United States v. Pennsylvania Industrial Chemical Corp.
411 U.S. 655 · Decided May 14, 1973 · 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
United States v. Pennsylvania Industrial Chemical Corp. was decided on May 14, 1973 by a vote of 6–3. The Court vacated the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. 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
- 411 U.S. 655 · 93 S. Ct. 1804 · 36 L. Ed. 2d 567 · 1973 U.S. LEXIS 140
- Docket number
- 72-624
- Decided
- May 14, 1973
- Argued
- March 27, 1973
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- William O. Douglas
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Natural resources and environmental protection
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- 33 U.S.C. § 401
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Dissent | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Dissent | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority |
Full case caption
United States v. Pennsylvania Industrial Chemical Corp.
SCDB identifiers: case 1972-112, docket 1972-112-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Natural resources and environmental protection”
- Askew v. American Waterways Operators, Inc.
- Fri v. Sierra Club
- United States v. Students Challenging Regulatory Agency Procedures
- Lake Carriers' Assn. v. Macmullan
- Illinois v. City of MilwaukeeAltered precedent
- Washington v. General Motors Corp.
Cases on the same legal provision: 33 U.S.C. § 401
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Gottschalk v. Benson
- Evco v. JonesLaw held unconstitutional
- Union Oil Co. of California v. the San Jacinto
- Executive Jet Aviation, Inc. v. City of Cleveland
- Heublein, Inc. v. South Carolina Tax Commission
- Ricci v. Chicago Mercantile Exchange
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