United States Fourth Circuit

Congress's power under the Commerce Clause to protect navigable waters allows it to regulate the discharge of pollutants that flow into a roadside ditch dug by defendants. District court did not err when it decided that the Army Corps of Engineers used an appropriate indicator for wetland hydrology in designating parts of defendants' property as wetlands.

Appellate Information

• Decided 06/12/2003
• Published 06/12/2003

Judges

• Before WILKINSON, LUTTIG, and MICHAEL, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Fourth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• ARGUED: Raymond Stevens Smethurst, Jr., Adkins, Potts & Smethurst, L.L.P., Salisbury, Maryland, for Appellants.  James Clarke Howard, Assistant United States Attorney, Baltimore, Maryland, for Appellee.   ON BRIEF: Virginia S. Albrecht, Stephen M. Nickelsburg, Hunton & Williams, Washington, D.C.;  Duane J. Desiderio, Thomas Jon Ward, National Association of Home Builders, Washington, D.C., for Appellants.   Thomas M. DiBiagio, United States Attorney, Thomas L. Sansonetti, Assistant Attorney General, Greer S. Goldman, Ethan G. Shenkman, Environment & Natural Resources Division, United States Department of Justice, Baltimore, Maryland, for Appellee.  Roy A. Hoagland, Denise Stranko, The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Inc., Annapolis, Maryland;  Janice L. Goldman-Carter, Edina, Minnesota, for Amicus Curiae Foundation.   J. Joseph Curran, Jr., Attorney General of Maryland, Adam D. Snyder, Assistant Attorney General, Baltimore, Maryland, for Amicus Curiae State.