
Professor Noah Sachs is Director of the Law School's Robert R. Merhige, Jr. Center for Environmental Studies and teaches and writes in the areas of environmental law, torts, and administrative law. His scholarship, which focuses on climate change, toxic substance and hazardous waste regulation, and transboundary pollution, has appeared in the UCLA Law Review, Vanderbilt Law Review, and University of Illinois Law Review, among other venues, and his co-authored text, Regulation of Toxic Substances and Hazardous Waste, is the leading casebook on toxic substances regulation. Professor Sachs was awarded the University of Richmond's Distinguished Educator award in 2013, the highest recognition for teaching and scholarship on the faculty. He was also chosen as the University of Richmond's Outstanding Faculty nominee in the rising star category to the Virginia State Council of Higher Education in 2009. Professor Sachs was awarded a Fulbright grant to conduct research in India in the spring of 2014, where he focused on emerging environmental markets in India and the challenges of implementing market-oriented environmental reforms in developing countries. Professor Sachs has been a Member Scholar with the Center for Progressive Reform in Washington, D.C. since 2010.
Strengthening the Chemical Safety Regime in the Climate Change Era, Columbia Journal of Environmental Law (2020).
Toxic Floodwaters: Strengthening the Chemical Safety Regime in the Climate Change Era, 45 (Columbia Journal of Environmental Law) (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).
Environmental Law Practice: Problems and Exercises for Skills Development (Carolina Academic Press 4th) (with Jerry Anderson et al.) (2018).
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).
Hazardous Substances and Activities, in OXFORD HANDBOOK OF INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL LAW (2020).
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).
The Effluent of Affluence: Challenging the Cult of More-Is-Better, The Environmental Forum 7 (2007).
A Strategy to Protect Virginians From Toxic Chemicals, (with Ryan Murphy) (2014).
Argument 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).
Opinion analysis: Appalachian Trail no barrier for major gas pipeline, SCOTUSblog (June 2020).
Argument Analysis: The Trail, the Pipeline and a Journey to the Center of the Earth, SCOTUSblog (February 2020).
Argument preview: Justices to consider whether the Appalachian Trail blocks proposed natural gas pipeline, SCOTUSblog (February 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?, PrawfBlawg (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).
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).
A Call to Action on t he 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).
Toxic Floodwaters: The Threat of Climate-Driven Chemical Disaster (Center for Progressive Reform) (with David Flores) (March 2019).
Protecting the Public from BPA: An Action Plan for Federal , Center for Progressive Reform White Paper (with Thomas McGarity et al.) (2012).
Reclaiming Global Environmental Leadership: Why the United States Should Ratify Ten Pending Environmental Treaties , Center for Progressive Reform White Paper (with Mary Angelo et al.) (January 2012).
The Trump Climate Policy Disasters That Biden Can Undo Immediately (Vice)
Thu., Nov. 19, 2020
Argument analysis: The trail, the pipeline and a journey to the center of the earth (SCOTUSblog)
Tue., Feb. 25, 2020
Pipeline Backers Optimistic After Supreme Court Hearing (1)
Mon., Feb. 24, 2020
Supreme Court to hear pipeline case (WDBJ7)
Fri., Feb. 21, 2020
Here's Exactly How a Trump 2020 Win Would Spark a Nightmare Climate Scenario (Vice)
Wed., Feb. 12, 2020
Paris Climate Agreement and US withdrawal (Morning Wave)
Wed., Nov. 13, 2019
The Paris climate agreement is at risk of falling apart in the 2020s (Vox)
Tue., Nov. 5, 2019
The Paris Agreement in the 2020s: Breakdown or Breakup? (Opinio Juris)
Fri., Oct. 25, 2019
What to watch in the Appalachian Trail pipeline fight (Energywire)
Mon., Oct. 7, 2019
Shoreline industry poses hazards as sea level, floods increase (Bay Journal)
Tue., Aug. 27, 2019
Op-Ed: A call to action on the risk of toxic floodwaters in Virginia (Richmond Times Dispatch)
Tue., Mar. 19, 2019
New Report on Climate-Driven 'Toxic Flood' Threats in Virginia (Eco Magazine)
Tue., Mar. 12, 2019
California court tells Monsanto to pay out $289 million (Knowledge at Wharton via SiriusXM)
Mon., Aug. 20, 2018
Trump's EPA may be weakening chemical safety law (Scientific American)
Wed., Aug. 16, 2017
How the EPA chief could gut the agency's climate change regulations (The Hill)
Sun., Mar. 12, 2017
The BPA debate is back, as workers exposed to levels 70 times the average (The Guardian)
Sun., Jan. 22, 2017
Op-ed: Time to upgrade drinking water protections (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Wed., Jan. 18, 2017
Will the new toxic chemical safety law protect us? (The conversation)
Thu., Jun. 16, 2016
West Coast cities sue Monsanto to pay for chemical cleanup (High Country News)
Mon., May. 16, 2016
Art gallery: "India Becoming" at Weinstein JCC (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Wed., Jan. 20, 2016
House votes to reform toxic chemical regulation for the first time in nearly 40 years (Climate Progress)
Wed., Jun. 24, 2015
The City Of San Diego Is Suing Monsanto. Can It Win? (Think Progress)
Wed., Mar. 25, 2015
Virginia Must Guard Against Freedom Industries - type spill (Befpre It's News)
Mon., Jan. 26, 2015
Bakken crude oil production relies on rail shipments (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Sat., Aug. 30, 2014
Crude oil spilled from train may be in James River mud (Richmond Times-Dispatch, The Roanoke Times)
Wed., May. 7, 2014
EPA still trying to clean state's Superfund sites (Richmond Times-Dispatch, The Roanoke Times)
Sat., Apr. 5, 2014
Virginia water supplies so far unaffected by Dan River coal ash spill (Richmond Times-Dispatch, Water Environment Federation)
Sat., Feb. 8, 2014
Murphy: Reversing Virginia's toxic legacy (The Virginian-Pilot)
Fri., Feb. 7, 2014
Undermanned And Limited, Chemical Safety Board Confronts A Crisis (NPR)
Mon., Feb. 3, 2014
Fatal chemical accidents expose weak federal laws (USA Today, Daily Record)
Tue., Jan. 28, 2014
Va. urged to toughen toxic-chemical laws (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Sun., Jan. 19, 2014
W.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, 2014
Obama's Plan to Bypass Congress: Big Talk, Little Action (The Fiscal Times)
Wed., Aug. 7, 2013
Don't Undercut Consumer Financial Protection Agencies: Independence (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Mon., Nov. 26, 2012
Agenda 21: Fact, Not Conspiracy (WND)
Fri., Mar. 23, 2012
Agenda 21: plot or paranoia? (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Sun., Mar. 18, 2012
Urgent overhaul of bisphenol A regs needed to protect public - report (FoodProductionDaily.com)
Tue., Jan. 31, 2012
Little Progress on Regulating BPA, Report Finds (ConsumerAffairs)
Fri., Jan. 27, 2012
Federal regulators have failed to act on toxic chemical, report says (The Center for Public Integrity)
Thu., Jan. 26, 2012
Report faults regulators for failing to crack down on BPA (E&E News)
Thu., Jan. 26, 2012