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Gwaltney of Smithfield, Ltd. v. Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Inc.

484 U.S. 49 · Decided December 1, 1987 · 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

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
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
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

JusticeVoteSeparate writing
Justice William J. Brennan Jr.Majority
Justice Byron R. WhiteMajority
Justice Thurgood MarshallMajorityWrote an opinion
Justice Harry A. BlackmunMajority
Chief Justice William H. RehnquistMajority
Justice John Paul StevensSpecial concurrence
Justice Sandra Day O'ConnorSpecial concurrence
Justice Antonin ScaliaSpecial concurrenceWrote 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.

Other cases on “Natural resources and environmental protection”

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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