law Review 1285 (2011).
Greening Demand: Energy Consumption and U.S. Climate Policy, 19 Duke Environmental Law & Policy Forum 295 (2009).
Jumping the Pond: Transnational Law and the Future of Chemical Regulation, 62 Vanderbilt Law Review 1817 (2009).
Beyond the Liability Wall: Strengthening Tort Remedies in International Environmental Law, 55 UCLA Law Review 837 (2008).
Planning the Funeral at the Birth: Extended Producer Responsibility in the European Union and the United States, 30 Harvard Environmental Law Review 51 (2006).
Blocked Pathways: Potential Legal Responses to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals, 24 Columbia Journal of Environmental Law 289 (1999).
The Mescalero Apache Indians and Monitored Retrievable Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel: A Study in Environmental Ethics, 36 Natural Resources Journal 881 (1996).
Book ChaptersInternational Law Governing Chemical Risk Assessment and Management, in Chemical Risk Governance (Edward Elgar) (with David Wirth et al.) (May 2023).
Hazardous Substances and Activities, in Oxford Handbook of International Environmental Law (Oxford University Press) (July 2021).
The Shift in Power in the European Union and its Consequences for Energy and the Environment, in International Environmental Law: A Practitioner's Guide to the Planet (American Bar Association) (2014).
Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals, in Encyclopedia of Sustainability (2011).
Book ReviewsThe Effluent of Affluence: Challenging the Cult of More-Is-Better, The Environmental Forum 7 (2007).
Instructional MaterialsA Strategy to Protect Virginians From Toxic Chemicals, (with Ryan Murphy) (2014).
Blog PostsArgument Analysis: The Trail, The Pipeline, and a Journey to the Center of the Earth, (SCOTUSblog) (2020).
Argument Preview: Justices to Consider Whether the Appalachian Trail Blocks Proposed Natural Gas Pipeline, (SCOTUSblog) (2020).
Stocktaking and ratcheting after Paris, Center for Progressive Reform Blog (December 2015).
What will "common but differentiated responsibility" mean after Paris?, Center for Progressive Reform Blog (December 2015).
What's Under Construction in Copenhagen?, PrawfsBlawg (December 2009).
Collective Action in Copenhagen, PrawfsBlawg (November 2009).
"Legally Binding" versus "Politically Binding" Climate Deal, PrawfsBlawg (November 2009).
Stanford Law Spouses: Sandra Day and John O'Connor, PrawfsBlawg (November 2009).
Law School Classes on a Workshop Model, PrawfsBlawg (November 2009).
The Supreme Court Decision to Let Mexican Trucks Roll: Why It May Leave Two Environmental Laws in the Dust, Findlaw.com (June 2004).
Muddy Waters: Why Both Sides are Declaring Victory After a Supreme Court Clean Water Act Decision, Findlaw.com (April 2004).
Magazines/Trade PublicationsTobacco Giants are Fighting to Keep Graphic Warnings off their Products, Slate (June 2023).
Supreme Court's Conservatives May Slash EPA's Authority on Climate, The American Prospect (February 2022).
Can the Appalachian Trail Block a Natural Gas Pipeline?, The American Prospect (August 2019).
Reinventing Fire Making Energy Efficiency a Reality, 22 Richmond Law Magazine 15 (2010).
Newspaper ArticlesA Call to Action on the Risk of Toxic Floodwaters, (Richmond Times Dispatch) (March 2019).
Time to Upgrade Drinking Water Protections, Richmond Times-Dispatch (January 2015).
Garbage Everywhere: What Refuse in India's Streets Reveals about America's Hidden Trash Problem, The Atlantic (June 2014).
Op-Ed: Chemical Spill a Wake-Up Call for Virginia, The Richmond Times-Dispatch (January 2014).
When It REINS It Pours, The New Republic Online (February 2011).
