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Chemical Manufacturers Association v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.

470 U.S. 116 · Decided February 27, 1985 · Supreme Court of the United States

Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.

At a glance

Chemical Manufacturers Association v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. was decided on February 27, 1985 by a vote of 5–4. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Byron R. White wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Natural resources and environmental protection” in the Economic Activity area.

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Case details

Citations
470 U.S. 116 · 105 S. Ct. 1102 · 84 L. Ed. 2d 90 · 1985 U.S. LEXIS 54
Docket number
83-1013
Decided
February 27, 1985
Argued
November 6, 1984
Court era
Burger Court
Decision type
Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
Disposition
Reversed
Outcome for petitioner
The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
Vote
5–4
Majority opinion
Byron R. White
Opinion assigned by
Warren E. Burger
How the case arrived
Certiorari
Legal provision
Clean Water Act (Federal Water Pollution Control Act)
Type of law
Federal statute
Decision direction (SCDB)
Conservative what this means

How the Justices voted

Full case caption

Chemical Manufacturers Association et al. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1984-035, docket 1984-035-01.

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Cases on the same legal provision: Clean Water Act (Federal Water Pollution Control Act)

Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)

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Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error