Gwaltney of Smithfield, Ltd. v. Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Inc.
484 U.S. 49 · Decided December 1, 1987 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Gwaltney of Smithfield, Ltd. v. Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Inc. was decided on December 1, 1987 unanimously (8–0). The Court vacated the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Thurgood Marshall wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Natural resources and environmental protection” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 484 U.S. 49 · 108 S. Ct. 376 · 98 L. Ed. 2d 306 · 1987 U.S. LEXIS 5030
- Docket number
- 86-473
- Decided
- December 1, 1987
- Argued
- October 5, 1987
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Thurgood Marshall
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Natural resources and environmental protection
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- 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
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Gwaltney of Smithfield, Ltd. v. Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Inc., et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1987-006, docket 1987-006-01.
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Cases on the same legal provision: Clean Water Act (Federal Water Pollution Control Act)
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- Friends of the Earth v. Laidlaw Environmental Services (Toc), Inc.
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Mullins Coal Co., Inc. of Virginia v. Director
- Westfall v. Erwin et Ux.
- United Savings Association of Texas v. Timbers of Inwood Forest Associates, Ltd.
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- K Mart Corporation v. Cartier, Inc.
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