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In the News
Commentary: Resistance to solar farms is holding Virginia back (Richmond-Times Dispatch)
Fri., Apr. 12, 2024SW Va. residents, lawmakers seek new rules for chemical spraying of Christmas tree farms (Richmond-Times Dispatch)
Fri., Dec. 22, 2023Mountain Valley pipeline delayed: 4 questions answered (Energy Wire)
Thu., Oct. 19, 2023Climate Jurisprudence Gets a New Blueprint (The American Prospect)
Thu., Aug. 17, 2023From Washington: Chemical Spill Into Delaware River Sparks Safety Concerns (Fox News)
Sun., Apr. 2, 2023Here's why it's hard to clean up toxic waste from the East Palestine train derailment (NPR)
Fri., Mar. 3, 2023Coastal Landfills Are No Match for Rising Seas (The Nation)
Mon., Jul. 26, 2021The Trump Climate Policy Disasters That Biden Can Undo Immediately (Vice)
Thu., Nov. 19, 2020Argument analysis: The trail, the pipeline and a journey to the center of the earth (SCOTUSblog)
Tue., Feb. 25, 2020Pipeline Backers Optimistic After Supreme Court Hearing (Bloomberg Law)
Mon., Feb. 24, 2020Supreme Court to hear pipeline case (WDBJ7)
Fri., Feb. 21, 2020Here's Exactly How a Trump 2020 Win Would Spark a Nightmare Climate Scenario (Vice)
Wed., Feb. 12, 2020Paris Climate Agreement and US withdrawal (Morning Wave)
Wed., Nov. 13, 2019The Paris climate agreement is at risk of falling apart in the 2020s (Vox)
Tue., Nov. 5, 2019The Paris Agreement in the 2020s: Breakdown or Breakup? (Opinio Juris)
Fri., Oct. 25, 2019What to watch in the Appalachian Trail pipeline fight (Energywire)
Mon., Oct. 7, 2019Shoreline industry poses hazards as sea level, floods increase (Bay Journal)
Tue., Aug. 27, 2019Op-Ed: A call to action on the risk of toxic floodwaters in Virginia (Richmond Times Dispatch)
Tue., Mar. 19, 2019New Report on Climate-Driven 'Toxic Flood' Threats in Virginia (Eco Magazine)
Tue., Mar. 12, 2019California court tells Monsanto to pay out $289 million (Knowledge at Wharton via SiriusXM)
Mon., Aug. 20, 2018Trump's EPA may be weakening chemical safety law (Scientific American)
Wed., Aug. 16, 2017How the EPA chief could gut the agency's climate change regulations (The Hill)
Sun., Mar. 12, 2017The BPA debate is back, as workers exposed to levels 70 times the average (The Guardian)
Sun., Jan. 22, 2017Op-ed: Time to upgrade drinking water protections (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Wed., Jan. 18, 2017Will the new toxic chemical safety law protect us? (The conversation)
Thu., Jun. 16, 2016West Coast cities sue Monsanto to pay for chemical cleanup (High Country News)
Mon., May. 16, 2016Art gallery: "India Becoming" at Weinstein JCC (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Wed., Jan. 20, 2016House votes to reform toxic chemical regulation for the first time in nearly 40 years (Climate Progress)
Wed., Jun. 24, 2015The City Of San Diego Is Suing Monsanto. Can It Win? (Think Progress)
Wed., Mar. 25, 2015Virginia Must Guard Against Freedom Industries - type spill (Befpre It's News)
Mon., Jan. 26, 2015Bakken crude oil production relies on rail shipments (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Sat., Aug. 30, 2014Crude oil spilled from train may be in James River mud (Richmond Times-Dispatch, The Roanoke Times)
Wed., May. 7, 2014EPA still trying to clean state's Superfund sites (Richmond Times-Dispatch, The Roanoke Times)
Sat., Apr. 5, 2014Virginia water supplies so far unaffected by Dan River coal ash spill (Richmond Times-Dispatch, Water Environment Federation)
Sat., Feb. 8, 2014Murphy: Reversing Virginia's toxic legacy (The Virginian-Pilot)
Fri., Feb. 7, 2014Undermanned And Limited, Chemical Safety Board Confronts A Crisis (NPR)
Mon., Feb. 3, 2014Fatal chemical accidents expose weak federal laws (USA Today, Daily Record)
Tue., Jan. 28, 2014Va. urged to toughen toxic-chemical laws (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Sun., Jan. 19, 2014W.Va. chemical spill poses a new test for lawmakers (The Washington Post, The Oregonian, Norwich Bulletin, Charleston Daily Mail, The Tribune-Review)
Sun., Jan. 19, 2014Obama's Plan to Bypass Congress: Big Talk, Little Action (The Fiscal Times)
Wed., Aug. 7, 2013Don't Undercut Consumer Financial Protection Agencies: Independence (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Mon., Nov. 26, 2012Agenda 21: Fact, Not Conspiracy (WND)
Fri., Mar. 23, 2012Agenda 21: plot or paranoia? (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Sun., Mar. 18, 2012Urgent overhaul of bisphenol A regs needed to protect public - report (FoodProductionDaily.com)
Tue., Jan. 31, 2012Little Progress on Regulating BPA, Report Finds (ConsumerAffairs)
Fri., Jan. 27, 2012Federal regulators have failed to act on toxic chemical, report says (The Center for Public Integrity)
Thu., Jan. 26, 2012Report faults regulators for failing to crack down on BPA (E&E News)
Thu., Jan. 26, 2012 - Links